In October 2025 we selected Jean-Daniel Broussé, to receive our New Authors commission for his new project [Insert Here] “a lecture-performance exploring the history, stigma, and cultural weight of sodomy. Drawing on theory, lived experience and movement, the piece gives form to the hidden, turning shame into language, and taboo into connection”.
Since then we have been keeping up with the project as it develops in to a full show destined to return to us at Circus City 2027. Following receipt of his New Authors Commission Jean-Daniel Broussé has been successful in securing Arts Council investment which has supported him to expand the team and begin his next steps in creation as well as identify a host of international partners. All of this is testament to the innovation, creativity and sensitivity Jean-Daniel Broussé demonstrated at the early stages of this project that attracted the network to select his proposal. We are excited to see it coming together and caught up with him to find out how things were progressing:
“Receiving the Circus City New Author Commission came at a pivotal moment in the development of [Insert Here]. Beyond the financial support, the commission gave me something equally valuable: time, confidence and legitimacy to test an ambitious new idea.
The initial R&D, allowed me to work closely with director and dramaturg Rishi Trikha and choreographer Anna-Kay Gale to investigate the relationship between lecture-performance and physical circus practice. That week fundamentally shaped the direction of the project. It helped me realise what direction we wanted to go with the lecture and how to use the body itself as a site of investigation.
Just as importantly, being selected as the New Author Commission recipient gave the project visibility and credibility within the sector. Having Circus City champion the work made conversations with venues, partners and funders significantly easier. It demonstrated that the project had already been recognised by respected industry professionals and gave others the confidence to invest in its future. That has been a key element for the future of the show in the UK but also internationally.
Since receiving the commission, the project has grown considerably. In addition to the New Authors network partners, we have now developed relationships with international organisations including Actoral (Marseille), La Ménagerie de Verre (Paris) and Les Halles de Schaerbeek (Brussels), who are supporting the project through additional residencies, artistic exchange and future presentations.
The project itself has evolved significantly. What began as a solo performance has become a collaborative creation with performer and writer Bryony Byrne, expanding the work’s theatrical language and opening new possibilities for audience interaction, humour and collective participation.
Looking back, the Circus City commission has been the foundation that enabled the project to grow from an early idea into a fully supported international production. I am incredibly grateful that Circus City chose to invest in the project at such an early stage, and I genuinely believe that many of the opportunities that followed stem directly from that initial vote of confidence.”
To follow Jean-Daniel Broussé on his journey with [Insert Here] as it develops visit Yellow Everything
About New Authors:
Launched in 2023, New Authors is a co-commissioning and touring network led by Circus City, in partnership with Cirkus Syd, Crying Out Loud, Jacksons Lane, Lakeside Arts, Take Art, Lowry and Worthing Theatres and Museum. The 2025 edition was supported by Arts Council England, West of England Combined Authority and The Garrick Charitable Trust.
Photography Credit: Anna Barclay