‘Circus Artists and Dissidences’, fourth open meeting of the Living Circus Archive, at the Konvent

From the Living Circus Archive, one of the 15 key measures of the second Circus Promotion Plan (2023–2026), an open invitation is extended to take part in a series of gatherings centered around themes that run through the history of Catalan circus. The aim is to engage the circus sector in the creation of plural narratives that reflect the diversity and richness of this artistic universe.

The 4th meeting, ‘Circus Artists and Dissidences’, will take place on Wednesday, April 24 at 6 p.m. at the Konvent, Cal Rosal (Berguedà), as part of the Kontrast Festival. It will focus on gender and sexual diversity, aiming to give voice to women and dissident (LGBTIQ+) artists within the circus world. We propose an intergenerational dialogue space where the body is reclaimed as a political tool, and where the need for a gender perspective in constructing circus narratives is emphasized.

The role of memory in shaping artistic narratives will also be explored, questioning who has had the power to tell the story of circus, and which voices have been excluded. We will also address how to integrate a feminist and dissident lens into the processes of documenting and archiving circus. What materials should be preserved to ensure these voices are not lost? How can these stories be connected with other artistic expressions and spaces of resistance? What mechanisms can we create to ensure free and horizontal access to archived materials?

This gathering aims not only to recover forgotten memories but also to open a dialogue on how the structures of contemporary circus can be transformed to become more inclusive and diverse. It will be an opportunity to shed light on experiences, raise questions, and collectively build a narrative that represents the plurality of voices in today’s circus.

• Meeting location: Konvent, Cal Rosal (Berguedà)
• Date and time: Wednesday, April 24, at 6 p.m.

The meeting is free of charge, with prior registration required, and is open to circus workers, creators, producers, and other professionals in the sector.

If you wish to share or look for a car, you can do so through this link: Car-sharing Festival Kontrast.

After the meeting, at 8:00 p.m., the performance Fragments by La Víspera Company (WIP) will take place at the same Konvent. It is a piece about a woman’s body that transforms, reproduces, and overflows. A scenic journey between human limits and the infinite, between personalities that are created and undone. A reflection on identity, metamorphosis, and social conditioning. You can purchase tickets here.

The Living Circus Archive measure aims to create a documentation and archiving space dedicated to the preservation and dissemination of Catalan circus heritage and its artistic value. It also seeks to establish a bridge between new generations of artists and the entire genealogy of creators from the region, sharing their journeys and the cultural legacy they have built.