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Brussels embarks on a year-long celebration of circus

21:02 03/04/2018

Brussels is blessed with a very rich circus arts culture thanks to a combination of private, public, performing and educational efforts. This year these varied expressions of circus arts are all gathered under an umbrella called Focus Circus which will last until March 2019.

The city is home to the Ecole Supérieur des Arts du Cirque (Esac), which awards three-year college-level degrees as part of the Wallonia-Brussels Federation education system. Then there is Espace Catastrophe – Centre International de Création des Arts du Cirque which has been supporting circus arts development with creation, production, distribution, training and information.

By their stellar reputations, these two institutions attract students and young circus professionals from all over the world and many stay in Belgium after completing their courses or training to ply their arts.

After last month's Up! Festival, produced by Espace Catastrophe, next on the agenda from 9-15 April is the City of Brussels' Hopla! which takes place in six districts, with 30 performances - 25% in venues and 75% in public spaces, all for free.

Also in April, Esac will be inaugurating their new canalside facilities with a weekend of festivities and visits including a graduation show by the students, a showcase of novel artistic approaches and cutting-edge technology.

Majo de Càzares came to Brussels six years ago from Guadalajara, Mexico, graduated three years ago from Esac but stayed in Brussels and has just premiered her new company at the Up! Festival which finished last week.

"It’s totally hybrid circus - theatrical circus all the way. It’s a show about vulnerability, a show about the shadow, a show about everything that one doesn’t show in normal life, and about how important that side is to understand fully who someone is."

Multidisciplinary is a word that seems to have been invented for today’s circus artists. They are acrobats, tightrope walkers, clowns, actors, dancers, magicians, social commentators, singers and story tellers, all with an amazingly high level of technical ability.

During the summer, Focus Circus follows Belgian troupes to the Avignon festival and then on a tour of six Italian and French regions to show the youth and diversity of Esac's talent.

And finally in February and March 2019, the Halles de Schaerbeek, the other major Brussels institution with a strong circus arts division, will present the Hors Pistes Festival. Additionally the Fernand Léger exhibition Beauty is Everywhere at Bozar is part of Focus Circus as Léger was an avid circus fan and the circus world is a common theme in his work.

Written by Richard Harris