Join us as we gather for a day of exchange and networking and shape the future of advocacy and education in UK contemporary circus.

Energised by this festival’s theme of radical care, from individual wellbeing to social justice, we invite you to a day where we take an ecosystem approach. An opportunity for organisations and freelancers and all those in between, to come together and take the sector’s temperature, meet new faces and share challenges, frustrations, successes and ideas.

Tickets are free and lunch will be provided. The day will be led by facilitator Orit Azaz.

• The conference will include:
• Networking time
• A session that asks how circus education is serving the sector, led by Circomedia
• An Open Space to discuss topics raised by those in the room
• A presentation and consultation session with the National Centre for Circus Arts exploring their vision for leading the UK’s circus sector support organisation.

NEWLY ANNOUNCED FULL SCHEDULE

Sat 11th October 2025 10-4pm Circomedia, with move to Artist Residence after lunch

9:30am Coffee and arrivals at Circomedia

10am – 10:30 Welcome and intros who’s in the room – set topics for open
space, based on suggestions in advance

10:30 -11:45 What does the industry need in terms of circus education?
with Circomedia and National Centre for Circus Arts

11:45-12:05 Break

12:05 – 12:40 Open space session 1

12:40–12:45 Changeover / move groups

12:45-1:20 Open space session 2

Lunch 1:20-2:30 at Circomedia (with move to Artist Residence for last session)

2:30-3:40 Circus Change Up What Next – how can we work together to
support the UK circus community? with National Centre for Circus Arts

3:40-4pm Closing moment

You can read more about the back story of Circus Change-Up below.

Circus Change-Up was a grassroots UK sector-development initiative, facilitated by Kate Webb and born of the findings of the 2020 Circus Snapshot and Slow Thinking events, commissioned by Crying Out Loud and funded by Arts Council England. It convened working groups across key themes, including resource sharing, touring, creative development, inclusion, youth circus, and advocacy, with the expressed aim of designing a coherent, practitioner-led sector support organisation and building collaborative infrastructure for the future. Circus Change up came to the end of its funding in 2023, culminating in a closing conference at Circus City 2023 and a report that you can read here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1pY3dEyaE412VwQkqNOQOgpwSkmE4D0_P/view

Event Info: 

This event was part of Circus City 2025 and took place on Saturday 11th October

Venue: Circomedia

This event was free to attend

Image Credit: Paul Blakemore