CIRCUS THINKERS PLATFORM 2022

Circus Thinkers Platform is our online global members group where we read, reflect and discuss current texts and discourse relevant to the development of contemporary circus development.  We meet every Tuesday 17:00-18:30 CEST/CET via Zoom. 

This isn't like any other zoom meeting, we take care to feel as much as possible that we are in the same room even if we sit geographically literally across the globe from each other.  It's an informal and friendly space where we help eachother think together.  Anyone intrested in circus thinking is welcome, meaning you can be an artist, producer, hobby circus fan or however you identify. The diversity makes us have more to talk about, to understand each others perspectives and learn from eachothers different experience of circus. This group acts as a platform as projects and other activity arise from our conversations. Our project Circosonic developed out of the Circus Thinkers Platform. 

Cirkus Syd is a member organisation (bit like a gym for the circus brain) and as long as you hold membership its up to you how often you come. You can come every week, every other week, for 3 weeks and never again, its completely up to you. The first session is always a taster so no need to get membership to try it, just sign up and come along!  After the firs session you either sign up for a rolling membership of you can choose a 4 week block. 

The group works in the most democratic way possible and we decide together what we will read. Anyone is welcome to moderate and suggest topics and there is a core team who keep things on track. 

For 2022 we are shaking the format up a little bit from how its worked previously. We will alternate and odd weeks we have homework where we have dedicated reading which we will use as a starting point for our conversation. Even weeks there is no preparation from participants, those sessions will be a mixture of discussions of topics we have particularly enjoyed, topics selected by participants and we will use this time to share our thoughts and work with eachother.  

Time: 17:00-18:30 CEST/CET

Example month below:

Session 1: Resource session: Discussing a topic of members choice (anything from contemporary clowning to meeting about our ideas of our publication)

Session 2:   Reading session: Starting reading Circus, Science & Technology, Dramatizing Innovation - by Anna-Sophie Jurgens

Session 3:  Circus Thinker member sharing 

Session 4: Continue reading Circus, Science & Technology, Dramatizing Innovation - by Anna-Sophie Jurgens

Who is it for? 

• You enjoy committing to learning together with others in a flexible way. 
• You are an active participant. 
• You miss people in your every day to reflect on circus and cultural theory with.
• You enjoy talking, reading and writing about contemporary circus. 
• You seek out information to share with others. 
• You are happy to share and relate input to your personal experiences and professional life. 
• You demonstrate a generous, non-judgemental attitude and enjoy meeting new people. 

So far since 2020 we have read and discussed titles including:  

Falling - the Thought of Circus by John-Paul Zaccarini

Open Letters #1 Redefine #2 Myth #3 Future by the Circus Dialogues 

Thinking Through Circus by the Circus Dialogues 

Semiotics at the Circus - Paul Bouissac

GRIP Toolkit for Creating Contemporary Circus by Zinsi Oegema

Homemade Academic Circus by Camilla Damkjaer 

Hypea Soma - Hege Eriksdatter 

Deconstructing the Spectacle: Aerial Work as Critical Practice - Laura Murphy

Mongolian Contortion an ethnographic enquiry - Mariam Ala-Rashi 

Most books by Paul Bouissac 

Contemporary Circus by Katie Lavers, Louis Patrick Leroux, John Burtt

For questions email info@cirkussyd.com 

Look forward to meeting you and all the new thinkers!