HOSTING ORGANISATIONS

These are organisations that will host emerging leaders in their organisation
for a 3 week full-time experience.

CIRKUS CIRKÖR, STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN

Cirkus Cirkör started in 1995 when Tilde Björfors and a group of artists went to Paris and fell in love with the possibilities that the contemporary circus offered. They decided to stop dreaming big and living small and instead give their all to make reality of their dreams. Since then Cirkus Cirkör works both artistically and educationally and our core values are: cooky commitment, quality madness and collective individualism.

Twenty five years later more that 2 miljon people has seen a Circus Cirkör show on stage and in festivals around the world. 400 000 children and youth have trained, created and been taught with contemporary circus. The students from our Upper Secondary school graduates each year with great skills and many of them become professional artists. We also do site specific events and events on demand and have years of experience in doing this. Cirkus Cirkör also runs Cirkör LAB – a creative development platform with residencies for creators and artists from all over the world. We are a non-profit and politically independent organisation.

CIRCUSINFO FINLAND – HELSINKI, FINLAND

CircusInfo Finland provides information services on professional circus in Finland. It supports the artistic and cultural development of Finnish circus through its strong networks, promotional activities and mentoring. Founded in 2006, it receives yearly funding from the Ministry of Education and Culture, and many of its activities are also carried out with project-based funding. The staff includes four full-time employees and a couple of project-based employees. The working language inside the office is Finnish. A possible fusion with Dance Info Finland is under consideration, and the decision will be made during the autumn. The outcome will have a wide impact on us during winter 2020–21. Currently we are partners with Dance Info Finland in many projects.

gathers and distributes information on professional circus in Finland
organises workshops and provides mentoring for Finnish circus professionals
is an active member in several international networks and participates in international collaboration projects, which focus on creating opportunities for professionals in the field.
participates in international showcases and projects with the aim to promote Finnish circus and foster opportunities for international touring and collaborations
creates networking events also in Finland and works as a strong national partner in advocacy and lobbying for the circus art
provides statistics, reports and surveys for cultural officials, funding bodies and decision-makers
Target groups include circus professionals, field of culture at large, cultural officials and decision-makers, international operators in the field, circus audiences, the media.

REYKJAVÍK DANCE FESTIVAL – REYKJAVÍK, ICELAND

Reykjavík Dance Festival (RDF) is an international centre for choreographic practices in Iceland – seeking to curate an all year round conversation with its audiences – through the artists we present, support and produce.

Founded in 2002, RDF’s central activity has always been its international August festival. Since 2014 however, RDF has extended beyond its activities in August – to include national and international initiatives throughout the year in the form of mini-festival formats, workshops, and residencies.

From the November 2019 edition:

For four days, dance is ours, the city is ours, with its many voices, bodies and communities.
For four days, we’re taking over the city with a festival of national and international dance, performance and choreography.
For four days, a festival built on hope, love and care. Performances, happenings, parties, hangouts, talks and more.

The RDF November 2019 edition won a Gríman Award 2020 (Icelandic Stage Arts Award) for dedicating the platform of the festival to groups and communities that usually don’t have the spotlight, for example children, the elderly, teenagers and the disabled, and allowing them to share their view of society through performance art.

Read more at… www.reykjavikdancefestival.com

AFUK – COPENHAGEN, DENMARK

AFUK means academy of untameable creativity. Based in Copenhagen, the cluster organisation encourages and creates the frame for untraditional education, focusing on stimulating the creative mindset, from idea to execution. Nothing is too wild. The psychical space of the academy is based in an old factory. it is raw, open and full of life to giving each person the freedom to generate, develop and cultivate their own individual creative interests and paths. The fundamental idea of the academy is not to instruct but inspire, to help strengthen already exiting skills, be able to engage in creative processes, give confidence in oneself and in others, tickle curiosity, give space for both daydreaming and learning. It’s about both professional and personal development.

AFUK also is also a venue, with space for all kinds of performances, festivals and productions both internal and external created.

UPSALA CIRCUS – ST. PETERSBURG, RUSSIA

Upsala-Circus as a change agent both in social and cultural fields of the Russian landscape. For the last ten years Upsala-Circus has been the bright cultural dominant of St.Petersburg. We stage unconventional and inclusive performances that attract over 12,000 visitors annually. We hold the festival of contemporary circus and street art Balansirovka that enliven urban neighbourhoods and enhance public engagement. We provide both the location and the method to make new circus a preferable cultural choice of the citizens. And we’re nuts about bringing it to the wide audience as a social instrument and a cultural product.

Upsala-Circus is driven by a broad humanistic belief that every person has an inner light that may be fuelled with joint creative work and respectful dialogue. That’s what underlies our mission statement. Through amplifying human creative potential, we strive for broad cultural development as a source for real and lasting social impact.

Currently Upsala-Circus…

run a number of social programs for at-risk kids and children with disabilities: with regular circus training sessions, inclusive circus
performances, international circus tours, vocational camps and art-residences;
develop a professional integration program to master professional abilities and civic awareness of young circus artists;
put efforts into capacity building and professional knowledge sharing to spread circus pedagogy as a promising educational/social practice;
foster cross-border networking and exchange projects with European partners like Cirkus Cirkör, Académie Fratellini, Circus Helsinki, Bosch Parade.

Upsala-Circus is managed by a team of creative and business professionals. Our leaders have background in launching startups and managing project portfolios in commercial companies. We are constantly harmonising internal processes, improve operational systems, optimise revenue structures and search for creative solutions in marketing and fundraising. With a team of 25 full-time employees we produce new circus performance every two years, deliver long-term social programs for 100 vulnerable youngsters and increase financial performance annually.

RIGAS CIRKS – RIGA, LATVIA

Riga Circus is a state-owned enterprise and the national centre for contemporary circus in Latvia. It’s becoming a contemporary art centre – a place where different disciplines of art – circus, theatre, dance, music and cinema – come together; and here’s much to see, find out and learn for people of all ages and interests.

Riga Circus School hosts circus classes and performances for children & adults for the public and run extensive programmes of circus development for professionals in the circus sector both in Latvia and internationally. Riga Circus believes its spectators must see a really good and modern circus, yet the circus is not just a spectacle, it is also understanding, passion and development of one’s own abilities.

DYNAMO WORKSPACE – ODENSE, DENMARK

DYNAMO is a creation space, residency center, venue and festival for circus and performing arts, located in an old industrial building at the harbor in the center of Odense, the third biggest city in Denmark.
Since the opening in February 2017, the purpose of DYNAMO has been to provide space as well as other technical and artistic requirements for performing arts, mainly within the genre of contemporary circus. Our mission is to support the genre, nationally as well as internationally, throughout the spectrum from artistic idea, over research and creation, to presentation, performing and touring. We focus on the artistic creation process with residencies, co-productions and our own productions. We keep a close connection to our local and national audience by presenting guest performances, work in progress presentations, workshops and an annual international circus festival in August.

DYNAMO was created by two circus artists, Rune Vadstrøm Andersen and Gry Lambertsen, who have been touring internationally with their own artistic company “TinCan Company” for 20 years.

The core values of the house is DIY (Do It Yourself) and DIT (Do It Together), and as a small organisation, run by three full times employees and two part time employees and a number of freelancers, we prefer to keep a flat and non-hierarchic structure, within the decision making and project management. Our two artistic directors have the final say of course, but we enjoy each other’s company and input and prefer to work together and make space for different competencies and opinions within the house.

BÆRUM KULTURHUS – SANDVIKA, NORWAY

Since Bærum Kulturhus opened its doors in 2003, they have established themselves as a steadfast purveyor of high quality culture events for Bærum and the greater Oslo region. They annually house more than 550 concerts, dance performances and other events, and is the leading venue in Norway for programming contemporary circus.

Programming both international superstars and local talent, Bærum Kulturhus have managed to build an institution that is both popular and developing the national art scene.

FOUNDATION TARTU 2024 – TALLINN, ESTONIA

City of Tartu together with 19 Southern Estonia municipalities were awarded the title of European Capital of Culture 2024 in August 2019. “Arts of Survival” is the leading theme of Tartu 2024’s artistic concept. It is meant to express the power of the arts in affecting Europe’s future in three larger areas of life: environmentally friendly culture with a focus on real human communication, strong communities and essential skills for living and survival in the coming years. The three main themes of the concept are “Tartu with Earth”, “Tartu with Humanity” and “Tartu with Europe”.

The preparations and implementation of the European Capital of Culture are coordinated by the Tartu 2024 Foundation (Sihtasutus Tartu 2024 or SA Tartu 2024 in Estonian). The Tartu 2024 Foundation was established by the decision of the Tartu City Council on 5 December 2019.

The statutory objectives of the organisation are:

1) to prepare the City of Tartu to be the European Capital of Culture in 2024;
2) to develop and implement, in cooperation with other cultural operators, Tartu 2024 cultural programme;
3) to manage and implement the Capital of Culture marketing and communication programme;
4) to keep an overview of the funding of the activities of the Capital of Culture and coordinate the activities of the various participants in the activities of the Capital of Culture;
5) to act as a fundraiser, custodian and mediator for the Tartu 2024 European Capital of Culture finances;
6) to consolidate the reporting on the implementation of the European Capital of Culture and to retrospectively assess what has been done after the events have taken place.

In order to achieve its objectives, the Foundation has a Supervisory Board, Management Board and staff, as well as additional sectoral advisory bodies.

The Foundation’s activities are divided into three divisions: Artistic Programme and Outreach Division (head of the field: Program Coordinator), Communication and Marketing (head of the field: Information Manager) and Finance and Administration (head of the field: Financial Manager). In addition, Tartu 2024’s cultural and educational programme’s activities include developing and implementing programmes involving youths, elderly and volunteers as well as capacity building programme for cultural organisers and audience engagement programme.

COORDINATING ORGANISATIONS

THESE ARE ORGANISATIONS ARE PARTNERS IN THE PROJECT AND WORK TO SUPPORT THE HOSTS AND ENSURE EMERGING LEADERS HAVE A GREAT EXPERIENCE.

ACTING FOR CLIMATE – NORWAY
COORDINATOR: EMMA LANGMOEN

Acting for Climate is a performing arts company and an organisation aiming to inspire people to act for a more sustainable future. Founded in 2015, Acting for Climate now includes a core crew of six artists from circus and physical theatre, an active network of over 40 artists and experts, and a Scandinavian and a North American branch of the company. Through our performances and workshops we work as an umbrella organisation for everybody interested in arts and environmentalism.

Acting for Climate is coordinating the hosting with Bærum Kulturhus.

Read more at… www.actingforclimate.com

HRINGLEIKUR – ICELAND
COORDINATOR: EYRÚN ÆVARSDÓTTIR

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.

The members of Hringleikur come from a variety of backgrounds, but all share a passion for the circus arts and building a diverse circus culture in Iceland. The artists in Hringleikur come from backgrounds from gymnastics, drama and dance, as well as education in circus schools abroad, such as at the Codarts Art Academy in Rotterdam and AFUK in Copenhagen. In addition, the group has worked together for many years under the name of Sirkus Island.

Hringleikur is coordinating the hosting with Réykjavik Dance Festival.

– ESTONIA.
COORDINATOR: GRETE GROSS

Estonian Contemporary Circus Development Centre (ECCDC) has been called to life by Estonian circus professionals in 2014. This is a voluntary work based umbrella and information providing organisation with 11 members : Circus Studio Folie, Piip and Tuut Theatre, The Society of Estonian Magicians, The Society of Dance and Circus Therapy, Tsirkusekool, Big Wolf Company, CAK Productions, Carousel Company, Circus SaboK, Grete Gross, Karmen Aasanurm.

The aim of ECCDC is gathering and spreading information about Estonian contemporary circus scene, partnering with various international circus organisations and organising events such as Baltic professional circus showcase EPICIRQ with the aim to reach the establishment, visibility and national funding for contemporary circus as an art form in Estonia. ECCDC works for the increasing of Estonian Contemporary circus competitiveness, sustainability and export capability.

ECCDC is coordinating the hosting with Tartu 2024.

CIRKUS SYD – SWEDEN.
COORDINATOR: LINA B. FRANK

Cirkus Syd is a platform to connect 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.

We are excited by innovation, entrepreneurship, DIY, DIT and artistic research and champion culture as an agent for democratic participation.

We are an international NGO with a global membership base and we invite collaborators, partners and stakeholders to create visionary and developmental projects bringing people together to explore transdisciplinary cultural practises in our society.

Cirkus Syd is coordinating the hosting with AFUK.

Back to NHLP page…

The project has been made possible by the support of:

Nordisk Kulturfond and Nordic culture Point, Nordic Council of Ministers

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