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Description
The main objective of the project is to support international exchange of experience and development of intensive cooperation between artists of the contemporary circus from the Czech Republic, Iceland and Norway. We aim to use gained impulses for creation of new performances and programs of the contemporary circus with deeper social impact focusing on people at risk of social exclusion (incl. Roma people) in the Czech Republic and Iceland and general public in the Moravian-Silesian Region.
By project activities we respond to the identified problems in individual target groups:
1. Artists - acrobats, jugglers, actors and other professionals working in contemporary circus, but also enthusiastic performers of the circus
2. Children and young people - belonging to the category of persons at risk of social exclusion incl. Roma - children from Czech orphanages and socially excluded localities in the Czech Republic and Iceland.
3. Public - audience of the International Circus Festival and the CIRCULUM Street Theatre (planned connection with the project''s activities in 2022).
We will cooperate with partners from donor states; from Norway (Karolina Aamas) and Iceland (Hringleikur Association). We see the benefits of the partnership in the long-term experience of the Norwegian partner in aerial acrobatics. In case of the Icelandic partner, it is an organization similar in scope and history to our organization. The Czech partner Duha Zámeček is also involved in the project. The reason for his involvement is the planned activities of the social circus aimed at the development and integration of children from orphanages. This partner has worked successfully with this specific target group for over 25 years.
Summary of project results
The purpose of the project was to implement a complex mix of activities aimed at developing the capacities of cultural actors (artists and performers) and supporting contemporary art through
contemporary circus with a focus on children and young people at risk of social exclusion, as well as the public in the involved regions. The main problems that fundamentally affected the course of project implementation were the COVID-19 pandemic and the withdrawal of the key Norwegian partner Cirkus Xanti.
The main activities of the project were the implementation of:
- 8 training workshops aimed at developing the contemporary circus skills of artists and performers,
- 3 creative workshops/residencies for artists in Ostrava and Reykjavík focused on the preparation of
an interactive program and performance "Just Try It",
- 2 creative workshops/residencies for artists in Ostrava focused on the preparation of the
performance "Butterfly World",
- 2 contemporary circus workshops for children from orphanages,
- realization of 39 international contemporary circus performances for children and the public in the
Czech Republic and Iceland,
- preparation of the Audience Development Strategy.
The key outputs of the project were the newly created internationally usable interactive program with the contemporary circus performance "Just Try It" focused on school pupils and the contemporary circus performance "Butterfly World" focused on preschool children. Both performances benefited from the experience of international artistic team and represent a unique and innovative educational product in the Czechia and Iceland due to the practical use of contemporary art in education.
Thanks to the project, social and economic development was strengthened, based on the development of cultural cooperation between Czech, Icelandic and Norwegian contemporary circus
artists and companies. In the future, further cooperation is planned with the Icelandic artistic company Hringleikur and the Norwegian contemporary circus artist Karoline Aamas, both in the form of joint artistic projects and in the form of sharing and developing new circus skills.
Summary of bilateral results
Key to the project were the attitudes and approach of colleagues from Iceland and Norway, who enriched final beneficiary with experience with Nordic culture and especially the mentality of openness with a positive approach to tolerance and diversity in society and culture. In our opinion, these experiences were also positively reflected in the tone of both performances "Just Try It" and "The Butterfly World". In joint workshops and residencies with the partner company Hringleikur, project promoter developed circus artistic skills and created an international interactive program with the contemporary circus performance "Just Try It". And also in cooperation with the Norwegian artist Karoline Aamas, a new Czech performance "Butterfly World" was created.