SKH

The Circus Department encompasses various aspects of the circus art form through educational programmes, courses and research activities within circus such as Phd-studies and various research projects led by members of our staff.

Our professors, doctoral students and those of our teachers who also conduct research generate new knowledge within artistic research. The Department of Circus is an international milieu with students from all over the world. Programmes and courses are taught in English.

In 2014, the School of Dance and Circus (DOCH) merged with several other arts universities to become the Stockholm University of the Arts (SKH). SKH provides education and conducts research in the fields of circus, dance, film, media, opera and performing arts. With a unique composition of education and artistic research, SKH offers opportunities for deepening study and creating collaborative transdisciplinary projects.

We offer four higher education programmes: a Bachelor’s Programme in Circus, a Master’s Programme in Contemporary Circus Practices, independent courses for ongoing professional development, and the possibility to study artistic research in circus at the Doctoral level.

Training offered

Bachelor’s Programme in Circus (first cycle)

• A student who completes the programme will receive a Degree of Bachelor of Fine Arts in Circus. A Bachelor of Fine Arts qualifies the student to continue studies at second cycle level (studies at a Master’s Programme).
• Applications/auditions occur on alternate years
• The programme contains courses in circus discipline training, artistic processes and how to create a sustainable career as a circus artist. The student work with performance, interpretation, improvisation and how to face and approach the audience. The different aspects of creative stage work will be deepened as one continuously explore, create, practice and present artistic projects in different formats.
• Read more about the Bachelor's Programme in Circus

Independent courses

• Courses vary and typically run between 5 – 12 weeks. Students receive university course credits upon completion, relative to the specific course.
• The independent courses form an important part of the activities at the Department of Circus. The courses are aimed at addressing the needs for further development of circus practitioners in the field. They also create an environment for experimentation in the meeting point between education and research with the aim of being on the cutting edge of the development of circus art. The independent courses are offered continuously over the year and vary in length and contents. Some examples are: circus pedagogics, artistic development within the circus discipline, introduction to research design as well as courses in different circus disciplines that have attracted students from round the world.
• Applications are ongoing

To see current and past independent courses, search circus courses among our courses and programmes (https://www.uniarts.se/english/find-courses)

Direct link to circus courses: https://www.uniarts.se/english/find-courses?filter-level=courses&filter-department=department+of+circus

Research studies

Research education at SKH is offered through the research subject Performative and Mediated Practices, which has four specialisations:

• Film and Media
• Choreography
• Opera 
• Performing Arts

Circus as a field of research fits into these specialisations, depending on the focus of the research project.

By creating an active, critical and dynamic environment for research, SKH enables doctoral students to develop their work in a way that contributes to artistic research as a transdisciplinary field and to strengthening the link between research and the first- and second-cycle programmes.

Read more about Doctoral Research Studies (https://www.uniarts.se/english/research-development/research-education)

Information of the MA program

• Alisan Funk:
  • Head of the Bachelor Programme in Circus
  • Assistant professor of Circus

Stockholm University of the Arts
Institutionen för cirkus
Phone : +46 (0)7 69 400 908
E-mail : alisan.funk@uniarts.se

Disciplines taught

• *Applications accepted for all disciplines in all programmes
• Acro dance
• Aerial acrobatics
• Aerial cradle/Korean cradle
• Aerial straps
• Bascule/Teeterboard
• Chinese pole
• Clowning
• Equilibristics
• Floor acrobatics 
• German wheel/Cyr wheel
• Highwire
• Juggling /Object manipulation
• Magic
• Rope
• Russian bar
• Russian swing
• Silks
• Slackrope
• Static trapeze
• Swinging trapeze - Cloud swing
• Tightrope
• Trampoline
• Unicycle

Learn more about this member

Management

• Head of the Department of Circus: Walter Ferrero
• Head of the Bachelor’s Programme: Alisan Funk
• Head of the Master’s Programme: Acting Head (2021) Ana Sanchez
• Head of the Independent Courses: Viktoria Dalborg
• Contact Educational Administration: Jacob Adamowicz

Academic year

The school year starts in the beginning of September and ends first week of June

Teaching languages

English (standard)

Location

Cirkus Department at the Stockholm University of the Arts

Visiting address: 
Brinellvägen 34, 
114 28 Stockholm, 
Sweden

Post address: 
P.O. Box 24045, 
104 50 Stockholm, 
Sweden

Contact

+46 8 49 400 000
www.uniarts.se/english/in-english
info.doch@uniarts.se