the company

The artistic core of the company lies in the interdisciplinarity of new/contemporary circus and contemporary dance. The appeal of this overlap lies not only in showing both genres side by side on stage.
On the one hand, the differences in artistic practice are particularly exciting. What does the creative process look like? What are the priorities? Which intentions are pursued and how, and which spaces for interpretation result from this?
On the other hand, the cultural-political situation of contemporary circus in Germany is a fundamental motivation for the company. In Germany, the recognition of circus as an equal art form is growing steadily, but despite the intensive efforts of various players, it is still difficult for artists to emancipate themselves from the entertainment sector and create independent artistic work. Especially as a group of more than three artists. There is a lack of financial security for artists and sustainable production conditions. Under these conditions, it is financially difficult to work with sound and/or lighting designers for a production. It is almost impossible to get a professional opinion or to put even the entire design of costumes and stage sets in professional hands. The conditions have a considerable influence on the contexts for which artworks are conceived and therefore also on the contexts in which they are seen and how they are received. This means that the discrepancy in cultural-political relevance and the associated unequal distribution of resources not only creates precarious working conditions for circus artists, but also limits the quality of the productions.
The Black Box Circus Company is trying to counteract this and aims to grow into a major player in the performing arts in Berlin and Germany.

The artists of the back then still independent collective have been working together since 2020. In 2022, with the support of the NPN - Stepping Out programme, work began on their debut piece CATOPTRIC and the collective became a company. In the same year, the production was presented as a work-in-progress at the Theater im Delphi and at various public venues in Berlin. Thanks to a funding from the Fonds Darstellende Künste, the play was completed in 2023 and celebrated its premiere at the Pfefferberg Theatre.