CIRCOSTRADA SPARK RESEARCH LAB ON FAIR PRACTICES AND EQUITABLE WORKING CONDITIONS
The SPARK Participatory Research Lab supports Circostrada’s ongoing commitment on advancing Fair Practices and Equitable Working Conditions in contemporary circus and outdoor arts.
Running from 2024 to 2026, the lab combines consultations, interviews and desk research engaging Circostrada members and key stakeholders at different career stages. Participants are actively engaged throughout the process — from research design and data collection to analysis and dissemination — ensuring that the voices of practitioners and organisations are meaningfully represented. This collaborative approach aims to empower those engaged in the process, strengthen the relevance of the data collected and develop concrete proposals to policymakers that reflect the reality and the diversity of the sector across Europe.
The research is led by Dr. Matina Magkou, Researcher, Lecturer and Consultant in Cultural and Creative Industries, Cultural policies and international cultural cooperation.
Launched in March 2025, the SPARK Panel of Experts brings together professionals from across Europe to guide and enrich the research process. Their collective experience ensures that the lab remains grounded in the realities of the sector and responsive to its most urgent challenges.
The final outcomes of SPARK — including a policy brief and country insights — will be published in Fall 2026. This publication will also connect with the wider work carried out by Circostrada within the framework of PAC (Performing Arts Cooperation), alongside other European networks in the performing arts sector.
The Panel of Experts is composed of:
- Sabrina ABIAD (FRANCE)
- Marc EL SAMRANI (FRANCE AND LEBANON)
- Kath GORMAN (IRELAND)
- Veronika JOSKOVA STEFANOVA (CZECHIA)
- Antonia KUZMANIC (CROATIA)
- Hazel LAM (HONG KONG–BELGIUM)
- Victor LECLERE (FRANCE)
- Jarkko LEHMUS (FINLAND)
- Maaike MUIS (THE NETHERLANDS)
- Adrian SCHVARZSTEIN (SPAIN)
- Federico TOSO (ITALY)
The Panel of Experts plays the following role:
- Guiding research scope and relevance ensuring the research questions align with pressing issues in the sector.
- Validating methodology to ensure that it is ethical and inclusive.
- Providing sector and country-specific insights according to their expertise (perspectives on labour practices, existing policy gaps, good practices).
- Sharing lived experiences that reveal the state of the art regarding working conditions in the sector and provide valuable input for informing policy recommendations
- Supporting the formulation of realistic and actionable policy recommendations.
- Contributing to the dissemination of findings and policy recommendations.
About Matina Magkou
Picture credits: Salzburg Global Seminar/Richard Schabetsberger
Dr. Matina Magkou is a researcher, lecturer and consultant in cultural and creative industries, cultural policies and international cultural cooperation. She holds a PhD in Leisure, Communication and Culture (University of Deusto) and is currently a post-doc researcher at the University Côte d’Azur. She often collaborates with cultural networks and organisations on evaluation (eg. Keychange, MUSICAIRE) and research projects (eg. fair cultural relations for EUNIC and audience development for IN SITU). She currently serves at ENCATC’s Board.
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