Poster gallery walk

EYCO (European Youth Circus Organisation) partners created a course specifically for circus trainers in inclusion and diversity. As part of the creation process an inclusion manifesto was produces, entitled ‘This Space is for You’. EYCO is working on getting it displayed on every youth circus wall in Europe.

by Lynn Carroll, Director / CircusWorks & President/ EYCO

Time is changing, and awareness about our own needs regarding a healthy relationship with our bodies is evolving. Additionally, a new generation of circus artists is emerging with a different viewpoint on what a good relationship between the circus arts world and their bodies, and what mental and physical health should look like. We will first question how a consent culture in circus can take shape and how we can overcome the generation gap with this specific perspective. This involves establishing a consent culture in circus that includes every field involved.

by Sabine Maringer, Circus Advocat and Researcher

This poster addresses the topic of "Safety in Circus Education". Ensuring a safe environment (for learning and working), where the balance between challenge, fun and safety is paramount. Ecole de Cirque de Bruxelles aims to raise awareness of risk so that safety is structurally integrated into all aspects of education.

by Tom Cools, Ecole de Cirque de Bruxelles

Les mots de trop is a tool for fighting back and raising awareness for all students in the cultural sector.

by Clara Deprez, Les mots de trop 

The Finnish Youth Circus Association published a guidebook for youth circus spaces in 2023. The aim is to support youth circuses in finding proper circus spaces, to help municipalities take circus activities into account when renovating and to develop a safety culture in the circus sector.

by Taruelma Heikkinen, chair chair person of The Finnish Youth Circus Association and writer of the handbook

The poster will present Centre for Circus Arts Research, Innovation and Knowledge Transfer (CRITAC)'s safety-related projects and results. These findings may provide substantial implications for circus professionals to improve the safety of this sector.

Technical:

• Release of a new guide on space development for circus training and equipment;
• Dynamic forces in more than 10 circus disciplines;

Physical:

• Analysis of falls on mattresses;
• Development of a circus-specific workload measurement tool;

Psychosocial:

• Clinical burden of injuries incurred by circus students;
• Longitudinal examination of sleep and fatigue in circus student-artists;
• Assessment of circus students’ psychological characteristics

by Marion Cossin, Centre de recherche, d'innovation et de transfert en arts du cirque (CRITAC)

RIggers are essential to the safety and lives of our students, yet they often remain in the dark. What do we really know about the riggers in circus schools? Come and find out more!

by Lorenzo Albiero, FEDEC-international network for professional circus education

How can we spot in a safe and respectful way ? Are we consistently aware of circus artists’ boundaries, especially when it comes to touching? Explore alternative methods for mindful spotting and make sure to always ensure respect for consent.

by Rosa Matthis

How can a costume affect body image? How to create a physical and emotional safe space for training and performing with youngsters?How can we foster a culture of inclusivity and diversity within circus communities to ensure all performers feel valued and supported? What strategies can be implemented to address and prevent injuries among circus performers, particularly those working with rigging and aerial equipment? During this poster presentation you will discover Sorin Sirkus' approach to these questions. Sorin Sirkus is a youth circus from Tampere Finland, established in 1985. Their main objective is to maintain, enhance and develop circus studies for children and young people. Sorin Sirkus has been giving basic education of circus arts since 1993.

by Jouni Kivimäki & Kitte Klemettilä, Sorin Sirkus

Circus Zonder Handen is a Brussels-based youth circus school offering quality circus classes. Urban circus is their passion,circus for all their mission. Discover their approach to create a safe(r) space to voice concerns and their journey on implementing a new policy 'PEACE & LOVE' with action guidelines before and after soft tissue injury.

by Mathilde Renson, coordinator circus youth school Circus Zonder Handen

While circus training spaces are deeply permissive of risk-taking physical behavior, environments that promote social, artistic, or creative risk are harder to cultivate and occur less frequently. Micro-cultures form in individual classes, influenced by the macro-culture of both the school and the wider circus community. Knowing that creative and artistic risk are critical components to the development of circus, how can coaches, administrators and students promote cultural environments that are socially risk-permissive? Can the exercise of creative or artistic risk-taking be viewed in the framework of social risk taking, as the act of proposing new work or new methodology inevitably emerges from the social environment of the training?

by Adam Woolley, Teacher Trainer

In 2021 an international circus youth advisory group was founded. 10 members of Caravan Circus Network joined forces and brought youth together to think about the future of the circus. They have been through a learning process together over the past few years and have tackled many challenges. They all actively created communities inside their circusschool by bringing youth together. They all have their own story of why a circus community was important for them. And by sharing this story with you, they hope to inspire other circus initiatives to invest in their community! Because our community can be the strongest safety net we could have.

by Julian Cottenie