About
Zirkusquartier Zurich
The Zirkusquartier is Zurich’s production, performance, training and learning center for contemporary circus and the home of Zirkus Chnopf. The varied program offers space to experience and learn circus in all its facets.
The Zirkusquartier is a meeting place for children, young people and adults, for professionals and amateurs, for visitors and artists – and not least for the local population. It is a place to learn, train, watch and meet: with shows, courses, workshops and offers for professional circus artists. The experience-oriented offer enables cultural participation on many levels and aims to inspire many different people for contemporary circus.
Our offers
Our program celebrates the diversity of contemporary circus. On stage, social issues are explored in a poetic, humorous or critical way, often playfully turning circus traditions on their head. In addition to the invited guest performances and annual co-productions, many companies present a work-in-progress at the end of their residency and provide insights into all stages of creation. In addition to production and performance opportunities, Zirkusquartier offers training, advice and networking opportunities for professional circus artists.
In over 35 weekly courses, people of all ages can learn a wide variety of circus disciplines from scratch. With its open training sessions , Zirkusquartier offers a space for professionals and amateurs to train together on a regular basis, while weekend workshops with renowned artists offer the opportunity to get a taste of circus for the first time or to deepen existing knowledge.
In addition to artistic projects, Zirkusquartier also carries out socio-cultural mediation formats.
Contemporary circus
Contemporary circus is an interdisciplinary art form. It focuses on artistry and phyiscal theater, which are interwoven with other disciplines such as dance, performance and theater in an experimental way. The dramaturgy of traditional circus acts is broken up, reinterpreted or omitted altogether. Top artistic performance takes a back seat and artistry becomes a form of expression for telling stories. As an art form that often manages without language, contemporary circus is accessible to a wide audience.
Our vision
We want to promote this low-threshold cultural offering and circus creation. There is still a lack of suitable production and performance venues for contemporary circus work in Switzerland. The Zirkusquartier closes the existing gaps and supports professional circus artists. With our services and our broad network, Zirkusquartier is committed to ensuring that circus productions are recognized by supporters and noticed by audiences and the media.
The project is supported by the “Verein Zirkusquartier Zürich”, which was founded on the initiative of “Zirkus Chnopf”. Since the Zirkusquartier was founded in 2016, the range of events, workshops and weekly courses has developed considerably. Zirkusquartier has been part of the City of Zurich’s concept funding since 2024. Thanks to several years of funding from the city and canton of Zurich, Zirkusquartier has been able to establish itself in Zurich’s cultural landscape.
The new building project “Zirkusquartier 2027” will create a permanent venue for contemporary circus in Zurich, which will contribute to the recognition and further development of this art form.
Further information:
Zirkusquartier and Circus Chnopf
Since the Zirkusquartier was founded in 2016 by the association Circus Chnopf the two organizations have been working closely together. Zirkus Chnopf’s annual open-air productions are co-produced with Zirkusquartier, with rehearsals and the creation of stage sets taking place on the premises and in the outdoor space of the ZQ. The ZQ also provides Chnopf with a home for its touring infrastructure during the winter months, as well as storage and workshop space for maintenance and stage design work. Since 2016, this collaboration has resulted in the productions DU DA DA ICH, Panik!, GUGUS, Optimum, Pluto, Level 2748, Moment!, Mosaik and Le cours de choses.
Zirkus Chnopf is a figurehead and important promoter of contemporary circus in the canton of Zurich and throughout Switzerland. The development and anchoring of the contemporary circus sector is also central to Zirkusquartier. Shared values such as low-threshold, youth development, accessibility and the joy of experimentation keep the two organizations together and allow Zirkus Chnopf and Zirkusquartier to grow continuously together and independently.
After the Chnopf tour, many former “Chnöpfe” go on to become professional circus performers and artists and often come to Zirkusquartier with their own projects. In this way, the exchange between Chnopf Circus and Zirkusquartier remains alive through the many people who have experienced Chnopf.
In 2027, Zirkusquartier will move back to the newly built circus halls in the emerging Koch Quarter. Circus Chnopf will continue to create the annual open-air spectacle in co-production with Zirkusquartier, thus maintaining the close collaboration between the two associations. The adjacent coal storage hall in Koch Park is planned as a rehearsal and performance venue for the open-air spectacles. Circus Chnopf will set up an additional location for the winter months and for storage and workshop space.
The Zirkusquartier is a member of:
