YOUNG STAGE International Circus Festival

YOUNG STAGE is the biggest circus festival in Switzerland and a non-profit organization that was founded in 2006.

Mission

We specifically and sustainably promote young circus-talents from all over the world and provide a platform for contemporary circus in Switzerland which contributes significantly to its recognition and promotion as a performing art.

For many years, YOUNG STAGE has been committed to ensuring that the circus is recognised and promoted as a cultural form in Switzerland. The festival was one of the very first organisations that programmed and showed new circus in Switzerland. We are talking to political bodies and we give numerous lectures in companies, associations and other organisations to show that the circus is alive and to explain how the genre has changed over the last 40 years.

Activities

• The competition: The festival is a competition and as well as a platform where young professional artists can present their work in a contemporary circus field. There are six public shows every year in Basel. An international jury team consisting of experts coming from the fields of circus, show, TV and professional sports assesses the young artists. The artists have the chance to win various awards and engagements in circus- & show productions in Switzerland and Europe. There are hundreds of artist applications from more than 60 countries each year. Many international show producers, directors, agents and bookers travel to Basel, to discover new talents at the YOUNG STAGE festival.
• Open-Air Circus Spectacle: Since 2018 there is a freely accessible open-air spectacle downtown Basel under the claim “Basel goes Circus” to develop and promote new, young, creative circus. Numerous circus companies from Switzerland and abroad perform on several open-air stages. Moreover, kids have the chance to try out different circus disciplines for free.  
• Networking Events: There are several networking events each year such as panel discussions, business workshops, and the “circus-speed-dating”, where artists, bookers and producers have the chance to meet in an easy and funny way. These events are all freely accessible for all, who are in any kind involved in circus and show business.
• National Circus Convention: Around 200 circus-experienced kids and teenagers get the chance to work a day with professional and experienced artists. They are being coached, trained and inspired by real professionals. With this event we want to support also the real “base” of new circus talents.
• Developing a Circus Center: For the last few years the festival-team has been developing a concept for a new circus center in the region of Basel, which should become an important hub for the circus in the next 3-5 years. The aim for the next 10 years is also to provide vocational training for artists.

Affiliation

Pro Cirque  – association suisse des professionnels des arts du cirque

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Management

Director: Nadja Hauser
Deputy director / Operations and Events Manager: Beat Läuchli

Contact

Wallstrasse 12
4051 Basel
Switzerland
 

Founded in 2006

+41 78 746 80 36
https://www.young-stage.com/
info@young-stage.com