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European charter for hosting circuses in towns
- Contemporary circus
The European Charter for Hosting Circuses in Towns was inspired by a project previously implemented in France: the Charter “Establishment for the Circus”. This was signed in May, 2001 by the Ministry of culture and several orga- nisations, representative associations of local government and professional trade unions, who committed to distri- buting and promoting it amongst its members in order to support and develop the hosting of circuses throughout the national territory. A similar project was implemented in Spain in 2007, by the APCC - Catalan Association of Circus Professionals, as the “Collaboration Charter for Circus on Big Tops Tours”.
The European Circus Charter has been developed with the aim of promoting circus arts in public spaces throughout Europe, by suggesting good practices to which signatories – circuses, local governments and other hosting enti- ties – may willingly commit themselves. A series of elements required by both parties are set out, and may be used as a methodology to assist with the touring of tented performances.
This Charter has the following objectives
- to respond to the public’s engagement with the art form by making circus accessible to all, whatever the age, and the social, economic, cultural or language origins
- to increase awareness and recognition of circus arts both at national and local level
- to promote circus arts in public spaces, to open up new spaces for circus companies
- to promote a cultural exchange between the circus companies and the towns
- to improve the facilites provided and more generally the hosting conditions for circuses
- to encourage discussion and trust-based collaboration between local authorities and other hosting entities and the circus professions
- to promote a “make things possible” philosophy, within the frame of a shared concern for the safety of the public