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KNOCKING ON THE NEIGHBOUR’S DOOR
There are some new circus trends in the Baltic States, but it is still too early to speak of a homogeneous movement, since each country has chosen a different path of development of this artistic genre. In Estonia, it is present in education,in recreation and youth circus. In Latvia the new circus occurs mainly due to foreign, particularly French, artists through theatre festivals and for the last two years presented by International World Music and Street Art Festival RE RE RIGA!. Lithuania has recently witnessed the birth of its first circus companies following the annual organization of an international circus festival New Circus Weekend in Vilnius during the past 7 years. This festival not only presents different shows, but organises practical workshops and theoretical lectures for students and professionals. By linking the approaches of these three countries, exchanging experience and passing from a national level to regional, I believe, it
would be strengthen the contemporary circus culture and obtain the recognition for contemporary circus as an art form itself in the Baltics. Next Door Circus, Plate-form for contemporary circus an street art in Baltics, is new project aiming to encourage international cooperation between artists and develop contemporary circus and street art in the Baltic States. The Magazine you are holding in your hands or reading on your screen is the first step we have decided to make. This is the first issue, but definitely not the last. We are planning to cover important topics for the development of Baltic contemporary circus and street art four times a year. The next step in the project will be the creation of the data basis of artists and other circus-oriented organisations from the Baltics. At the moment we are gathering the information and hoping to publish the first part in September 2014. Next Door Circus is building a digital platform where in the line with magazine and databases you could find a list of books concerned with circus and research written and available in the Baltics as well as interactive wall of circus news. In order to strengthen circus culture in the region we have to build a community. We have to cooperate! Keep following our project!
For the sake of circus, [editor presentation]