The newly founded organisation will constitute the art form of circus once and for all - and place it on the same level as dance and theatre.

Although there are currently plenty of circus performers in the Royal Theatre's big outdoor production "Ragnarok", Denmark lags behind when it comes to recognising circus as an art form and the associated opportunities for development. And that needs to change, according to the new industry association.

The purpose of the organisation is to strengthen circus conditions in terms of education, project support, production and training facilities.

"There is a strong need to disseminate awareness and knowledge of the new circus formats to all presenters, stages and festivals in Denmark, and that the association, in collaboration with the Danish Artist Association, becomes a catalyst for knowledge and documentation about contemporary circus to be developed and disseminated widely - and in interaction with other performing arts industries," reads the association's press release.

 

Industry association for both companies and artists

Danish Contemporary Circus brings together both circus companies and performing artists. Members of Dansk Artist Forbund can get free membership, but companies or organisations have to pay depending on the annual turnover.

 

A unified voice

The Danish Contemporary Circus Association was founded by key players and enthusiasts from the professional circus field and with strong support from the Danish Artists' Association. Through the association, it will be possible to bring together the various players across stages, theatres, companies and artists and, with a unified voice, create the necessary awareness of contemporary circus conditions among the country's decision-makers.

Read more about Danish Contemporary Circus at the association's website.

Facts about contemporary circus

  • With no trained animals and often surprisingly poetic, powerful, personal or conceptual expression, the genre has evolved into an internationally recognised and widely branched art form.
  • Exploring the encounter between classical circus disciplines and avant-garde and performance art with the body as the absolute starting point.
  • Often referred to as "contemporary circus" or "modern circus", contemporary circus is not a new performing art form. On the contrary, contemporary circus as an art form has been surprising, renewing and challenging existing art forms since the 1970s.
  • Circus has been a well-known phenomenon in Denmark and the genre contemporary circus has been around since the 1990s. Yet the organisation and spread is minimal compared to our Nordic and European neighbours.