Report from: Circusstad Festival, Rotterdam; 30th April to 4th May, 2025
Rotterdam’s now annual Circusstad Festival is 15 years old, latterly under the artistic direction of Menno van Dyke (of the duo Juggling Tango). Taking place over five surprisingly hot and sunny days, this year’s programme ranges from top international companies to local youth circuses and social circus. The circus degree at Rotterdam’s Codarts university is a major participant with student performances, work in progress by emerging artists, and return visits by former students. The festival is inclusive; it includes performances – and good ones at that – by people with learning difficulties, plus a wide range of have-a-go workshops and several outdoor shows that are free to view. With such a variety of events, it attracts bookers and prospective employers from near and far, including several from the UK.
The bulk of events take place in the Schouwburgplein, a central square with show tents and outdoor arenas, workshop spaces, food and bar tents. Conveniently, it is next door to Rotterdam Theatre, which hosts shows in its main auditorium, substantial studio theatre and small studio. Other venues used include the circus studios of Codarts University and the Tall Tales training space, both reached easily by tram from the square.
In addition to mentions here of several locally created shows, reviews of most of the internationally touring productions in the festival can be found via the links at the bottom of this report.
In the outdoor arena, Buitengewoon, which can be translated as ‘Something special’ , presents pairs of performers – one with intellectual/learning disabilities – in a co-creation project by Circusstad Festival and maker Liza van Brakel, in close collaboration with Theater Babel. Their first show has two eight-minute pieces, created in just 15 intensive sessions in which everyone can discover his or her talent and to be on stage. To my mind, both succeeded. First up, in matching tracksuits, are Lotte Sterringa (28) & Sharoma Dhoen (26) in a heart-warming collaboration with the Cyr wheel. Sterringa tries to get a grip of a section of the wheel, but Dhoen manages to keep it at a teasing distance. Dance and manipulation of the section leads to the full wheel and a series of trust games that sees Dhoen suspended from the wheel at one point. Sterringa also has the chance to show her dexterity in spinning around in the wheel.
Luc van Lieshout (21) & Ray Cardoze (32) follow using a harness of silks in a display of agility and strength, sometimes working together, other times demonstrating their skill individually. Both acts demonstrate a heart-warming level of support and trust between the performers on stage.
Also in the Arena are two youth circus shows: In Sold to the Circus, a dozen of the older students (14+) of the Rotterdam Circus Rotjeknor youth circus and Tall Tales Company show what they can do, starting with an ensemble sequence of lifts, rolls and balances to jazz and an impressive juggle on a slack rope held taut by the company. There’s a club passing trio, plus skipping whilst juggling or unicycling and a corde lisse act.
Also from Circus Rotjeknor youth circus (incidentally, based in studios adjoining the Codarts Circus Degree studios) is Etreme R with 15 older teen performers, split roughly evenly male/female, who spend a day a week training. Casually dressed in short sleeved shirts and shorts, their ensemble work includes measured lifts and dynamic throws that demonstrate their teamwork, trust, respect and support for each other. Aerial is represented by a female solo trapeze act, to the attentive gaze of the cast, and is followed by a male solo juggling act that leads to a mixed club passing number. It would be interesting to study whether maintaining a mixed youth circus is largely reliant on the disciplines on offer.
Some of the performers will aspire to the Codarts Circus Degree and several fourth year students gave an early preview of their graduation acts. Whilst still works in progress, talent, skill and imagination are present in abundance. Alongside presenting a good static trapeze routine, Sequoia van Ekeren is a skilled compere and singer. Lily Nolan’s movement/handstand/capoeira act is strong and clean. Sam Balthasar’s awesome diabolo machine and ancillary mechanical devices are intriguing and, with tidying up and greater consistency, will surely also form a strong part of the graduation show. Cléa Anderfuhren’s very controlled and measured club manipulation to a narrated diary is one of the most finished pieces. On the aerial side, both Shea Baker on straps and Charlotte Hofer on triangle trapeze impressed and did Tom Laurent with his controlled handstands.
The third-year students also took part, in ensemble show All and Nothing, directed by one-time Circus Space graduate Tim Lenkiewicz. About the performance, the students say: ‘At some point we acrobats – like everyone else – have to ask ourselves what we think is important. Inspired by folk tales and playing with the cosmos in the choreography, ‘All and Nothing’ explores our view of what really matters.‘ The setting is the vast aerial studio at Codarts, with seating blocs in four quadrants around the stage area, and a tightrope in place as we enter. Following a growing disagreement over rights to a seat between (it transpires) three cast members, provoking consideration of what is important, the tightwire performer begins. It is the first of the circus skills presented. Trapeze, rolling globe, corde lisse, hoop and juggling all follow, but above these useful skills the performers also clown, talk and interact well together. There is some fine character work helped by great costumes and a percussionist from an allied music course at the university. As always, the primary role of such a show is to give the students a good learning experience and the examiners the chance to see how each student fares. I believe the show delivered on both parts as well as keeping the audience entertained.
In the Tall Tales training studio, Clara Köpf, a 2024 Codarts graduate, gave an early preview on the floor and Chinese pole of Garment Gatherings, inspired by the ecological and social problems caused by the fast fashion industry. This is one of three works supported by Circunstruction which offers emerging circus makers the opportunity to develop their own performance. Each year, the selected makers receive three rehearsal weeks, workshops, artistic guidance and try-outs, as part of an intensive process. Said to be half-way through the making process, Clara’s work featured clever clothing changes that questioned the merits of conspicuous and fast-changing consumerism. At this stage in development it feels, unsurprisingly, a little ragged but with some tailoring over the coming months it promises to be both thought-provoking and entertaining.
Two young companies also presented their work on the Arena stage. I only caught a fragment of Cyr wheel act Duo LéOlé so cannot comment on it. The other was UKEMI: The Art of Falling, directed by Simon Granit Ossoinak, in which three acrobats followed each other around on a scaffold climbing frame like good-natured siblings in a playground. Chosen challenges were completed carefully and they gradually increased in difficulty. Ultimately it was quite similar to watching children in a playground but with little drama, making for an undemanding watch for an undemanding audience.
The following links lead to more substantial reviews of other performances at the festival:
‘Ballroom‘, by Post from Hessdalen
‘Captain Frodo’s NEW Family Freakshow‘
‘iRRooTTaa‘, by Grensgeval & Circus Katoen
‘KA-IN‘, by Groupe Acrobatique de Tanger/Raphaëlle Boitel
‘La Lévitation Réelle‘, by Compagnie L’Immédiat
‘Late Night at the Opticum‘, by Circusstad Festival in collaboration with The Headless Cabaret
‘Meander’, by Marta & Kim, Knot On Hands, Felix Zech
‘OMÂ or the privileges of the potato‘, by Compagnie BOLBOL / Roxana Küwen Arsalan
