This year, MERIDIAN(s) is focusing on Germany, where it will showcase a strong presence of Catalan circus companies to raise their profile in the country in 2026, while strengthening cooperation between the two territories in the field of circus arts.
Over the course of the year, around 40 productions will travel to 12 festivals in Germany, highlighting the diversity and vitality of the Catalan circus sector. This presence will take various forms, including performances, artistic residencies, pitching sessions, a creative laboratory and professional activities aimed at fostering networking and exchange between professionals from the two territories.
The programme, which last year focused on Portugal, is coordinated by the Catalan Association of Circus Professionals (APCC) and supported by the Institut Ramon Llull (IRL) and the Catalan Institute for Cultural Enterprises (ICEC).
MERIDIAN(s) is part of the initiative CirC – Catalan Circus International Rings within the Second Circus Promotion Plan 2023-2026, which aims to develop and strengthen the international visibility of Catalan circus acts by fostering lasting connections and international relations.
In May, the CircusDanceFestival (Cologne, 21-24 May) and Bildstörung Festival (Detmold, 22-26 May) featured a strong presence of Catalan companies and professionals. In Cologne, audiences saw performances by Diana Gadish, Cia. La Churry, Cia. Express, Cia Otra vez lunes, Angel Duran Performing Arts and Nuria Luna Llena, while the Detmold festival featured performances by Eléctrico 28, Los Galindos, Los Informalls and Joan Català.
Other festivals that form part of the MERIDIAN(s) programme are tête-à-tête (Rastatt, 3-7 June), which will showcase the companies Balagans, If Circus, Melic, Pau Palaus, Roi Borrallas, Señor Stets and Circ Pànic; ViaThea (Görlitz, 2-4 July), featuring Manolo Alcántara; Berlin Circus Festival (Berlin, 5-16 August), Von Nord nach West (Bremen, Osnabrück, Mülheim an der Ruhr, Löhne, Arnsberg, Lingen, Dinslaken and Troisdorf in June and July), with Espectacle Cia. Express; at.tension (Larz, 3-6 September) and Atoll (Karlsruhe, 17-27 September). Chamäleon Berlin PLAY (Berlin, January and February) featured Zed Zanzu.
As part of these reciprocal exchanges, German programmers and festival directors will attend various festivals and fairs in Catalonia throughout the year. Fira Trapezi (Reus, 13-17 May) hosted representatives from the festivals Atoll, Chamäleon Berlin, Berlin Circus Festival and the online platform Zirkus Plus. Several German professionals are also expected to attend FiraTàrrega, some of them for the first time.
In addition to this initiative, several other German circus festivals will also feature Catalan artists this year: Alles Muss Raus (Kaiserslautern, 18-20 July), with performances by Leandre Clown and Cia. Vero Cendoya; boulevArt Festival (Wismar, 31 July - 2 August), where audiences can see Adrian Schvarzstein and Eléctrico 28.
Although MERIDIAN(s) is a time-limited project, it aims to forge lasting relationships and foster a dynamic of exchange, discovery and mutual understanding between the Catalan and German circus sectors that will endure well beyond 2026.
Second Circus Promotion Plan 2023-2026
The Second Circus Promotion Plan 2023-2026 is an initiative by the Catalan Department of Culture and the Catalan Association of Circus Professionals (APCC) in collaboration with the Institut Ramon Llull, Ateneu Popular 9 Barris, the Centre de les Arts del Circ Rogelio Rivel, Encirca't, the Catalan Association of Circus Training (AFOCC), Trapezi Festival / Reus City Council, La Central del Circ and the Mercat de les Flors, and with the cooperation of various municipalities, organisations and performing arts venues across Catalonia.
This plan comprises 14 measures aimed at boosting creation, production and performance, developing touring circuits, ensuring the presence of diverse circus forms across Catalonia, strengthening businesses within the sector, fostering research, and harnessing the appeal and the social, transformative, educational and communicative impact of circus arts.
