Organizer Information
AY-ROOP is a contemporary circus-focused cultural structure founded in 2025 and based in Rennes Métropole, France. It is accredited as a “Scène de territoire cirque” in Brittany, positioning it as a recognized regional hub for circus creation, research, and dissemination.
Through its operational site “Le Milieu” in Saint-Jacques-de-la-Lande, AY-ROOP develops a hybrid artistic infrastructure that combines performance space, rehearsal studios, construction workshops, accommodation, and communal facilities. The organization’s mission extends beyond presentation of works: it actively supports experimentation, interdisciplinary research, and strong territorial engagement with local communities and cultural actors.
A key aspect of AY-ROOP’s institutional identity is its commitment to contemporary issues in the arts sector, particularly inclusion, cultural rights, and ecological transition. These priorities directly inform its programming and residency formats, including its participation in European mobility initiatives such as Culture Moves Europe.
Title & Description
The New Circus Factory – Reuse: (Re)making for Circus (Culture Moves Europe Residency, Nov–Dec 2026)
This open call invites three circus artists and/or scenographers/builders to participate in a 21-day research residency at Le Milieu, as part of the European mobility framework Culture Moves Europe. The residency will take place in December 2026 and will focus on experimental approaches to reuse and sustainable scenography in contemporary circus practices.
The central concept is to treat everyday discarded or accessible materials—such as cardboard, plastics, lightweight metals, textiles, reclaimed wood, and bicycle components—as creative resources for building circus-related objects. These may include scenographic structures, props, small apparatuses for juggling or acrobatics, and ground-based balancing systems.
A defining principle of the residency is non-travelability: created objects are not intended to be transported internationally but instead to be recreated locally in each artist’s home context using available materials. This shifts the emphasis from object permanence to transferable methodologies, encouraging sustainable artistic practices and localized production systems.
The residency functions as a laboratory for testing, prototyping, and documenting processes of making within circus disciplines, supported by mentorship and access to specialized infrastructure.
Categories
- Contemporary Circus
- Scenography / Set Design
- Performance Design & Construction
- Visual & Material Arts (Recycling / Reuse Practices)
- Installation / Object-Based Performance
- Interdisciplinary Performing Arts
- Sustainable / Ecological Art Practices
Eligibility
- Open to international applicants residing in countries participating in the Creative Europe programme (excluding France and French overseas territories).
- Individual artists or collectives (maximum 3 persons per group).
- Circus artists with an interest in construction, scenography, or DIY fabrication.
- Set designers or builders working within circus or performance contexts.
- Applicants may be emerging or established professionals; no formal educational requirement.
- Must be 18 years or older (no upper age limit).
- Must be available for the full residency period (28 November – 18 December 2026).
- Working language: English.
- Accessibility: open to artists with disabilities and those requiring accessibility support.
- Safety requirement: all experimentation is conducted at ground level (no aerial rigging or height-based apparatus).
Program Benefits & Awards
- €900 stipend per participant
- Travel cost reimbursement (flat-rate system via Culture Moves Europe)
- Additional mobility supplements (green travel, visa costs, dependents, accessibility needs)
- Full accommodation in individual rooms at Le Milieu
- Daily lunch (Tuesday–Friday) at the onsite canteen
- Access to shared kitchen facilities
- Fully equipped construction workshop with safety documentation
- Rehearsal stage and circus tent with technical specifications
- Technical support during residency
- Curated access to local reuse-sector networks in Rennes Métropole
- Mentorship by two professionals: a reuse specialist and a performing arts expert
- Public sharing opportunities, presentations, and documentation outputs
Application Fee
None
Application Requirements
Applications must be submitted as a single PDF file (with optional links) including:
- Biography / CV (max 1 page)
- Portfolio (max 5 pages or video links)
- Letter of intent (max 1 page), addressing:
- Interest in reuse within circus practices
- Proposed research direction (materials, apparatus, scenography, methods)
- Expected contribution and shared value
- Proof of legal residence in an eligible country
How to Apply?
Applications must be sent via email: residence@ay-roop.com
Subject line: Open Call CME – Name Surname
Key Dates
- Application Deadline: 03 July 2026
- Selection results announced: 13 July 2026
- Residency period: 28 November – 18 December 2026
Location
Le Milieu, Saint-Jacques-de-la-Lande (Rennes Métropole), France
Additional Details
The residency emphasizes experimentation over production outcomes, prioritizing process-based research and documentation. Artists are expected to engage with local reuse ecosystems, interact with regional actors, and contribute to knowledge exchange on sustainable making practices in circus.
A strong focus is placed on safety, particularly due to the construction-based nature of the residency. All work is restricted to ground-level experimentation, and participants are expected to demonstrate attentiveness to technical safety protocols.
The program also encourages documentation and knowledge transfer, suggesting that outcomes should be shareable across different geographic contexts through replicable methods rather than transportable objects.
The residency is embedded within a broader European cultural cooperation framework, strengthening cross-border artistic exchange in contemporary circus practices.