Poster: Marin Remić
Poster: Marin Remić

The real economy - and not the ultra-liberal one that our rulers dream of - no longer tolerates grand spectacles that support the desire to forget or escape, or to stun the masses. It requires real modesty and imposes on an increasing number of circus artists, as in the past, the development of the art of creating something big with few resources, as well as a conversation about the real limitations that hold us back.

Jean-Michel Guy, April 2024

 

We are thrilled to present the twelfth edition of CirkoBalkana, the regional traveling festival of contemporary circus. This year’s event will return to its usual spot in the tent and will also take place in one of the warehouses at the Luka Beograd.

This year's festival will showcase performances from France and Croatia, each bringing a unique and innovative approach to the stage space, interactions, and the transdisciplinary nature that defines contemporary circus. Experience the transformative power of art as it shatters barriers with boundless and ever-evolving creativity, turning them into an inspiring performance space!

In addition to the performances, the festival will once again offer a rich programme of workshops, concerts, screenings, and various advocacy and other activities.

CirkoBalkana is organized in partnership with the Bitef Festival and the French Institute in Belgrade, with logistical support from the Luka Beograd and Silosi.

It is financially supported by the Serbian Ministry of Culture, Teatroskop - a program initiated by the French Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs, the French Ministry of Culture, and Institut français Paris, the circusnext platform, Croatian Ministry of Culture, City of Zagreb Office for Culture and Civil Society, and the Creative Europe program.

Other

Cavities and Voids

Cavities and Voids

Opening, premiere

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Borderless

Borderless

Two entities fuse, creating an almost monstrous complicity. Advancing on three or sometimes eight feet, becoming one, these beings twist together and embody multiple different creatures. A symbiosis between two acrobats degrades and leads to an arbitrary separation. A white line, like an imaginary border, appears placing our protagonists on two sides of an obstacle they then try to overcome. The couple, now separate, throws themselves into an acrobatic and explosive duel mixing the ...

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Le repos du guerrier

Le repos du guerrier

What does it really mean to be a circus artist? What do Bruce Springsteen, Don Quixote and an octogenarian have in common? In this one-man show, Édouard Peurichard reconstructs fragments of his shows and takes an intimate look at his career. A theatrical performance full of humor and self-mockery, in which the artist becomes a knight in search of the meaning of his own career. We witness a succession of real, fantasized and sometimes deliberately plagiarized scenes ...

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TRAiT(s)

TRAiT(s)

Programme for children

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Out of the Blue

Out of the Blue

Submerged in their Aquarium, Frédéri Vernier et Sébastien Davis-VanGelder use apnea as a new circus discipline! Creating an underwater dialogue between choreographic qualities and respiratory capacity, the two circus artists reconnect the human body with its original and archaic aquatic capacities. Between breaths, they invite us to dive into the present, deep into ourselves. Out of the Blue invites us to get reacquainted with water, awaken our senses and ...

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Horror House Project: Zodiac–The Circle of Small Animals

Horror House Project: Zodiac–The Circle of Small Animals

Horror House Project: Zodiac - The Circle of Small Animals is the final, third sequel of the Horror House Project trilogy, whose concept is based on the terrifying phenomena looming over the circus. This sequel is presented through the performers' birth charts, exploring the influence of the planets (stroke of fate) on the life of the group and the individual, in this case, a circus artist. The audience theoretically actively ...

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Open stage

Open stage

Open Stage is a vibrant circus marathon where performers from the regional circus scene, along with some special guests, showcase their original short performances. But that's not all! It has been a highlight of the festival for years, renowned for being both the most popular and entertaining event. Every year, the Open Stage draws a lively mix of circus artists, musicians, organizers, chefs …and a diverse audience. It’s an event that’s hard to announce, fully ...

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Konstrukt

Konstrukt

Konstrukt speaks about failure, through deconstruction of aerial elements in the circus. The characters are fighting their own unrealistic goals, investing a lot of effort in trying to perform on the equipment that is fragile, unsafe and unsuitable for use. Through three metaphors about failure, it deals with questions about how each of us deals with disappointment and what madness drives us to give ourselves the work of Sisyphus.

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Multimedia

58Bitef24: Press trip

58Bitef24: Press trip