Application criteria for w/ co-production 2028

Please read the information below carefully before applying

Cirko together with international partners have formed a co-production network called w/ (pronounced with), which co-produces one performance per year. The network’s 3rd co-production chosen from this open call is scheduled to premiere at Cirko in March 2028.

The w/ co-production network is looking for a contemporary circus project that is artistically ambitious, internationally relevant and suitable for a creation process involving several European partner venues. The selected project will be developed in dialogue with the network and is expected to have strong potential for international touring after the premiere.

Read below what the network offers to you and expects from you. If your company or the performance does not meet these criteria, please consider sending your application through Cirko’s annual programme call for 2028.

APPLICATION LINK

When can you apply? 

June 15 – August 10, 2026 until 10am EEST (UTC+3).

The selected co-production project will be chosen on November 3, 2026.

Who can apply?

For the 2026 application round for the w/ co-production premiering in March 2028, the applying company must be registered in Finland. The company can have artists both from Finland and abroad.

What does the w/ network offer?

The selected company can expect support from the w/ co-production network during the creation, premiere and dissemination of the work. The exact offer will be confirmed with the selected company in a co-production kick-off meeting after the selection.

The network can offer the selected project approximately 4-8 weeks of residencies at Cirko and network partners’ venues in Europe during 2027–2028 and 15.000-20.000 € of direct financial support.

Cirko, together with the network partners, will disseminate the co-production. Yes Person by Based on Kimberly, the first co-production premiered in January 2026, currently has 44 confirmed performances for 2026.

The combined commission of the co-production and dissemination for Cirko and the network is 20-25% of each performance fee. The aim for Cirko and the network is to operate a socially and economically viable co-production and touring model. To put it simply, the artists need to get paid enough and the income of the touring has to cover the expenses of the co-production.

The production timeline, residency periods, financial conditions, dissemination model and communication practices between the company, Cirko and the w/ network will be gone through in detail in the kick-off meeting.

What kind of project can you apply with?

We are looking for culturally curious and internationally oriented circus makers with sustainable working practices and a collaborative approach. By cultural curiosity, we mean an interest in working across different local contexts, audiences, partner organisations and artistic cultures.

The co-produced contemporary circus performance should have strong artistic ambition, expression, and be physically skillful. The artists should understand the context and relevance of the performance and be able to communicate it.

We are looking for a diversity of background, age, gender and artistic practices.

The proposed project can be at an early concept or development stage, but the company must be able to clearly articulate the artistic intention, central questions, working methods, intended scale and touring potential of the project.

The company should be interested and capable of inventing and managing other community activities, such as workshops, artist talks or local encounters, during the creation process and the tour to create a larger social impact in the partners’ communities. The artists should also be prepared to present and discuss the project with local presenters and industry professionals during residencies, pitch events and other networking opportunities.

The company has clear and effective decision-making models and communication skills. Because the co-production process involves several international partners, the selected company must be able to share updated production information and participate in joint planning throughout the process.

The performance should appeal to and connect with a large variety of audiences, and should not rely on verbal language.

The performance should be designed with flexibility and scalability in mind, so that it can be adapted to as wide a variety of venues as possible. The performance has a minimal set-up time.

At the application stage, we do not expect finalised technical specifications. However, applicants should be able to describe the intended scale and any known touring considerations as clearly as possible.

Criteria for the chosen co-production

In addition to the above, these are the criteria for the chosen co-production:

• Minimum two people on stage
• The project should not have any other confirmed co-production parties outside the w/ network at the time of application
• Can commit to production residencies happening in w/ partner venues in Europe during 2027–2028
• Can commit to premiering at Cirko in March 2028
• Can commit to a co-production kick-off meeting with Cirko and the w/ network after the selection

The w/ network aims to support not only the creation and premiere of the work, but also its longer life through touring and dissemination.

Questions

If you have any questions about the call, application form or sending attachments, please contact jarkko.lehmus@cirko.fi by email. Please note that the open call is organized during Cirko’s summer vacation period, so answers to questions may be delayed. Emails are checked once a week.

APPLICATION LINK