The head of the section is the artistic director of Bolshoi St. Petersburg State Circus on Fontanka, People’s Artist of Russia Vyacheslav Polunin.

The discussion program of the “Circus and Street Theatre” section will be dedicated mostly to clownage as one of the most vulnerable directions in circus art of Russia. Firstly, today there exist practically no educational institutions that train professional clowns for Russian circuses. Secondly, circus performers retire much earlier than people in other creative professions. Finally, in the eyes of contemporary Russian spectators, contradictory comedy projects of today have turned the art of clownage – whether we want it or not – into something of “low” taste, increasingly in less demand. Meanwhile, the Russian school of clownage is in many ways quite unique and is an inalienable part of the rich intangible cultural heritage of Russia.

The goal of the “Circus and Street Theatre” section is to discuss and develop the effective mechanisms for preservation and popularization of Russian clownage art, using its unique capabilities in the social sphere and create new support measures for circus retirees. Round table meetings, discussions and workshops will discuss all these topics.

The central event in the section program will be the grand opening ceremony of the Bolshoi St. Petersburg State Circus on Fontanka after reconstruction.

“I am confident that the renaissance of the circus as a form of art and finding and impressing our spectators depend on our ability to work together creatively and find new ways of artistic expression. The Cultural Forum is an excellent opportunity for all of us to meet and do what we can to enrich each other in the artistic and human senses of the word,” the curator of the section Vyacheslav Polunin said.

The preliminary program of the “Circus and Street Theatre” section can be found in the “Program” section of the website.