As part of the CircusDanceFestival, symposia with various thematic focuses take place regularly. Here is a documentation of the different symposia.
Symposium: Circus and heritage - european encounters (Federal Association of Contemporary Circus)
The nationwide recognition of circus as intangible cultural heritage entails the responsibility to critically examine the complex cultural-historical phenomenon of circus in Europe. The Bundesverband Zeitgenössischer Zirkus e.V. therefore invited European representatives of traditional and contemporary circus companies and associations to a discursive encounter as part of the CircusDanceFestival. Engaging in dialogue about circus concepts and values, as well as making colonial traces in circus visible, is a shared first step towards reappraising and renewing cultural heritage in the European circus landscape.
What values can be found in circus? How can innovation be defined, and what significance does so-called circus heritage have for current and future generations? Unfortunately, when it comes to stereotypes on stage, aesthetics, and artistic positioning, people are often quick to talk about each other rather than with each other. As part of the symposium, there were various keynote speeches, exploration, movement, and dialogue formats, as well as a panel discussion on the topic of heritage: remembering & renewing.
An insight into the symposium and the entire panel discussion can be found in our CDFthek.
Moderation: Diana Salles (Artistin, Autorin & Aktivistin)
Guests:
Edgar Hedergott (Freie Pädagogische Initiave e.V Unna)
Gerd Sperlich (Circus Sperlich traditional Circus)
Verena Cornwall (Circus Consultant)
Menno van Dyke (artist, artistic director Circusstad Festival Rotterdam)
Gina Laskowski (crip performer and circus bitch (actual self definition))
Symposium: Re-Writing Circus (2021)
The symposium „Re-Writing Circus“ reflects on the one hand the multiple meanings of dramaturgy in the context of contemporary circus. Starting from a broad concept of „dramaturgy“, it focuses on body-based writing and research within creative processes. On the other hand, the symposium is dedicated to the practice of journalistic and academic writing about contemporary circus. Attention is paid to a language beyond existing stereotypes that are still associated with circus in Germany today.
International speakers and an audience of experts versed in theory and practice were invited to this symposium with impulse lectures, panel discussions, discussion formats and book presentations, which addressed the following questions:
How do we write, speak and think about contemporary circus? How are artistic writings developed in practice and how do they continually rewrite the circus? How do we write about circus, how do we translate performative practice into words? And what kind of rewriting is necessary?
You find a documentation of the Symposium 2021 in the CDFthek.