Reaching New Dimensions Through Social Circus

Sorin Sirkus participated in a social circus seminar organized by Altro Circo in Torino on the 18^th –19^th of April. The event name “Circo Spaziale” referred to how social circus can take us to new dimensions.

The seminar focused on creating safe, inclusive, and accessible spaces, as well as sharing best practices. Participants from around the world attended the event, workshops and panels were held in both Italian and English. Most of the participants were from the circus and creative fields.

The themes and topics of the workshops focused on accessibility, using circus arts as a tool to promote well-being, fostering creativity and creating learning environments, and addressing the challenges posed by different settings in the circus field. The event was hosted at the San Salvario Community Centre, where we also got to see the “Circo Spaziale Cabare” with several different circus performances.

Katja, Head of Social Circus and International Activity at Sorin Sirkus, also led two different workshops on the topics of organizational resilience and trauma-sensitive practices. Katja has a diverse and extensive background in social circus. She is an experienced project manager and educator working in the intersection of art, learning and circus.

The first workshop focused on open dialogue about organizational resilience. The method used was the so-called “fishbowl” model, in which some participants sat in a circle in the center to discuss the topic, while others sat around the perimeter to listen. We heard stories about how organizations have responded to various challenges, how different structures have supported resilience, what the foundation of sustainability is, and how values are reflected in all operations.

The second workshop led by Katja focused on trauma-sensitive and embodied practices. Participants had the opportunity to engage in a variety of exercises that encouraged them to reflect on their own experiences and attitudes toward challenges. Together, we did an exercise called “robot juggling,” in which participants used practical methods to explore how we react to failure.

On the final day, all participants had the opportunity to reflect together on what we would put into practice from the event. We examined challenges, realities, and dreams. The themes that emerged clearly were sustainability, a sense of community, improving accessibility, and passion for our work.

Thank you Altro Circo for having us!

This mobility was made possible with the ERASMUS+ funding.