TEATROSKOP Dialogues with Cirkorama on building a circus scene together

Photos: Matej Lesi
Interviewees: Jadranka Žinić Mijatović & Nikola Mijatović

Years of persistence, collaboration and collective effort have shaped the contemporary circus scene in the Balkans, often in conditions that leave little room for stability.

In this conversation, Cirkorama reflects on building a practice from the ground up, the importance of long-term connections across the region and with the French cultural network, and what it means to create and sustain a shared artistic space today.

You have been part of the contemporary circus scene in the Balkans for many years. How have you seen it grow, and what were some of the key moments that shaped it?

Although there are years of continuous work behind us, we are often not fully aware of them, as the development of this scene is slow and frequently marked by a sense of stagnation. Contemporary circus in this region operates on the margins of society, facing misunderstanding, a lack of systematic support, and unstable cultural policies. At the same time, its social value and the need for its existence are extremely evident, creating a kind of paradox between aspirations and real possibilities.

Despite this, the scene continues to grow thanks to the persistence of individuals and collectives, intergenerational collaboration, and a shared struggle for a more equal position within the cultural field. Rather than being defined by a single key moment, the development of contemporary circus is shaped by continuous work, both on a personal and a societal level.

Your work is deeply connected to collaboration across borders, especially with Serbia and the French cultural network. What have these relationships made possible for you as artists?

International collaboration, especially at the regional level, stems from shared starting conditions, from the need to build a sustainable artistic scene almost from scratch. Such processes are typical of initiatives that emerge “from the ground up,” through self-organization and collective work. Collaboration with colleagues from Belgrade developed organically, even before the formal establishment of Cirkorama and Cirkusfera, through years of shared activity that can primarily be described as an ongoing friendship, as well as a continuous effort to balance and create within a shared space of trust.

A similar dynamic applies to collaboration with French artists, which developed through mutual interest and openness. A particularly important moment was our participation in 2003 in the festival Du monde aux Balkans in Toulouse and Grenoble, where we were first directly exposed to the contemporary French circus scene and established key professional contacts. This experience had a significant impact on our decision to pursue the circus as a professional path.

Cirkorama is both an artistic platform and a community. How do you balance creation, collective work, and building space for others?

Cirkorama operates as a space shaped both by shared values and individual artistic expression. Although we function as a collective, it is a dynamic structure composed of strong individuals, which makes this model both challenging and highly stimulating.

Contemporary circus inherently carries the idea of community, often organized around principles of collaboration, but also a certain sense of “marginality,” which implies flexibility, adaptability, and a willingness to embrace different ways of living and working. For this reason, it is not easy to find long-term collaborators who share the same values and vision.

Our approach is based on openness: everyone is welcome to participate and contribute, but equally free to pursue their own path. Cirkorama is a process rather than a fixed structure, a space that constantly evolves alongside the people who shape it.

If you had to describe your circus universe through one film, song or visual reference, what would it be and why?

As a first association, I would mention the film Man Is Not a Bird (1965) by director Dušan Makavejev. Although it is difficult to explain this choice precisely, there is a certain fatalistic and existential dimension in his approach that resonates with the circus world I belong to. It is precisely this combination of rawness, poetry, and uncertainty that feels close to the experience of contemporary circus.