Maria de la Parra, finalist of circusnext 2027 with the project ‘Suspendida’

The project Suspendida, by artist Maria de la Parra, has been selected as one of the finalists for circusnext 2027, alongside nine other projects from across Europe.

The finalists will receive support from circusnext and its European partner venues through:

• Co-production
• Residencies and presentations of works in progress
• Laboratories
• Training programmes

Maria de la Parra is a social integration practitioner, performing artist, and educator, trained in circus arts at Carampa (Madrid) and at the Aerial Research Laboratory. She combines her artistic career with a strong social commitment, notably through her work as an educator at Fundación Surt, in a shelter for survivors of gender-based violence. In 2023, she co-founded the company Las Barbudas and is currently developing her first solo creation, Suspendida.

Suspendida explores the duality between emotional paralysis and frenetic mental activity through the language of circus. The title evokes three meanings: the disruption of life caused by trauma, the feeling of being rendered incapable, and the physical notion of being suspended. The piece reflects the complexity of the healing process, combining vulnerability, misunderstanding, and strength.

The artist took part in the 360º Support Circuit in 2025, an initiative within the Catalonia Circus Development Plan (2023–2026), led by La Central del Circ and the Rogelio Rivel Circus Arts Centre.

Circusnext is a project led by the French association Jeunes Talents Cirque Europe (JTCE), with the support of the Creative Europe programme. Since its creation in 2017, this network of more than 20 partners has been working across Europe to give visibility to distinctive emerging artists by offering residencies and showcase opportunities. La Central del Circ has been a member of the network since November 2019.