Description
Circus Lab is a project that capitalizes on the vast experience of Cirkus Xanti and Teatro Viriato's (TV) work with school communities and as such is influenced by the methodology applied in Norway concerning the availability of artistic activities in schools, while at the same time answers one of TV's main preoccupations in the field – the importance of approaching artistic activity to school contexts. It also highlights a common concern over the urgency of creating policies supporting New Circus (NC), both in Portugal and Norway, as it's an area with great expansion in some parts of Europe but lacking professional attention in both countries. NC is defined as the central point of the project because of its richness, for it mixes Dance, Theatre, Music, Image, in tight relationship with Circus Arts Objectives: To create a common thought about the importance of arts education and their role towards improving the quality of education and learning; To explore New Circus with the areas of Dance, Music and Theatre, to promote consensus about arts education in building a creative and culturally aware society.
Summary of project results
“Circus Lab” was born from the relationship that the Teatro Viriato has been developing since 1999 with the area of new circus, from the dialogue and the partnerships that have been carried out with the artistic programmer Giacomo Scalisi. Developed between Teatro Viriato and the Norwegian partner Cirkus Xanti, the project had the collaboration of a diverse artistic community. The various activities that were part of the project were focused on bringing the new circus closer to children, youngsters and the general public in the form of training sessions, school sessions, general audience sessions, decentralization of activities in the region, artistic debuts, involvement of the community in the artistic processes, conferences, national and international shows. Patronage relationships and support were also essential to the success of the project. Teatro Viriato refers to the following as project strengths: strong public support, excellent involvement of schools and other partners, the communication of the whole project with national reach, involvement of a diverse artistic community, recognition by peers of the contributions of the project to the development and enhancement of the new circus in Portugal. The experience of “Circus Lab” has created an informal network of discussion for the development of the New Circus area in Portugal, in which dialogue occurs with artists and programming structures on the support for the creation of new circus projects in Portugal.
Summary of bilateral results
At the level of the artistic partnerships, it is to be emphasized the complicity with Cirkus Xanti, from Norway, the Trigo Limpo Teatro Acert, Binaural/Nodar and Companhia Paulo Ribeiro, from Portugal. Partnerships that arose from the will of Teatro Viriato to weave a joint work with other professional artistic structures from Norway and from center region, in Portugal. Concerning the involvement of schools, the invitation arises from an important relationship that Teatro Viriato has been developing with the school environment along with awareness of the potential of circus technique in the physical and intellectual development of children and youngsters. As for the international partner, Cirkus Xanti, it appears from a previous professional relationship with Giacomo Scalisi that gave Teatro Viriato guarantees to develop a common project. The design of the project offered risks at the outset because it was based on much diversified partnerships and at different levels. Nevertheless, the results exceeded all expectations, since all partners fulfilled with their responsibilities and always collaborated towards the valorization of the project. Openness to dialogue, emergence of new challenges and development of other projects are some positive points that we should note in the various partnership relations.