Nordic Baltic Circus Innovation Incubator
Platform to support new circus creation and emerging authors in the Nordic-Baltic region
The project aims to identify, support, and promote artistic innovation and risk-taking to develop relevant voices within our region and connect them with presenters and audiences on Nordic and European scales.
Timeline: Aug 2026 - Dec 2027
Focus: upcoming circus artists
Project description
The project aims to develop the circus sector in the region by supporting emerging authors in their creation process, offering residencies, mentorship, and enhancing visibility in the region as well as in Europe. The idea is built upon the good practice of ‘circusnext’ - a European platform supported by Creative Europe (https://circusnext.eu/en/presentation/), which supports emerging circus authors on a European level. Nordic-Baltic Circus Innovation Incubator exists outside the circusnext platform, with an emphasis on supporting local Nordic and Baltic artists. It has been observed that the majority of emerging artists who are supported on a European level are from countries with more privileged contexts for circus. For this reason, the main actors of NB circus organisations are aiming to share their competencies and create new, safe, and sustainable opportunities for an innovative artistic approach.
We find it extremely necessary in these challenging times to nurture new voices and sustain artistic innovation. We want to support the development of new work and experimentation, opening windows to the future, giving artists the time and support to develop work that is relevant to our times.
By facilitating tailor-made information sessions, workshops, hosting residencies and mentoring artistic representation and management in an international context, we hope to discover, support and incentivise new authors that could create new discourses in the field of NB contemporary circus - be it waves or ripples.
Project activities
Info sessions: organised by our project partners locally and virtually in local and English languages, about this project and circusnext platform, to create more visibility of international possibilities for Nordic and Baltic artists
1:1 consultations: consultations led by our partners about how to prepare a strong application for the circusnext platform open call at the beginning of 2027
Group labs: for regional artists to learn more about artistic creation
Residencies: for artists to continue developing their new shows
Project partners
Teatronas (LT), Rīgas cirks (LV), DYNAMO (DK), Cirko (FI), Subtopia (SE), Riksteaterförening (theatre association)(SE) and Cirkus Syd (SE)
Project coordinators
The project is coordinated by Teatronas (LT) in collaboration with BNCN.
Timeframe of the project
01.08.2026.-31.12.2027.
This project is supported by Nordic Culture Point