II - Limits by Cirkus Cirkör
THOSE WHO MAKE IT HAPPENS
In 2015 Cirkus Cirkör celebrated its 20th anniversary of crossing boundaries! Under the artistic leadership of Tilde Björfors, Cirkus Cirkör has consistently explored and defied limits through performances and research projects, as well as through the interactions of circus and society, audiences and participants. In light of Europe's ever-tightening boundaries against the world beyond its borders, and the consequences that closed borders bring in their wake, Cirkus Cirkör's voice as an advocate for crossing boundaries has grown stronger.
After seeing Cirkör's 2015 production ”Borders”, the Swedish daily Dagens Nyheter's reviewer proclaimed Cirkus Cirkör the creator of a new genre: contemporary circus activism. In the new production, Limits, the work and questions continue:
Are limits real or imaginary? Are they a dead end, or a motivation to search for new paths?
Someone has drawn up lines and divided the world into various delimited areas. We build fences around our gardens, walls, barricades, place armed soldiers around our countries. But human beings have never wanted to stay in one and the same place.
In classic Cirkus Cirkör style, Limits will turn perspectives on their heads. With energy, a focus on what is possible and cocky commitment a world of fleeing, migration and new frontiers is balanced against the artists' individual limits in terms of risk, pain, the limitations of the group and of the body. Stepping over boundaries is hard without moments of chaos and disorder, but the state of today's world demands new approaches!
Limits is conceived and directed Tilde Björfors, Cirkus Cirkör's founder and artistic director, who is also the director behind most of Cirkus Cirkör's major successes such as Borders, Knitting Peace, Wear it like a crown and Inside out. Besides being at the helm of Cirkus Cirkör, Tilde has held a professorship at the School of Dance and Circus in Stockholm, where she presented the research project Circus as a transgressor in art and society.
Limits’ ensemble has worked across boundaries as co-creators of the production.
Sarah Lett – Acrobatics
Einar Kling-Odencrants / Oscar Karlsson – Acrobatics and teeterboard
Anton Graaf / Nilas Kronlid – Acrobatics and teeterboard
Saara Ahola – Acrobatics, aerial acrobatic and vocals
EnsembleroueSamuel Andersson / Thea Åslund –
Peter Åberg – Acrobatics, juggling and vocals
cyrMusiciansand
Creative team
Director and concept: Tilde Björfors
Text: Tilde Björfors, the ensemble, Nadia Ben Belgacem, Arash Dehvari, Kajsa Bohlin, Tatiana-Mosio Bongonga, Qutaiba Aldahwa, Javid Heidari
Composer: Samuel ”Looptok” Andersson
Set design: Fanny Senocq, Stefan ”Drake” Karlström, Joel Jedström, Tilde Björfors
Costume design: Jonna Bergelin
Video scenography/projections: Johannes Ferm Winkler, TomWaldton and Per Rydnert/Visual Relief
Lighting design: Fredrik Ekström
Sound technician: Fredrik ”Börje” Danielsson
Voice-over: Qutaiba Aldahwa,Javid Heidari
Choreography: Olle Strandberg
Make up design: Madelene Söderblom
Costume production: Hilda Junker, Jonna Bergelin, Emilia Esping
Constructions: Joel Jedström
Assistant director: Maria Wallin, with support of Alexander Weibel Weibel
Assistant set and costume design: Emilia Esping
Filmed material: Malin Nicander, BLAM Ateliers, Visual Relief
Researcher: Pinja Lehtonen
Artistic coach: Alexander Weibel Weibel
Vocal coach/ vocal arrangements: Maja Långbacka
Sound/video: Joakim Björklund
Stage/truss: Kasper Holm
Lights: Fredrik Ekström /Casper Wijlhuizen
Tour manager: Irene Ramilli
Technical manager: Stefan ”Drake” Karlström
Production managers: Amy Fee, Sara de Vylder
Limits was partly developed in residence at The Watermill Center, USA – a laboratory for performance – during the fall of 2015, as well as in residence at Västmanland's Teater in the spring of 2016.
Limits is a co-production with Archaos, Pôle National des Arts du Cirque Méditerranée. Limits is the sequel to Borders, performed at Malmö City Theatre in May and June, 2015.
