Baltic Nordic Circus Network (BNCN) is a collaborative network of 20 circus arts organisations in the Baltic and Nordic countries.
The network works to strengthen the regional collaboration and development of the circus sector. Alongside lobbying activity, meetings and seminars BNCN organises workshops for artists and industry professionals which focus on skills development, best practice, increased knowledge and cooperation as well as cultural and national identity.
LIST OF MEMBERS 2023 with links
DENMARK
Dynamo Workspace (Odense)
Dynamo is a workspace for contemporary workspace, with main focus on co-production and residencies, and on top of that, we present quest performances and an annual circus festival in Odense.
Orkenfortet is a Culture Association for kids and youngsters with financial support from the municipality of Copenhagen. Orkenfortet is located at AFUK and is in that way a part of a creative environment that also includes a circus school and a stage for contemporary circus and performances. Orkenfortet offers classes in circus and theater, collaborate with national and international partners within the field of circus/acrobatics/movement and is also offering studios for members own physical practise, training and projects.
Helsingør Teater organises PASSAGE Festival, the biggest street theatre festival in the Nordic countries. The festival takes place annually at the end of July/ beginning of August. Activities take place centrally in Helsingør as well as in the periphery of the municipalities, in natural as well as urban settings. The PASSAGE programme consists of traditional street theatre performance but also challenges the concept of street theatre by programming more exclusive performances and other activities like poetry readings and philosophical talks. Especially non-language based disciplines as circus, street theatre and contemporary dance are of great interest of the festival, as they have proven very efficient in including a diverse audience.
ESTONIA
Tsirkusestuudio Folie / Circus studio Folie
Circus Studio Folie is a circus organisation that is running a youth circus and developing contemporary circus in Estonia.
FINLAND
Cirko – Uuden sirkuksen keskus / Cirko – Center for New Circus
Cirko is a contemporary circus venue, presenter and artistic development situated in Helsinki with national and international reach.
Sirkuksen tiedotuskeskus / CircusInfo Finland
CircusInfo Finland is both the physical and online contact point for any information on Finnish circus. We provide information services on professional circus in Finland. We support the artistic and cultural development of Finnish circus art through our strong networks, promotional activities and mentoring. Founded in 2006, we receive yearly funding from the Ministry of Education and Culture. We collect and distribute information on Finnish circus professionals and performances, maintain a reference library on circus literature and organize workshops and mentoring for Finnish circus professionals in order to increase their potential for success. Every year we compile statistics and reports related to activity in the Finnish circus field to aid political decision-making. We are strong national partner in advocacy and lobbying for the circus art.
Hiljaisuus-festivaali / Silence Festival
Silence Festival gathers the most interesting performances and artists from Finland and abroad to Lapland. The multidisciplinary program of art and culture is spread in and around Kaukonen village. At the Silence Festival you will experience art, beautiful nature and a very special atmosphere.
Finnish Youth Circus Association (Helsinki)
The Finnish Youth Circus Association (FYCA) is the national umbrella organisation of youth circuses in Finland. The association was founded in 1991. FYCA promotes amateur youth circus activities and aims at providing better facilities for youth circuses, circus amateurs and circus teachers. The association brings together both amateurs and professionals and develops possibilities for children and young people to take part in circus activities.
Tapanilan Sirkussali (Helsinki)
Tapanilan Sirkussali brings together circus professionals, circus enthusiasts and a circus school for the next generation of artists. Activities include artist residencies, demos, workshops, open stages, performances and classes for all leves and ages. Tapanilan Sirkussali was officially founded in November 2021 and opened in May 2022 by the Race Horse Company, Agit-Cirk and Linnanmäki Circus School. It occupies a former 600m2 sports hall, and collaborates with the Tapanila Sports Center.
LATVIA
Riga Circus (Riga)
Riga Circus is a multifunctional and traditional art center that ensures the development and availability of professional circus art. The strategic goals of VSIA Riga Circus are the
development, updating and popularisation of professional circus art in Latvia and abroad,
as well as ensuring its accessibility to all members of society.
In 2020 Riga Circus became host-organisation of Baltic Nordic Circus Network together with Cirkus Syd in Sweden.
LITHUANIA
Menų spaustuvės / Arts Printing House
Performing arts venue that also has contemporary circus, street theatre and children and youth theatre festivals, residency programme and emerging artists programme. Based in Vilnius, Lithuania.
Cirkuliacija Festival
The International festival of contemporary circus Cirkuliacija is a platform that breaks stereotypes about the circus and becomes a meeting point to discuss, share experiences and learn from each other. The festival in non-traditional urban spaces presenting a variety of contemporary circus disciplines, performances, and artistic views from Lithuania and abroad is seen as a collaborative process in which the presence of each person creates a new meaning.
NORWAY
Acting for Climate
The aim of contemporary circus company Acting for Climate (NO) is to use art to inspire people to act for a more sustainable future. They create and tour their own performances, and are a growing international network of people, artists and activists that nurture collaboration for sustainability. Fueled by the a drive to change the world, they always aim to choose the most sustainable way, and to “walk the talk”. Acting for Climate believes that both the process and the product are political. They deal with sustainability both as a theme and the way they approach things, like touring with sail ships and bikes, and collaborating with climate scientists in their artistic processes. Through their workshops and international collaboration projects, they aim to inspire and empower artists and people to take action, exchange knowledge, question the norms and make each other stronger. We constantly aim to develop the art field and inspire change in society as a whole.
SWEDEN
Cirkus Cirkör (Stockholm)
Cirkus Cirkör is a politically independent non-profit association that was founded in 1995 with the vision to change the world through contemporary circus.
Subtopia (Stockholm)
Subtopia is a creative cluster in Botkyrka and enables cultural and community-building production at all levels, both non-profit and commercial, and is home to a unique circus environment, striving to create an attractive common ground where those involved in circus from around the world can meet to create, produce and evolve.
Karavan (Malmo)
Karavan is a stage, a company and a platform for contemporary circus that was started in 2009 in Malmö, Sweden. Our organisation includes performances and a circus festival as well as artistic and educational projects. Karavan also hosts daily training for professional artists together with Manegen 5 days a week. Karavan is and wants to continue to be an active part in developing and spreading circus. We want to take care of the potential that the region’s and Sweden’s free artists constitute. It is important to us that our cultural field can have the opportunity to not only exist but also develop in the south of Sweden. Our organisation is based on the fact that we both create and provide the opportunity to create. Karavan is both created and run by active artists for artists. The organization is both a long-term sustainable platform and a snapshot of the issues and forms of creation that are relevant to the active artists right now.What we do has had and has an important cultural value for the region. We are a stage that delivers innovative performing arts. We are a big part in making sure that children and young people in the region can take part in culture both as spectators and as practitioners. We are also a unifying platform for professional circus artists in the south of Sweden.
Cirkus Syd (Lund)
Cirkus Syd is a networking platform for international research, development and innovation based in Lund, Sweden. The platform connects people, ideas and practises across borders and genres. We work in the cultural sphere using our expertise in contemporary circus arts, collaborate to inspire structural development and new opportunities.
In 2020 Cirkus Syd became host-organisation of Baltic Nordic Circus Network together with Riga Circus in Latvia. As such Cirkus Syd produces all the projects for BNCN and manages strategy and finances for the network.
Nycirkus Öst (east region)
It’s a network of organisations and individuals in the East region of Sweden. The project organised networking, arranged courses for circus trainers and artists.
JONK! (Jönköping)
JONK! Performing Arts presents national and international guest performances of contemporary circus, dance, and theatre in Jönköping County. We want to create creative platforms for artists to come to and for the audience to feel included in. We want to work where the people are but where they may not expect performing arts to be. From markets and city festivals to schools and various stage rooms – the expected and unexpected.
Kulturhuset Stadsteatern (Stockholm)
Kulturhuset Stadsteatern is one of Northern Europe’s largest cultural institutions. We aim to be of interest to all the people of Stockholm, both resident and visiting. With freedom of expression and artistic freedom as our foundational values, we strive to be a meeting place that offers a wide range of culture events every day, all year round. We present theatre, exhibitions, circus and concerts. We host debates, four libraries, a cinema and lots of culture and activities for children and younger people. Kulturhuset stadsteatern has 9 stages on the central venue at Sergels Torg in the center of Stockholm. All these stages have been presenting guest performing circus acts on since Josefin Rosales took over the artistic leadership for circus in May 2021. We are now working for greater visibility and recognition for contemporary circus. We want Kulturhuset Stadsteatern to be a natural platform and stage for Swedish- as well as international acts. A stage where the public can expect excellent and varied circus acts of all disciplines.
ICELAND
Hringleikur is a new Icelandic circus company that aims to promote Icelandic circus culture. Our members are circus artists and those who work in the field of circus in Iceland.
Are you interested in being a member or an associate member? Follow this link or get in touch with Coordinator on info(a)balticnordiccircus.com
Baltic Nordic Circus Network 