News

As part of the residency program, the CircusDanceFestival invites applications for two rehearsal residencies in Cologne for fall 2022. The call is aimed at professional artists and companies working at the interface of contemporary circus and dance. Submissions from related fields such as physical theater, puppet theater or performance art are also possible.

Further information and application formalities

Workbook Theater der Zeit | Can be purchased now!

Over the past fifty years, the circus has undergone a remarkable transformation. Progressive circus forms have gained a new position within society internationally as "contemporary circus." The workbook is dedicated to this still young circus form and presents analyses, interviews, commentaries, extensive photographic material and artistic positions of international and German circus artists. With the additional special insert of the VOICES magazine "Re-thinking objects" the book dives deep into the current circus-aesthetic discourse on new materialisms and also takes up the connections to contemporary dance.

To order

To the VOICES III magazine "Re-thinking objects

We are overwhelmed by the CircusDanceFestival 2022! For the first time the festival could take place live and on site.
On the festival grounds on the banks of the Rhine we had intense and playful performances, discussion-rich film evenings, talks and workshops as well as exuberant silent parties.
A big thank you for this common and inspiring time goes to all artists and companies, technicians, supporters and the team. And of course to our new audience, who came to the festival in such large numbers for the first time.
Our festival photographer has accompanied the 5 days and captured many beautiful moments. You can find these and an aftermovie from our festival filmmaker on our impressions page.
In the CDFthek the festival continues digitally, with the documentaries shown for the first time, the artist-talks and the new VOICES magazine "Re-thinking objects".

On the long Whitsun weekend of 2022, the CircusDanceFestival will finally be able to take place live in Cologne, with a select program of pieces that move in the realm of contemporary circus, dance and performance. In order to make this possible, we are looking for volunteers to help out on site as stand-ins, in the shift team for the bar, in looking after the artists or in designing the grounds. So if you feel like getting involved and helping to put on an unusual Cologne festival for five days with a big team, you've come to the right place. You can find all the information in the attached PDF.

Support PDF

The Cologne TANZPAKT project CircusDanceFestival is in the starting blocks for the 2022 edition.
The body and its relationships to space, objects and architecture, as well as a look at the political body that frees itself from common attributions, are the focus of this year's festival program.

With more than 20 artistic positions in the form of performances in the circus tent, site-specific performances, performative exhibitions, and an evening film program in the open-air cinema, the CircusDanceFestival invites you for five days to discover artists:inside who present the experimental field of contemporary circus forms as well as highly physical forms of dance and performance.

To the program

The expert jury of the Performing Arts Fund awards the Tabori Award 2022, endowed with 15,000 euros, to Overhead Project. The award honors a unique signature of the fusion of contemporary dance and contemporary circus, which creates a performative language of its own that makes a special contribution to both establishing and communicating the formats and their differentiated thematic worlds.
The Tabori Prize is the highest award for the independent performing arts in Germany. In addition to this, the jury awards three prizes. In doing so, it reacts to current developments and honors experimental, courageous formats by artists and groups who have convinced through a unique upcoming or through continuous developments of an experimental format.
On May 25, 2022, the Fonds Darstellende Künste will present the Tabori Prize and the Tabori Awards for the thirteenth time in a hybrid award ceremony at HAU Hebbel am Ufer and online in a live stream in the presence of the Minister of State for Culture Claudia Roth.

To the Tabori Awards 2022

Further event information

Workbook Theater der Zeit | To be published in July 2022

Over the past fifty years, the circus has undergone a remarkable transformation. Progressive circus forms have gained a new position within society internationally as "contemporary circus." The workbook is dedicated to this still young circus form and presents analyses, interviews, commentaries, extensive photographic material and artistic positions of international and German circus artists. With the additional special insert of the VOICES magazine "Re-thinking objects" the book dives deep into the current circus-aesthetic discourse on new materialisms and also takes up the connections to contemporary dance.

To the publication preview