The international academic “Circus Buildings in Europe” conference is an official opening of the XIV. Budapest International Circus Festival. The focus of the conference will be the establishment, survival, transformation, functional change, destruction and renewal of European circus buildings both under research and pending, documents will also be discussed.
10:00 Exhibition opening
Welcome speech of Mr. Péter Fekete Minister of State for Culture and chairman of the Budapest International Circus Festival’s organizing committee
Lkhagva Ochir chair balancing (Mongolia)
Opening speech by Dr. Kornél Almássy, Director of the Museum of Hungarian Architecture
11:00 Conference opening
Welcome speech of Mr. Péter Fekete Minister of State for Culture and chairman of the Budapest International Circus Festival’s organizing committee
Welcome speech of Mr. Dr. Alain Frére,co-founder and art consultant of the Monte Carlo International Circus Festival
11:10 (ZOOM) Mr. Pascal Jacob, author, collector, circus historian (France):
History, heritage, future
11:45 Mr. Dr. Steve Ward, social historian, author (United Kingdom):
Opulence and Ostentation; the age of the nineteenth century circus building in the UK
12:10 Mr. Dragomir Draganov, TV journalist (Bulgaria):
Memories of Sofia state circus building
12:40 Mr. Dr. Alain Frére art consultant, circus researcher (Monaco):
The foundation of the Monte Carlo International Circus Festival
13:10 - 14:00 Lunch break
14:00 Mr. Dominique Denis , 2 Worlds art director and Mr. Jean Arnaud, Circus Promotion Agency director (France):
Introduction of European stone circuses
14:35 Mr. Gilles Maignant, researcher, collector, circus museum director (France):
A glimpse at French stone circuses though collectibles
15:10 Mr. Chris Barltrop, circus ringmaster, consultant, historian, author, performer (United Kingdom):
Circus buildings in Great Britain
15:45 (ZOOM) Mr. Paul Bouissac, professor emeritus (Canada):
When circus entered history: embedding dreams in stone and iron
16:15-16:45 Coffee break
16:45 Ms. Fanni Farkas, architect (Hungary):
Historical buildings and models of the Capital Circus of Budapest
17:10 Ms. Anna Klára Andor, cultural heritage studies professional, PhD student (Hungary):
History of the buildings of the Capital Circus of Budapest
17:25 Mr. Mihály Szécsényi, archivist, historian (Hungary):
The shorty story of the buildings of the Capital Circus of Budapest: 1889-2021
17:50 - 18:50 Concluding banquet
The conference will be accompanied by a circus arts and architectural history exhibition to be held at the Museum of Fine Arts on 11th January 2022. It will showcase the history of European circus buildings, present the historical periods of the Capital Circus of Budapest building via models and archival documents. Examples of circus building designs by architecture students as well as other circus-related artworks will also be exhibited.
On the conference English, French and Hungarian interpreters will be provided.
The conference can be visited by anyone. Registration in advance is not necessary.
We look forward to seeing you all,
Mr. Peter Fekete, Minister of State Culture of Hungary
Chairman of the Organizing Committee of the Budapest International Circus Festival,
Ms. Dr. Beáta Borsós, Director of the Budapest Capital Circus.
The conference organizers:
Ms. Emese Joó, Manager of the Museum of Hungarian Circus Arts,
Ms. Ancsa Könyöt, Schneller Circus artist and international representative,
Ms. Susy Eötvös, Circus artist and international referent,
Mr. David Könyöt Circus artist, museum researcher and the conference moderator.
