CIRCUS LOOPS
European cooperation project 2026-2028

 
 

DISCOVER THE THREE SELECTED PROJECTS!

 

Spilling the Body

by Aylish Bik and Rhea Slootweg (NL) uses contemporary circus to create an immersive, safe space where female anger is transformed from a suppressed, destructive force into a radically honest, shared, and empowering physical expression. 

A Practical Guide to Being a Whore

 by Manuela Montoya Ramirez / Guayabo Colectivo (FR) is a contemporary circus and physical theater piece using the trapeze, whip, and bouffon performance to draw from personal experience as a migrant sex worker, dismantling societal taboos through a raw, practical reflection on the complexities, intimacy, and armor required in sex work. 

SKIN.CARE

by Sabina Kohn Bernhard (FR) is an immersive contortion and physical theatre solo that uses ASMR, prosthetics, and sensory discomfort to challenge the exhausting, societal pressures of beauty culture through the lens of personal and structural struggle. 

 


CIRCUS LOOPS: OPEN CALL

CIRCUS LOOPS announces an open call for contemporary circus artists and collectives to participate in a European residency programme dedicated to developing new work through audience engagement.


The project, led by Circusstad Festival (NL), Zirkus ON (DE), and Cirkus Kolektiv (HR), is co-funded by the Creative Europe Programme of the European Union and focuses on the development of the Feedback Loops methodology—an approach that integrates audience perspectives into the artistic creation process.


Selected projects will take part in a structured programme combining artistic development, residencies, and feedback processes. The programme includes three 10-day international residencies taking place in Split (Croatia), Karlsruhe (Germany), and Rotterdam (Netherlands) between November 2026 and July 2027. All selected projects will participate in the residencies simultaneously in each location, fostering exchange while working in separate spaces.

Throughout the programme, artists will present work-in-progress and engage in facilitated feedback sessions with audiences, peers, and experts, contributing to the development of the Feedback Loops methodology. The programme concludes with final presentations at partner festivals between 2027 and 2028.

The call is open to contemporary circus artists and small companies based in Europe (including Creative Europe countries) who are developing a project in an early or mid-stage of creation. Applicants must be available for all residency periods and commit to the full duration of the programme.

Each selected core team member will receive a fixed grant of €3,746, while travel, accommodation, and per diems will be covered by the project partners. 

Applications must be submitted via the official online form and include a project description, information on the artistic team (maximum three core members), motivation, and video material.

Application deadline: 17 June 2026 (23:59 CET).
Only complete applications submitted through the official form in English will be considered. 

👉 https://forms.gle/b4zaGLKgF6sLdbREA 

The selection will be carried out by an international jury based on artistic quality, motivation, feasibility, and relevance to the Feedback Loops methodology. Three projects will be selected.

The results will be published by 25 July 2026. 

Further information, including the full Open Call document and application form preview, is available here:

👉 CIRCUS LOOPS – Open Call 2026 – Information

For additional questions, please contact: circusloops@gmail.com


Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.