Call for proposals for interdisciplinary circus projects
Increased support for interdisciplinary Circassian creativity: UP x Varia
Update 28 January: Varia and UP are delighted to announce that the project *Sauvez sa Peau* by Compagnie Point Zero / Jean-Michel d'Hoop has been selected as the winner of this call for proposals.
Application period: 20 October → 14 December
Notification of results: 19 January 2026
As the performing arts centre of the Wallonia-Brussels Federation, UP – Circus & Performing Arts has been supporting the development of contemporary circus for 30 years in Brussels, Belgium and internationally.
Always on the lookout for new hybridisations between the thriving disciplines of the performing arts, Varia – Theatre & Studio aims to open up the theatre scene to contemporary circus creators. A taste for risk and daring, driven by artists eager to explore new forms of storytelling and to orchestrate the fusion of languages and aesthetics, setting our imaginations adrift towards ever-reinvented realms of the sensory.
Committed to a multi-year collaborative process, UP – Circus & Performing Arts and Le Varia - Théâtre & Studio are pooling their resources and expertise to offer, every two years, enhanced support for an interdisciplinary circus creation project led by a company or an artist from the Wallonia-Brussels Federation.
The support offered will include:
- — 8 weeks of on-stage creative residencies @ UP – Circus & Performing Arts & @ Varia - Théâtre & Studio, divided into 4 sessions of 2 weeks each, to be scheduled between autumn 2026 and autumn 2027, including at least 1 session with technical support
- — Support for playwriting, with the playwright’s salary covered [equivalent to one week’s contract]
- — Support for costume production [Atelier Varia]
- — Several project support and monitoring meetings with the Artistic Directors of the two performing arts centres, to be arranged according to requirements and needs
- — A programme of 4 to 8 performances at Théâtre Varia in autumn 2027 and a revival of the show at UP FESTIVAL in March 2028
- — A co-production contribution of €20,000.00 [excluding performance rights]
- — Participation in pitching sessions for new creations before a panel of potential international partners [24, 25 & 26 March 2026 as part of FOCUS PROS organised during the UP Festival]
- — Spotlight on the show throughout the creative process Support for the show’s distribution [by the UP – Circus & Performing Arts team]
Furthermore, the Company / Artist will, for its part, do everything possible to supplement the production resources allocated to the successful completion of the Project: submission of a grant application / project funding request to the Commission des Arts Vivants, active search for co-productions or support in the form of services from other Belgian and/or international partners, access to the Tax Shelter, support for International Residencies [WBI], etc.
Eligibility criteria:
- — ‘Large-scale’ project;
- — A team comprising at least 4 performing artists, including at least 2 circus artists
- — The project submitted must demonstrate a commitment to exploring new dramaturgical approaches and orchestrating the fusion of languages and aesthetics to transport our imaginations to constantly reinvented realms of the sensory
This Call for Projects is open to artists and companies:
- — at least one of the project leaders must have a background in professional circus arts
- — based in the Wallonia-Brussels Federation
- — having produced, created and staged at least two professional shows over the last ten years
- — with a creative schedule compatible with the periods of Residencies & Performances set out in this Call for Projects
To be submitted with the application:
- — A brief creative dossier containing a statement of intent explaining how the project fits into the Project Leader’s career path and/or that of the company, as well as the specific motivation driving them to respond to this Call for Projects
- — A brief presentation of the last two professional productions created and staged by the Artist/Company, including, where available, two press extracts or reviews of these productions
- — A presentation of the proposed artistic and technical teams, their roles and responsibilities, as well as their involvement in the process
- — The provisional production schedule
- — A note explaining the motivations and expectations regarding the proposed support process
Timetable:
- — Launch of the Call for Applications: 20 October 2025
- — Closing date for the Call for Projects & submission of applications: 14 December 2025 by midnight at the latest
- — Partners to announce decisions during the week of 19 January 2026
Need more info?
Send an email to cmagis@upupup.be and/or info@varia..be
Subject line: “CALL FOR PROJECTS: INTERDISCIPLINARY CIRCUS + Artist’s Name / Company Name”
Applications must be submitted via this link only
More info on the previous winning project: CHWALLOW by Julien Fournier - Habeas Corpus / Supported Residency in Co-production