The first guest performance was held at the Riga Circus Arena, equipped with spectator stands – a production of the same name by the world-famous musical bicycle acrobatic troupe La Bande à Tyrex. The French bicycle acrobatic performances are also scheduled for March 22 and 23.
The arena's opening events will continue until April 1, when the world-famous Australian acrobatic show Humans 2.0 will be performed at the circus. The opening program includes not only circus guest performances, but also various events for international circus and other professionals. On March 22, the international architecture conference “Newborn Circuses” will take place, and this week in Riga, representatives of the Baltic-Nordic Circus Network will meet, and stage industry professionals will be introduced to the latest performances by Baltic circus artists.
Thanks to the renovation and technical upgrades, the Riga Circus has become one of the most suitable buildings for circus performances in Northern Europe. The circus arena is now equipped with transformable spectator stands that can accommodate up to 700 spectators in a full circle layout, as well as lighting, sound and acoustic curtain systems and other equipment necessary for high-quality performances. The arena equipment project was implemented thanks to co-financing from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and funding from the Ministry of Culture.
“The international opening of Riga Circus marks the circus as a cultural venue in Europe that is open and accessible to Latvian and international audiences and offers high-quality artistic performances. This is a place where you can enjoy contemporary circus art and the aesthetic reconstruction of the arena. I would like to wish that the other planned works – improvement of the territory, construction of a circus school and renovation of the facade – will also be successfully implemented in the coming years," says Minister of Culture Agnese Logina.
Māra Pāvula, director of the Riga Circus, talks about what has already been achieved in the development of the circus industry: "A lot has been done in recent years. A circus school has been established, wonderful performances have been staged, work has begun on organizing the circus archives, a book on the history of the circus has been published, countless international projects have been carried out, performances by local artists have been created and, of course, much has been done to renovate and develop the building. However, there is still a long way to go in the future to ensure that we also have space for training and creating performances. We are particularly hopeful about the development of the circus school at the higher education level, so that one day circus will become Latvia's most exported art form.
Mārtiņš Ķibers, Creative Director of Riga Circus, outlines the highlights of the opening season: "When planning the program, we always think about how to make the audience feel the magic of the circus – enjoyable sound, comfortable seating, and the opportunity to experience something new. This season will feature performances for children and families, as well as various more experimental productions. Thanks to our collaboration with the French Institute, the main focus of the season will be on France, the birthplace of contemporary circus – as part of the annual circus festival “Re Riga!”, which will take place from August 13 to 17 this year, and in the fall, several circus performances from France will be shown. At the end of the year, we plan to continue the Christmas tree tradition and invite families to a circus-theater performance, which we will create in collaboration with the theater troupe Kvadrifrons.
The opening season program also includes an exhibition of historical posters and photographs entitled Metamorphoses of Fun – a journey through objects, texts, and photographs from more than 100 years of circus history to the more recent past.
Contextual information:
Thanks to the support of the Ministry of Culture, the Riga Circus Arena was equipped under the European Regional Development Fund's Operational Program "Growth and Employment" 5.5.1. specific support objective "To preserve, protect and develop significant cultural and natural heritage, as well as to develop related services" of the European Regional Development Fund's Operational Program "Growth and Employment" restoration and development of related infrastructure in the historic centre of Riga" within the framework of project 5.5.1.0/23/I/001 "Equipping “VSIA "Rīgas cirks" the arena and public spaces”.
Within the framework of the project, the historic building of the Riga Circus, which is recognized as an architectural monument of national importance, was equipped so that “VSIA Rīgas cirks” could fully restore the building's historic function – circus performances. Total project costs: EUR 1,871,455.70, of which EUR 1,243,789.00 was co-financed by the ERDF.
The reconstruction of the building was carried out with funding from the Ministry of Culture's energy efficiency promotion funding No. 4.2.1.2/18/I/062 – specific support objective "Promoting energy efficiency in public and residential buildings" of the operational program "Growth and Employment."
The circus building reconstruction project developed by the architectural firm NRJA (No Rules Just Architecture) also envisages other works in the future, including landscaping and the construction of a circus school building, as well as renovation of the outer facade of the Riga Circus (4 Merķeļa Street) , including the restoration of the historic staircase.
Information prepared by:
Zane Volkinšteine
Riga Circus Communications Project Manager
Tel.: +371 26403666
E-mail: zane.volkinsteine@cirks.lv
(Translated with the help of DeepL Translate)
