|
My path into producing contemporary circus did not begin, I suppose, the way it does for many: by being part of the community or having a deep, long-standing relationship with the field. My feet were quite firmly planted in the visual arts, design and photography. Ever since I can remember, I never really considered any other career path than being a visual artist. Mixed media always fascinated me, and growing up surrounded by artists from different domains – photography, dance, music – it appeared as the most natural direction. Life, however, is a funny thing. Through a series of fairly random twists and turns, I eventually landed a job in the central marketing team of a large international technology corporation, away from my home country.
There I worked in sales, marketing and communication roles and learned a lot about how organisations function, how people communicate, and how ideas are translated into something that can actually reach others. I also learned how to reach people online, and how collaboration between different stakeholders can create something bigger than any of them could alone. After disappointing my parents, who probably never thought they would see me walking around in public wearing a black business suit, I eventually made my way back to the arts and culture sector and started wearing my 501’s and a jumper again. Slightly traumatised perhaps by my unsuccessful attempt at becoming an artist myself, I realised that my newly acquired organisational and corporate skills, combined with my love for the arts, might actually be quite useful in cultural production. Over the years, circus had quietly found its way into a corner of my heart, and perhaps was even a little more fascinating because it was one of the art forms I had not been closely connected to before. I became an avid audience member and a frequent visitor of what my hometown Prague has to offer, but I never imagined I would end up working in the field. A few more twists and turns later, in 2024, I found myself working with Sisus Sirkus, which we all know and love. In contemporary circus, and probably in most art forms, the role of a producer quickly turns out to be broader than the title suggests. Some days the work involves negotiating tours and communicating with presenters. Other days it might mean preparing materials, coordinating logistics, or solving practical problems that inevitably appear along the way. In many ways, the producer becomes a kind of generalist within the process. The Finnish expression yleismiesjantunen comes to mind: someone who steps into whatever role is needed at a given moment. While much of this work happens outside the rehearsal space, the theatre or the circus tent, it still forms part of the dialogue around the artistic work. Over time, I have realised that producing contemporary circus is less about one clearly defined role and more about navigating the space between artistic ideas and the many practical realities that allow the work to exist and circulate. Working as a producer often feels like a kind of balancing act. The work moves between intense periods of activity and quieter moments where the next steps are still uncertain. The realities of funding structures and project-based work bring their own instability, and the position of a producer is rarely fixed or clearly defined. One simply learns to navigate this uncertainty while remaining present in the process. Thankfully, this uncertainty is now paused for the next three years – thank you, Taike. At the same time, the dialogue with artists remains a constant element. Even though the work itself happens outside the rehearsal space, the connection to the artistic process is always there. Conversations about touring, production decisions, communication materials or future opportunities all circle back to the same central question: how can the work continue to exist, travel and meet audiences in different contexts? Despite the practical nature of much of the work, there is a deep sense of fulfilment in being close to the artistic process. The producer may not be the one creating the artistic material, but still participates in shaping the conditions that allow the work to become reality. For me, artists play a crucial role in society. Especially today, in a society increasingly driven by efficiency, money, power, hate and rational structures, artists have a rare and important position. Their work not only captures the present moment for the future but also helps us reflect on who we are and how we live. The philosopher Friedrich Schiller wrote about the tension between our sensuous impulses and our rational structures, suggesting that art allows these forces to meet in a state of balance. Perhaps this is one of the reasons why the arts continue to matter so deeply. They create spaces where thought, emotion, skill and imagination can come together in ways that touch audiences. To be even a small part of this process feels like a privilege. As a producer, my role may often lie on the practical and organisational side of things, but it still connects me to a larger conversation. One that moves between ideas and realities, between artists and audiences, and between the many elements that allow a work of art to take its place in the world. Thank you for reading. Take care of yourself. Vilma
0 Comments
Somewhere along the way, circus started to look too clean. Somehow way too polished. Too well-behaved.
All the rules, all the “right ways” things should be done. What happened to the DIY mentality? Learn as you go, hope for the best. I understand it’s good to plan — but come on, a little bit of punk attitude doesn’t hurt anyone. Perfectly lit promo shots. Artist statements that sound like corporate slogans. “Authenticity” with a color palette. And suddenly, we were all expected to have a brand. But here’s the thing — we didn’t join the circus to become brands. We started Sisus with one rule: more is more. More sweat, more laughter, more meaning, more mess. That rule still stands. We’re not here to be elegant or minimal or efficient. We’re here to fill the space — with ideas, with noise, with humanity. We’re here to make things that breathe, bruise, and break a little. The world wants artists to be coherent. To pick a tone, a color, a concept — and stick with it. But our kind of circus doesn’t fit in a grid. It doesn’t post neatly. It doesn’t match your feed. We are not consistent. We are alive. Sometimes that means we make serious political statements with fake eyelashes. Sometimes it means we don’t make any sense at all — and that’s fine.    Welcome!
I’m Inka, one of the founders of Sisus, a contemporary circus company originally from Finland. Let me make one thing clear: we’re not here to play it safe. Never have been. Never will be. For us, circus is about more than the flashy tricks and the glitter (although, yes, we love that part too). It’s a philosophy, a way of life, and above all, it’s a rebellion against the ordinary. After more than a decade of pushing boundaries and defying expectations, we’ve decided to open a window into our world with this blog—not to explain ourselves, but to provoke thought, share our journey, and maybe offer a glimpse of the strange, joyful, and often wild ride that contemporary circus can be. Sisus officially came into being in 2014, but our roots go much deeper. We--Iida Sipilä, Milla Lahtinen, Rosa Tyyskä, Sofia Defour, and myself—first met as kids in youth circus, tangled up in trapeze ropes, building human pyramids, and taking part in those inevitable trust falls. Before we even knew it, we were laying the foundation for something that would eventually grow into a circus company. But we never set out to create a brand. What we built was born from our need to create, to laugh, to dream—together. In those early years, we had only one rule: more is more—more sequins, more sweat, more meaning, more mayhem, more everything. It was chaotic, honest, and loud. And somehow, that rule still sticks. So, why a blog? And why now? The answer is simple: circus is a conversation. Too often, the audience only sees the final product—the performance, the posters, the premiere. But behind all that, there are a thousand quiet questions, the kind that get lost in the rush of opening nights and standing ovations. Recently, I’ve been asked a lot: “Does Sisus still exist?” The short answer is: hell yes. Maybe not in the same form as we once were. The five of us aren’t performing together anymore, but Sisus is very much alive. Over the years, we’ve created numerous shows, films, and projects of all shapes and sizes. We even celebrated our 10th anniversary last year. What most people don’t know is that we actually began as an association called Hiljaiset Hissukat ry. Under this umbrella, there are three different groups—and Sisus is one of them. We continue to work within this structure, and the board meets regularly to plan our future, from small-scale projects to larger endeavors. Whether they’re carried out under the Sisus name or under the association’s broader umbrella, our mission is the same: to carry our values forward. This blog, then, is a way to open up a bit of our lives. To reflect. To ask the questions we ask ourselves in our work—and maybe ask a few more you’ve never thought to ask. And yes, to throw a few punches at the status quo while we’re at it. Always. Here, you’ll meet the people behind the shows, the ones who keep the creative fire burning. You’ll hear about the flops, the fights, the festivals, and those flashes of insight that hit like a trapeze to the head. We’ll talk about what it’s like to tour, to train, to fail spectacularly—and to find meaning in this strange thing we call "circus life." It won’t always be neat. But it will always be honest. Welcome to the behind-the-scenes of the unbalanced. |
|
|
|
Proudly powered by Weebly