If the Kempentoren could speak
A writers' workshop on contemporary circus, organized by Circuspunt, Festival Circolo, This is not a circus/TENT, and Circusstad
Compagnie Alud, Funnel Vision in the Kempentoren at Festival Circolo 2023 © Jostijn Ligtvoet
How can objects tell stories? Usually, when speaking about objects in circus, we refer to the structures that host the performances or to objects used as props. We often think about technical elements, such as the height of a space, the floor, the rigging possibilities or the load that a structure can hold. We also talk in material terms of "what things are made of" and "how to use them in the best or most creative way". However, what if the objects had a voice and gained agency themselves? I asked myself: "What would the Kempentoren, the 37-meter-tall, iron, spiral-shaped tower in the middle of Spoorpark, in Tilburg, say?" Opened in 2019, it is usually a sight-seeing attraction for the city but last year, during Festival Circolo, the tower became the venue hosting Funnel Vision, by the two acrobats Seraphim Richter and Daniel Fernández López of Company Alud.
Read my imaginary piece on the website of Around About Circus!