Two of the most relevant contemporary circus festivals in Portugal have joined forces to launch a new programme supporting artistic creation. Festival Trengo, in Porto, and Festival Vaudeville Rendez-Vous, held across several cities in the Northern Coastal region, announce a pilot programme aimed at boosting national creation in the field of contemporary circus, with a focus on early-stage proposals of an experimental or transdisciplinary nature, conceived for outdoor spaces.

With applications open from 5 September to 4 October 2025, the new creation support programme targets individual artists or collectives working in Portugal who are interested in developing original projects to premiere in the summer of 2026. The selected project will receive financial support of €10,000, artistic residencies with technical and dramaturgical mentoring, participation in creative laboratories, logistical and communication support, and four public presentations: two at Festival Trengo and two at Festival Vaudeville Rendez-Vous.

The structure of the programme is divided into six phases: open call (September–October 2025), pre-selection laboratory guided by artist and creator Cláudio Stellato (October 2025), announcement of the selected project (November 2025), creation residencies (January to May 2026), public presentations (June and July 2026), and final report (September 2026). The final presentation must take place in a public or outdoor space. Other performances before the festivals will be accepted, provided they take place outside Porto and the Northern Coastal region.

The programme aims to stimulate artistic creation in contemporary circus, support new proposals with appropriate resources, and foster collaboration between organisations and across territories. The project will be selected by a joint committee from both festivals, based on criteria such as the clarity and originality of the proposal, technical and artistic feasibility, coherence between objectives and proposed methods, and the project’s development potential throughout the programme.

In addition to consolidating a support strategy for emerging creation in contemporary circus, this pioneering initiative reinforces Trengo and Vaudeville Rendez-Vous’s commitment to innovation, decentralisation, and the valorisation of public space as a site of artistic experimentation and community engagement.

All information and the application form are available through the official channels of the festivals. Additional enquiries may be directed to: candidaturas@teatrodadidascalia.com or trengo@ervadaninha.pt.