News from the nordic network
August 13, 2010

The NNCN has received new 3-year funding from Kulturkontakt Nord for strengthening the network, enhancing circumstances of young circus artists, developing possibilities for touring with circus performances within the Nordic countries, developing research activities and publications on contemporary circus and for arranging action for supporting the cultural political status of contemporary circus in Nordic countries.

The circus book project

NNCN is currently working on a publication on contemporary circus with a Nordic perspective. The main body of the book is written by Tomi Purovaara and will also contain articles by Kiki
Muukkonen & Camilla Damkjaer, Sverre Waage and Stine Degerbøl. The book with the title Contemporary Circus – Introduction to the development of circus art will be published in the autumn 2010 by Stockholm University. It outlines the new circus sector in the Nordic countries, including an overview to the development of the art form.

Juggling the Arts 2

In November 2010 the New Nordic Circus Network, founded by contemporary circus operators from Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden, will organize an artistic laboratory with the title Juggling the Arts.

This means, that 2 young circus artists from each country will be selected to participate in the laboratory. The selection of the artists will be handled by the mentor team of the laboratory. The artists will participate in a five-day artistic laboratory lead by the two international mentors in Subtopia (SE). 

The application process for the laboratory will begin in August-September 2010. The project is funded by a grant of Kulturkontakt Nord.

The partners in Juggling the Arts are:
- Denmark, Copenhagen International Theatre (KIT).
- Finland, Cirko – Centre for New Circus & Finnish Circus Information Centre
- Norway, Cirkus Xanti & SIRKUNST network.
- Sweden, Subtopia & Cirkus Cirkör

The objectives of Juggling the Arts are to:
- support artistic research processes within contemporary Nordic circus art
- offer artistic support to young Nordic circus artist
- support dialogue and building of connections and networks between Nordic contemporary circus artists and programmers
- support the development of creativity and professionalism within the contemporary circus field

Juggling the Arts gives Nordic artists the opportunity to have a one week residency, where they will receive the opportunity to deepen and develop their artistic work and research, guided by internationally recognised mentors. The artists will have the opportunity to test ideas, to get inspiration and receive feedback from the mentors as well as their Nordic colleagues.

Further information: Kiki Muukkonen, kiki.muukkonen(a)subtopia.se

Other projects

Touring opportunities for Nordic circus performances will be developed in context of the Contemporary circus festival at Copenhagen International Theatre (August 2010).

The Nordic newsletter that reports on the circus activities in Scandinavia and Finland will be sent 3 times a year in 2010. The pdf-files can be downloaded from the newsletter archive.