Thanks to the work achieved by Circostrada Network in the past eight years in Europe, there is now a necessity to further the collaboration with third countries and international dialogue with operators. Thus we designed a pilot programme called ‘ETC—Explore Third Countries’ in order to provoke key discussions and make decisive steps with arts organisations from other continents.

For ETC, we have the following objectives:

• Provide a deep and concrete international experience as well as a solid information on each country/region’s context

• Give insights in the barriers for international cooperation projects and develop tools to diminish them

• Compare and contrast each one’s own working tools with those of other professionals

• Create and foster opportunities for cultural workers to explore new connections, but also expand their skills and knowledge for a renewed and sustainable arts environment

• Expose them to a series of policies and schemes made available to support the street arts and circus, and discuss the impacts of such programmes on the structuring and development of the sectors

• Provide the necessary conditions for a deep reflection on further exchanges between organisations from different continents

• Invite them to attend a series of performances
 

Benefits for the European delegates participating in the ETC programme:

• Focused knowledge about and opportunity to visit a specific region of the world and special events

• The opportunity to meet in a more intimate environment with a smaller group of cultural organisations from Circostrada Network

• Targeted discussions between experienced professionals

• Performances from the host region

• A large overview and access to relevant contacts from the street arts and circus scene of a country
 

Circostrada Network proposes its members to participate to a satellite meeting in Argentina (Buenos Aires) in order to meet with local stakeholders, better understand the Argentinian context and develop collaborations with arts organisations. This satellite meeting is conceived as a preliminary phase of potential formalisation of partnerships in the framework of bilateral/multi-lateral international agreements).

Apart from attending performances presented in the framework of the Polo Circo festival, the group would meet with artists/ artistic companies, with institutions’ representatives, with schools’ representatives, with membership organisations, with presenters, would visit rehearsal spaces and venues…

Dates: 12 May 2013 - 19 May 2013

1. Montréal, Canada, July 2011

Circostrada Network organised in July 2011 a first exploratory visit in Montreal, Canada, with the financial support of the Ministère de la Culture, des Communications et de la Condition féminine du Québec, in partnership with En Piste (national association of circus arts) and the festival Montréal Complètement Cirque!, organised by TOHU, in order to meet with artists/ artistic companies, with institutions (e.g. CALQ, Montreal City, etc.), with schools (e.g. École Nationale de Cirque), with representative organisations (e.g. Regroupement des artistes de rue, En Piste), with festivals and programmers, visit rehearsal spaces and venues…
 

> Download the programme of the visit here

> Download the programme of the festival Montréal Complètement Cirque

2. Australia, Febuary/ March 2012

Circostrada Network proposed its members to participate to a satellite meeting in Australia (Adelaide and Melbourne) in order to meet with local stakeholders, better understand the Australian context and develop collaborations with arts organisations. This satellite meeting was conceived as a preliminary phase of potential formalisation of partnerships in the framework of the future call for projects by the European Commission (Culture Programme, Cooperation projects with third countries, strand 1.3.5, download a presentation of the cooperation projects with third countries).

Apart from attending performances presented in the framework of the Adelaide Fringe festival and the Australian Performing Arts Market (APAM), the group met with artists/ artistic companies, with institutions’ representatives (e.g. Arts Councils), with schools’ representatives (e.g. NICA), with membership organisations (e.g. ACAPTA), with presenters, visited rehearsal spaces and venues…

> Download the programme of the visit here