The Balkan cauldron - Europe’s eternal periphery.

There’s always something simmering beneath the surface. Contemporary circus, too, has been developing “beneath the surface” for the past twenty years -beneath the layers of so-called recognized art.

We started from scratch, in a geographical space without a developed indigenous tradition of circus (except in Albania - though this text primarily refers to Croatia, Slovenia, and Serbia), with no circus schools and only minimal knowledge about the development of contemporary circus in Western Europe. The beginnings were informal groups of street performers whose activities were quickly commercialized -still a common survival strategy for circus artists in our region.

Over the years, organizations began sprouting within the independent scene, aiming to develop contemporary circus. Work within these organizations was for years entirely voluntary. Skills were acquired through workshops held by visiting artists, who shared their knowledge for symbolic fees, as projects were - and still are - chronically underfunded.

Today, around thirty circus-based organizations operate in the region. Some focus on education, some on production, and most combine both.

In 2021, the Contemporary Circus Artists Association was founded in Croatia - the first umbrella organization in this artistic field. It actively engages in advocacy and has made important progress - especially with Ministry of Culture funding. Nevertheless, circus is still not formally recognized as an art form.

This keeps us in the grey zone - circus artists lack official artist status, healthcare and pension rights, and any protection during crises like the pandemic. Circus is still perceived as a hobby. Young people receiving education in circus don’t see it as a viable profession - which directly impacts the number of professional artists and contemporary circus creators.

In recent years, a few young people have gone to study in France, Italy, and Spain - attending preparatory schools or training to become circus educators. But even when they return, there’s nowhere for them to work. The lack of proper spaces and theatre cooperation with the local circus scene means there’s nowhere to teach, rehearse, create, or perform. This issue with space is common across Croatia, Serbia, and Slovenia.

Adequate space is crucial: it ensures continuity of work, community gathering, creation, education, and audience development. Currently, we operate in spaces we can only use occasionally, or in cramped and technically inadequate venues, or ones we pay far too much for. Soon, even the only fully equipped space - Cirkus Kolektiv’s venue in Split -will disappear, as it enters reconstruction. Even the CirkoBalkana tent, though precious, is available only a few months a year.

The lack of space directly endangers audience development -it’s hard to build continuity when each performance takes place in a new, unfamiliar location. All of this affects the sustainability of our work and makes us dependent on unstable and insufficient institutional funding.

The black hole in the title refers precisely to this worsening space situation -worse than ten years ago. Along with the spaces, we are losing people, continuity, and the fruits of many years of work.

How do we confront these challenges?

By constantly inventing new ways to maintain existence and develop contemporary circus.

With generational awareness -we invest everything we have: personal, public, emotional, and material resources to build a foundation for those who come after us.

We follow the motto: Together we are stronger.

For years, we have collaborated through projects aimed at strengthening the sector.

We organize indoor and outdoor festivals that increase the visibility of the scene and gather renowned international and local artists.

Through the Circus Residency Network, we offer production support to regional artists.

Through membership in circusnext and the Circostrada Network, we connect with the rest of Europe, enable the flow of information, and open new opportunities for local artists.

We connect with artists from other sectors - through exhibitions, film nights, concerts, and radio shows - bringing circus closer to their audiences.

The Contemporary Circus Artists Association publishes an annual report documenting circus activities in Croatia and organizes labs that raise artistic quality and foster critical thinking about circus.

On the local level, we knock on the doors of city officials every day - we seek space, we seek recognition.

Currently, together with partners from France, we are launching a project aimed at strengthening the international mobility of regional productions.

All of us are at once artists, educators, producers, technicians, cleaners, box office staff, journalists, graphic designers, enthusiastic and stuborn -with an idea that one day, each of these roles will be held by a dedicated person.

Need a lightbulb changed?

Photo: © Josip Bolonić.

Jadranka Žinić Mijatović

Jadranka Žinić Mijatović is a circus artist, producer, and pedagogue from Zagreb. She is a co-founder and program coordinator of Cirkorama Association, a member of the CirkoBalkana team, and serves on the Board of the Contemporary Circus Artists Association.