POL free 90 min Polish

About

n an era of clear-cut messages, the circus remains in the shadows—distant from the mainstream of mass culture. And yet, the circus has not only survived but continues to evolve, pushing the limits of both the body and the imagination. Few spectacles are as capable of not only reflecting reality but also transforming and redefining it. This ambiguity makes the circus impossible to ignore—whether from the perspective of the audience or researchers.

Why does the circus remain in the shadows? Why do we need the circus? What can we see in circus performances? And how can we talk about it?

We’ll explore these and other questions—about the history and present of the circus—together with Grzegorz Kondrasiuk and Sylwia Siedlecka, editors of “Opening. Circusiana 1,” a publication that has made waves in circus, academic, and theatre circles alike.

We want to open the public up to the circus—after all, it exists for the audience and thanks to the audience. As part of our discussion club, we invite you to share your Carnaval impressions, memories, and reflections on what you’ve seen during the shows—and what you’d still like to see.

We want to talk. Openly, about the circus.

Opening up to the circus. Carnaval Discussion Club.

Guests

Guests: Grzegorz Kondrasiuk, Sylwia Siedlecka
Moderator: Ivan Davydenko

About the Speakers

Grzegorz Kondrasiuk – Theatre scholar, playwright, and theatre critic. Assistant professor at the Department of Contemporary Polish Literature and Culture at Maria Curie-Skłodowska University in Lublin. Co-author of the book Scena Lublin and the originator and editor of collective monographs Circus in the World of Spectacles and the Circusiana series.

Sylwia Siedlecka – Writer and scholar of Central European and Balkan cultures. Author of, among others, the reportage collection Golden Sands (Czarne, 2019), the novel Fosa (W.A.B., 2015), and the short story collection Szczeniaki (W.A.B., 2010). She has authored and edited numerous academic publications. Together with Grzegorz Kondrasiuk, she co-edits the Circusiana series published by the Zbigniew Raszewski Theatre Institute in Warsaw. She heads the Department of Slavic Literatures and Cultures at the Institute of West and South Slavic Studies, University of Warsaw.

Ivan Davydenko – Poet and columnist. A regular contributor to Czas Kultury, where since 2024 he has run the column "The Corner of Divination and Exorcisms." He was a recipient of the Mayor of Lublin’s arts scholarship in 2019, 2020, and 2021.

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