The circusnext Platform open call for the 2027 edition is now closed.
We thank the 146 artists who submitted their project to the 2027 call. All eligible projects will be contacted directly by the national/regional preselection committees by the end of May 2026.
The next call for projects will be open early 2027.
Please note that the call is in English only, as this is the working language throughout the entire selection process.
Financial support
Creation & touring opportunities
Labs & trainings
Communication support
European-scale networking
Emerging circus author, no age limit, from all disciplines
Creation in progress, no premiere before September 2027
With a 1st or 2nd creation in France, Belgium, the Netherlands
With a 1st, 2nd or 3rd creation in other Creative Europe countries and Switzerland
An online form to collect general information on the project and the authors
Required documents that will be uploaded through the online form:
Project presentation – template provided
10-minute video
Artistic dossier or creation material
Provisional creation calendar
Steps
Steps
Material
Material
Jury composition
Jury composition
Selected
Selected
Steps
Preselections
Material
Application and video
Jury composition
National and regional committees :
Platform Members
Local professionals and artists
Artistic jury members
Selected
~20 preselected projects
~20 Seeding lab projects
Steps
Selection of
Finalists
Material
Application and video
Jury composition
European jury :
Platform Members
Artistic jury members
Selected
10 Finalist projects
Steps
Selection of
Laureates
Material
15 to 20-min on-stage work-in-progress
Individual interview
Jury composition
Artistic jury members
Selected
4 Laureate projects
Authors
We define 'author' as someone who can develop a unique artistic signature, position themselves and their work within the field of circus arts, and demonstrate authorship of their work.
Developing long-lasting artistic innovation in circus
Embracing artistic risk-taking
To identify these innovative circus authors, the circusnext jury reviews the artistic projects submitted in response to an annual open call, using the same criteria throughout the entire selection process :
Uniqueness of the project
Dramaturgical interest, paying attention to :
Writing (content)
Composition (coherence)
How the work addresses the public
Quality of the performance
Note: The definition of these criteria is not limited to the above, which are provided for a better understanding. The Artistic Jury’s editorial (cf. Annex 3) gives further insight on what is valued.
Support type
Support type
Finalist
Supported from the Preselections to the Selection of Finalists
Finalist
Supported from the Preselections to the Selection of Finalists
Laureate
Supported for 1 year after the end of the Selection of Finalists
Laureate
Supported for 1 year after the end of the Selection of Finalists
Support type
Financial support
Finalist
Supported from the Preselections to the Selection of Finalists
€ 3,000 for each project
Laureate
Supported for 1 year after the end of the Selection of Finalists
€ 5,000 for each project
Support type
Creation & touring
Finalist
Supported from the Preselections to the Selection of Finalists
Creation residencies
1 laboratory mentored
by an experienced artist
Touring opportunities
Laureate
Supported for 1 year after the end of the Selection of Finalists
Creation residencies
Touring opportunities
Support type
Professional development
Finalist
Supported from the Preselections to the Selection of Finalists
Thematic online trainings and workshops
Laureate
Supported for 1 year after the end of the Selection of Finalists
Thematic online trainings and workshops
Support type
Communication
Finalist
Supported from the Preselections to the Selection of Finalists
Projects benefit from circusnext's communication channels: website, social media, artists' catalogue… and by extent, those of its partner venues. They will also be able to use the circusnext label.
Laureate
Supported for 1 year after the end of the Selection of Finalists
Projects benefit from circusnext's communication channels: website, social media, artists' catalogue… and by extent, those of its partner venues. They will also be able to use the circusnext label.
Support type
Networking
Finalist
Supported from the Preselections to the Selection of Finalists
Joining circusnext means connecting with a wide European network of cultural professionals and operators from the performing arts sector
Laureate
Supported for 1 year after the end of the Selection of Finalists
Joining circusnext means connecting with a wide European network of cultural professionals and operators from the performing arts sector
You must be the author(s) of the project (one or several authors).
As the project author(s), you make and assume the main artistic choices for the project.
Interpreters, composers, writers, etc. are not eligible unless they are co-authors.
You are professionally emerging. Emergence is envisaged as a level of professional recognition, not related to age.
You must be 18 years old minimum.but there is no maximum age limit.
Even if renowned in your country, if you are not yet recognized on a European level, you can apply.
You should not be enrolled in a circus school starting of July 2026. However, you should not necessarily be a circus school graduate.
You should not have previously been selected as a circusnext Laureate or Finalist. Pre-selected projects may reapply the following edition.
You must be resident in either one of the Creative Europe countries as listed below, or in Switzerland.
The project must be a contemporary circus creation.
It must be in the creation phase, requiring residencies and presentations before its premiere.
You can apply with your 1st or 2nd creation if you are based in France, Belgium or the Netherlands, and with your 3rd creation if you are based in any other eligible country. Self-financed and self-produced works excluded from this count.
It should not premiere before the Selection of Laureates (September 2027 – exact dates to be confirmed).
It can be of any format (solo, duo, group…), length and discipline. Only acts are not eligible.
The country selected in the application form must be where the production is based.
European Union countries: Germany, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Croatia, Denmark, Spain, Estonia, Finland, France, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Poland, Portugal, Czech Republic, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Sweden, and the Netherlands.
Other countries participating in Creative Europe: Albania, Armenia, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Georgia, Iceland, Kosovo, Liechtenstein, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Norway, Serbia, Tunisia, Ukraine.
When applying, you commit to stay available for the following periods of time :
The 2 Finalist labs (if you are selected as a Finalist, you will be able to attend one of the two labs; the distribution will be done at a later stage):
Tollhaus (Karlsruhe, Germany) from March 25 to April 4, 2027
Perplx (Kortrijk, Belgium) from December 10 to 19, 2026
The Selection of Laureates in Paris, 1 week in September 2027 (exact dates to be confirmed)
The Revelations in Paris (Autumn 2027, exact dates to be confirmed), and Revelations on tour (Autumn-Winter 2027, dates and location to be confirmed)
Note: the Revelations are the public presentations of the 4 Laureates' projects.