Bogota to Host the International Circus Conference

Bogota will host the International Circus Conference, starting on February 28. This is the first time a Spanish-speaking country hosts this international event. The Colombian capital will experience the magic of the circus between February 28 and March 3, at the Delia Zapata Olivella National Center for the Arts and the Gabriel Garcia Marquez Cultural Center in downtown Bogota.

It will also host the fourth edition of the CaiO (Circus and its Others) International Circus Studies Conference, following its previous editions in Canada (2016), Czech Republic (2018) and the United States (2021). For this Colombian edition, Brazil, Canada and Mexico are the special guest countries at the event, which will be attended by more than ten international and fifty national companies and artists.

Achura Karpa

The event known as Achura Karpa aims to explore Latin American and indigenous influences in the circus field, while paying tribute to the native communities that reside in the Andean region, where this edition takes place. Achura Karpa fuses the Quechua terms “achuray”, which denotes the idea of sharing and meeting, and “karpa”, which refers to the space where words and games are shared under the same canopy.

More than a mere ephemeral manifestation of a festival, Achura Karpa seeks to attract the attention of new audiences and the main cultural centers of Colombia and Latin America to the circus, promoting the inclusion of this art form in their regular programming. This would contribute to the strengthening of job opportunities for artists, the development of markets and the expansion of circus offerings beyond the independent spaces managed by the circus community.

The theme chosen for the CaiO 2024 Conference is “the difference that makes the difference,” a phrase borrowed from Latin American scholar Ruben Gaztambide-Fernandez. This term describes 21st century society as an environment marked by intense encounters with diversity, thus inviting us to explore difference, inclusion and diversity through the circus.

International participation

In the 2024 edition to be held in Bogota, participation has been confirmed by delegates from Argentina, the United States, England, Italy, France, Sweden, Turkey, and Zambia, who will be involved in the production and development of the circus at an international level. This gathering serves as a unique opportunity to promote interconnection and collaboration in the circus field globally.

“We will not only have events for city residents and visitors to enjoy the circus in its various forms, but together with artists, academics, and the general public, we will explore the roots and identities of Latin American circus, understood from Amerindian ritual acrobatics with their spiritual and communal character. We aim to offer a broader perspective of the circus, arts, and today’s societies,” noted Olga Sorzano, director and founder of Artemotion, the organizer of the event in Bogota.

The Colombian audience will have access to diverse programming both indoors and outdoors, merging the ritual forms of Amerindian acrobatics and traditional circus with the solidarity work of social circus, the charm of the carnival, and the innovation of contemporary circus. This event serves as a platform to explore and highlight the cultural and social value of the circus in Latin America, offering opportunities for education, dissemination, and reflection on the variety of circus practices.

The dances of flight

The main representation of the first International Circus Conference and its knowledge, Achura Karpa, is carried out by the Voladores de Papantla, who perform a flight ritual associated with fertility symbolizing respect for nature and the spiritual universe.

This ritual, recognized as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, is performed by ethnic groups from Mexico and Central America, being known to a global audience thanks to the Totonacs from the Mexican state of Veracruz.

Although the Voladores are not traditionally considered part of the circus, their performance constitutes an act of Amerindian ritual acrobatics, which is why they will be special guests in the Achura Karpa program.

Their first presentation will take place during the opening of the Conference on February 28, where they will perform the Dance of the Guaguas, an act of sun worship. Summoned by the flute and the small drum of the front man, four dancers will spin clinging to the ends of the propeller blades, which will be installed in the Gabriel Garcia Marquez Cultural Center in Bogota.