SAIL - Support for Advocacy, Influence and Leverage

SAIL - Support for Advocacy, Influence and Leverage

SAIL is a new programme that will run continuously until August 2024 and is open to Circostrada members only. The goal of this programme is to support members in their advocacy strategy, and use the European leverage of the network to increase visibility, recognition, and legitimacy in the eyes of public funders and key stakeholders (whether local, regional, or national). The programme will only support actions carried out by members that are relevant for their context and serve the general interest of the sectors.

These actions shall be initiated by the members themselves, however the coordination team is available at any given time for advice and counsel.

Finally, the supported actions will be chosen on an ongoing basis and the coordination team will use the following criteria (within the allocated budget): strength of the action, potential impact of the action, diversity of the actions, as well as geographical and sectoral balance.

TYPE OF PROJECTS THAT MAY BE ACCEPTED

The project must be directly related to an advocacy action towards contemporary circus and/or outdoor arts in your city, region, or country. Note that specific granting rules apply to these projects, and not all types of costs may be covered (see next section).

Here are some examples of projects that would fit the programme (the following list is non exhaustive):

Translating, printing, disseminating an article or a publication in your language.
building or designing an advocacy campaign.
Supporting the mobility of European experts and the exchange of knowledge.
Inviting an artist, a cultural worker, a member of the network, a steering committee member of the network, for a high-profile and very specific event (e.g. anniversary).
Building or designing professional meetings including public policy makers.

TYPE OF PROJECTS THAT WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED

Here are some concrete examples of projects that would not fit the programme (the following list is non exhaustive):

Actions that don’t serve the general interest
Actions that are not linked to an advocacy strategy
Actions whose impact cannot be measured
Actions that are part of your regular plan of activities
Actions whose costs are not eligible

HOW TO APPLY

In order to apply, please send an email to Stéphane (stephane.segreto-aguilar@artcena.fr) and CC Laura (laura.jude@artcena.fr).

You must at least add a summary of your project and your motivation for asking for Circostrada support. Note that a special attention will be paid to the ecological impact of your activity.

If you don’t have a specific idea in mind yet, but you wish to benefit from this support, please don’t hesitate to send an email to Stéphane and ask for a meeting.

FINANCIAL ASPECTS

The maximum amount for each grant is 1000€ VAT included.
The maximum numbers of grant per members is one.
The maximum numbers of grants in the frame of this project is 15.
Circostrada will not contact any of the providers or take care of the financial transaction with the partner engaged for the advocacy action. Each member must advance the cost and send an invoice to Circostrada afterwards.
Costs that cannot be covered : daily allowances, meals, fuel, taxi, salaries, capital assets, acquisition, catering.

COMMUNICATION

In case of support, it will be asked to members to add the Circostrada logo as well as that of Creative Europe on all communication material related to your activity.

Please check the internal communication section of the Circostrada website (accessible through your personal account). This section contains the different downloadable versions of the Circostrada logo as well as the Creative Europe logo and the graphic charter of the network, defining the basic rules on the use of the graphics that constitute the graphic identity of Circostrada.

GREEN MOBILITY

For environmental reasons, the network particularly encourages beneficiaries to travel over land, e. g. by train, which is widely accepted as the least polluting means of transport. Eco-friendly projects/activities will be prioritized.

The network understands that some members might not have access to green transportation, and will thus be vigilant not to discriminate against any region or city. Candidates who depend only on planes for international mobility will be able to benefit from a grant just like any other candidate.

BRIEFING NOTES

SAIL activity is open since 2022. Below you will find all the activities supported by Circostrada network, with the aim of increasing the visibility, recognition and legitimacy of contemporary circus and outdoor arts in the eyes of public funders and key stakeholders (whether local, regional or national). The programme only supports actions carried out by members that are relevant to their context and serve the general interest of the sectors.

Latitude 50 inauguration

First digging in January 2020, launch of the artists' residencies in January 2021 and installation of the tier in July 2022... This is it, the Cirque de Latitude 50 is now ready to receive its public on October 14th, 2022! Marchinois, artists, professionals or simply curious, joined to celebrate the arrival of this unique place dedicated to circus and street arts.

Know more about the agenda of the day HERE

ROOM 100 - Yearbook of Croatian contemporary circus and outdoor arts

The Contemporary circus artists association together with Cirkorama, Cirkus Kolektiv and ROOM 100 started publishing a “Yearbook of Croatian contemporary circus and street arts" in 2021. This yearbook is the first example of a systematic recording of contemporary circus and outdoor arts in Croatia, which is a significant moment for the scene now, but also for its future development. Through five chapters, the yearbook documents contemporary circus and outdoor arts productions, national, regional and international collaboration projects, educational and socially engaged programs and the presence of circus and outdoor arts in other artistic genres.

The bilingual - Croatian and English - yearbook covering 2022 is in the making. We would like for it to be a part of the Annual General Meeting in Split in April 2023. In this way the information about hardworking Croatian circus and the outdoor sector will spread across Europe. We hope with this increased visibility we will spark, set in motion, more international collaborations with Croatian circus and outdoor artists and organization.

EYE'S WALK DIGITAL FESTIVAL

Eye’s Walk Digital festival is interested in fostering outdoor art and especially in contributing to the redistribution of ownership and power among the communities whose voice is diminished in the public space. In 2023 Eye’s Walk Digital festival is preparing a “Memoryscape-Soundscape walk” based on oral histories and testimonies of the citizens of Syros who live and work alongside the coastal area of Ermoupolis, an area that includes “Neorio Shipyard” among other industrial public and private buildings. Although the shipyard due to its 160 years of operation, is deeply rooted in the collective memory of Ermoupolis, its official history seems to exclude labor class memories while encouraging narratives derived from the Shipyard’s hierarchy, investors, government’s representatives. Nowadays we are witnessing a polarization and an intense confrontation among the hierarchy of the Shipyard and the citizens of Ermoupolis as a result of concerns expressed by the latter regarding the environmental footprint of the industry. In 2020 Neorio has pursued judicially citizens-representatives of the local Observatory for the Environment, using the so called “Slapp method”.

Into this context we are persuaded that an advocacy campaign must be part of the creation of the Memoryscape walk alongside the port (which will include among other narratives,sound art, performances as well as oral histories from the shipyard’s past and current employees). The advocacy campaign will empower our participatory, artistic project, since, due to the “unfriendly” and suspicious behavior of the representatives of the Shipyard, citizens and students are afraid to share their memories, their oral histories and consequently they are prevented from exercising their political and artistic functioning freely; they cannot voice their ideas on social art, outdoor activities ,freedom, heritage and environment. On the other hand our participatory artistic project in the outdoor area, will give to the society of Syros a sense of power, confidence and pride in order for them to take an active role in their community, to be the narrators of their own stories and to create art in the public space as well as public advocacy.

Dynamo

DYNAMO Circus Seminars is a biannual event – a series of talks, debates, panels, workshops, work in progress and reflections taking place in Odense, Denmark. The Seminars aim to facilitate a platform for organizers, producers, performers and creators to share knowledge and best practices across the region. We take a starting point in current realities and challenges in the field, with a focus on imagining and designing a more sustainable future for contemporary circus, in the Nordic Region and beyond.The SAIL grant in 2023 is used to ensure participation to the Seminars for international speakers and workshop facilitators, whose expertise we find inspiring in reflecting on sector development.

TUTTI MATTI PER COLORNO ‘23, XVI ed. - international contemporary circus festival

EUROPA, EUROPA - 2 workshops dedicated to European funding programs for culture and arts

Friday 1st and 8th September – from 3 pm to 6 pm

@ Aranciaia, Piazzale Vittorio Veneto 22 - Colorno (PR)

more info www.tuttimattipercolorno.it

with Bruno Costa – Bùssola (PT) on the 1/09 - Fanny Bouquerel – University Paris 8 (ITA/FR) on the 8/09

Thanks to the support of CIRCOSTRADA NETWORK, in the frame of SAIL, a programme dedicated to members of the international network who wish to implement advocacy - lobby actions to foster the contemporary circus sector reputation in their territories, the international circus festival Tutti Matti per Colorno 2023 last September held 2 special workshops dedicated to European funding and grants opportunities for culture and arts, with 2 different focus and targets: one will address Creative Europe grants and other public calls for international artistic cooperation and mobility; one will address larger scale programmes leaded by Regions. These 2 open workshops are dedicated to artists and professionals of the arts sector as well as to public officers of local administrations who are working on culture in their institutions.

Together Project!

A Press and PR event with a focus on Together! collaboration will be organised in Hungary, mid- September 2023 to raise attention on contemporary circus and outdoor art while showing the remarkable work of Inspiral Circus Center and their partners.

Together! is a series of artistic interactions using the language of circus both in live and through digital platforms. 10 site-specific live performances are happening in two European Capitals of Culture:

Veszprém in Hungary, 16-23th September 2023

Elefsina in Greece, 13-21st June 2023

Partners of Inspirál:Kiev Circus Academy (Ukraine), Monokyklo (Greece), Culture En Mouvements (France)
https://youtu.be/Atzf_repn4s

'Circus - a safe(r) space for danger'

Throughout their careers, circus practitioners transition from one role to another. They navigate both informal and formal scenarios, taking up positions as educators, artists, or organisers; creating or performing, both on stage and behind the scenes. Ensuring safety in these transitions is crucial. How can we provide a safe environment and take care of ourselves and others? Over the course of three days, 146 participants were invited to explore this crucial question during the conference 'Circus - a safe(r) space for danger' (10-12 April, Belgium), exploring the importance of technical, psychosocial, and physical safety for circus professionals and practitioners.
The conference featured 2 keynote speakers, 3 panel discussions, 1 poster gallery walk, and 12 workshops.
The SAIL support was used to invite expert in the field to deliver workshops.
Afterwards the event’s website was transformed into a platform gathering all the content generated before, during, and after the conference with articles written by Around About Circus on the conference. With many thanks to the international networks Circostrada, FEDEC, EYCO and Caravan Circus Network for their collaboration.