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Cirk-UFF 2015

Department 58 – International Relations
Department 58 – International Relations

Published

Project
RegionHradec Králové Region
Title of the ProgrammeCultural Heritage and Contemporary Art - programme area no. 17
Title of the ProjectCirk-UFF 2015
Project Website

http://www.cirkuff.cz/en/

Number of the ProjectČíslo projektu
Project Promoter

Společenské centrum Trutnovska pro kulturu a volný čas

http://uffo.cz/

Name of Norwegian Partner(s)

Cirkus Xanti

Objective of the Project

The Cirk-UFF festival was founded in 2011. The main reason remains the same – enriching the lives of the people in (not only) the Trutnov region, promoting tolerance through strong cultural experience. The circus was the ideal choice – it is attractive for the audience and it is an artistically significant genre.

Since its beginnings, Cirk-UFF has had a strong social dimension and its impact is very tangible. Trutnov is changing from a conservative city into a cosmopolitan one, there are quality performances by artists from all over the world. The process includes several groups – professionals, children, locals, Roma community. The festival offers the opportunity to be included, to nip possible social issues among the populace in the bud thanks to their joint interest and activities.

In its five years of existence, Cirk-UFF became an important international cultural event. We would like to take a new direction in its fifth year and strengthen the festival’s dramatic line.

We would like to focus the 2015 festival on Nordic circus, it’s focal point being a Circus Village of the Norwegian partner – Cirkus Xanti. It is a unique project which has already twice gained the three-years support of the Art Council of Norway. The project has been travelling all over Norway for 6 years, in 2013 they also went to Iceland where they participated in the foundation of the only circus festival in this country – The Volcano Circus Village Festival. In spring 2015, the Circus Village will participate as a direct partner in the Cultural Footprint Project (EEA-grant Norway-Portugal). Circus Xanti has wide international experience which is very valuable for us. If we talk about quality guarantees for the project in its initial stage, we believe that Cirkus Xanti and Cirk-UFF can guarantee such quality.

The festival will also include shows from other Nordic countries – e.g. The land of the happy/ Sirkus Aikamoinen (FI), or Fuzy dice circus /Clunker Circus (FI), and the Czech Republic (Cirk La Putyka, DaeMen, etc.). The circus shows will take place in the UFFO community centre, in the public areas in Trutnov, and in circus tents (6 tents – the Circus Village). This will spread the awareness of the circus art among the Trutnov population. Thanks to the international renown the festival acquired during its existence, the City of Trutnov is becoming a destination for audience from all over the Czech Republic and neighbouring European states. The Cirk-UFF project is therefore aligned with the project target – presenting current art and culture to the wide public and making it accessible for the audience – all the street performances (including the top quality ones) are free.

The additional festival programme is also important. There will be a 4 day workshop for artists led by Sverre Waage (CX) and Rosťa Novák (C. La Putyka), which will result in joint festival performance at the end of the workshop.

There will also be a one day meeting NORTH-BALTIC-CENTRAL-EASTERN EUROPE with discussion of promoters and representatives of current Nordic, Baltic, Central and Eastern European circuses. Apart from getting to know each other better, we also believe that this meeting will form a basis for more extensive future cooperation of those countries and will enrich the new circus genre with its current centre in France and which will hopefully expand further. CX and other circuses from European regions would like to cooperate with Cirk-UFF and other Czech institutions in the future, so we view the discussion on those opportunities as very helpful. The Czech Republic offers great premises/spaces for new circuses (Uffo, Jatka, Gong), which it can offer to the Nordic partners for future use. The important things here are common historical roots and mutual understanding of artistic approaches and humour.

Cirk-UFF 2015 should become a platform for the current circus from European regions NORTH-BALTIC-CENTRAL-EASTERN EUROPE.

 

Approved grant

994 000 CZK

Project DurationStart date: 19th May 2015, End date: 30t4 April 2016