Circ-Exchange-Week
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| Date: | Su 03.11.2024 |
| Time: | 10:00 hour |
| Location: | Zirkusquartier |
| Price: | Gratis |
| Duration: | 1 week |
| Level: | For professionals |
Registration by mail
Past dates:

Circ-Exchange-Week
This year for the first time the Zirkusquartier is hosting the Circ-Exchange Week: a whole week’s programme for emerging circus or physical theater artists who have recently finished an education or have recently started to work in Switzerland and would like to gain a foothold here (max. since 3 years / a completed education is not mandatory).
Circ-Exchange Week is part of the ongoing Circ-Exchange project, which is being further developed by Zirkusquartier and aims to network and strengthen the Swiss circus scene. Circ-Exchange Week offers up-and-coming artists a space to get to know each other, create, exchange ideas and learn.
Date: November 3 – 9 (3rd and 9th are arrival and departure days)
Time: 10:00 – 18:00 + occasional evening activities
The Zirkusquartier will provide food and accommodation on site. Travel costs cannot be covered.
The deadline for registrations is October 13!
Program
- Practical time for research and creation. There will be collective warm-ups, workshops, exchange and feedback sessions as well as time for you to work on your own project or idea. At the end of the week there will be a public sharing in the Zirkusquartier.
- Theoretical time dedicated to production topics such as dossier creation, networking, distribution, etc. In addition to the joint sessions, there will also be a production café with an expert from artFAQ and ProCirque.
- Discussion time, where we want to create an intimate space to share experiences and thoughts and discuss political, social and personal issues that affect our lives and work as artists.
On Wednesday, November 06 there will be a Circ-Exchange Evening – a meeting of the circus scene. On this evening, established circus professionals visit Circ-Exchange-Week to exchange ideas, get to know each other and strengthen the scene.
To round off the week, there will be a public sharing to share excerpts from the work and experiences of the week with the public.
The Circ-Exchange Evening can also be attended independently of the Circ-Exchange-Week. The Circ-Exchange Sharing is public and based on hat collection.
Circ-Exchange Week is hosted by Luisa Schmitz (she/her) and Caro Wuttke (she/her). Both are circus artists themselves, live in Zurich and are connected to the Zirkusquartier.
Registration
To register, please send us an email to charlotte.mathiessen@zirkusquartier.ch by October 13 with a short text telling us what you would like to work on and what your needs are for Circ-Exchange Week . Please answer the following questions in your e-mail:
- What would you like to work on practically? What technical requirements do you have? (Note: It is not necessary to have a fixed project; it can also be an idea or research. For open sharing, there is no pressure to show something finished).
- Do you have a specific need/interest of a production related topic, which you would like to learn more about?
- Is there a topic for the gathering time, you would like to propose, share, discuss, learn more about?
- Is there anything else you would like to bring to Circ-Exchange Week and share with the other participants and the facilitation team? This can be a creation method, a topic suggestion or whatever is close to your heart. (This is not obligatory, but as far as possible, we want to create a space where participants can help shape the week).
For logistical reasons, we can only accept up to 12 participants. If we receive more registrations, we will decide who can take part, taking into account the needs of the people who have registered.
We are really looking forward to hear from you.
Caro Wuttke

Caro Wuttke is a contemporary circus artist based in Zurich. She studied at the Cirko Vertigo and Flic Scuola di Circo schools, where she specialized in the vertical rope. She is currently part of Cata Aguayo’s 2-year research training program in Barcelona. In her artistic work, Caro draws on her background in media theory, which she acquired through her Bachelor’s degree in “Literature-Art-Media”. On and off stage, Caro is interested in creating intimate spaces within the circus community and in her own practice. With Cia Bruta Bruja, Caro has been performing the contemporary circus show “Santa & Glitter. Circus and Divinity!”, which was co-produced by Sisus Sirkus and Zirkusquartier Zurich. She is also a co-founder of the aerial rope collective Less Kuerdas.
Luisa Schmitz

Luisa Schmitz was born in Zurich and works as a dancer, choreographer, coach and dance teacher. She completed her bachelor’s degree in stage dance and choreography at the Fontys Hoogeschool voor de Kunsten in Tilburg (NL). For the last two years, she has been on the road as an artist with Zirkus Chnopf and has been teaching circus and movement to children and teenagers ever since. She teaches children the art of circus in an encouraging and motivating way. When she is not teaching, she tours Europe with her own clown duo or walks through the forests of Zurich with her dog.