With more than 50 circus arts schools, Belgium has a reputation as a go-to place for aspiring circus performers
Did you know that all street performers in Brussels must pass an audition with the city to qualify to occupy a piece of pavement and entertain us?
The competition is fierce as Belgium is home to more than 50 circus arts schools which attract aspiring circus artists from around the world.
The result for us living in Brussels is that we not only get great street theatre but also a number of free festivals featuring outstanding talent. This weekend is the 10th edition of Hopla! – a circus festival which takes over the old port area of Brussels – Sainte-Catherine, the Fishmarket and Beguinage.
Chloé Van Driessche of the department of culture at the City of Brussels told The Bulletin: “We do have a lot of circus artists in Brussels but also in Belgium and I think that that’s the main reason we have a circus festival in the capital.
“All these people want to show their talents, their different skills – we have tightrope walkers, Cyr wheels, acrobats, singers, dancers, all kinds of performances here in Brussels. A festival is the best way to show it all to the public, a free festival that also enters the city and shows the city in a way we are not used to.”
“Brussels and Belgium have always been a crossroads and that’s true for the theatre arts, this is the place. I call it Clowntown, because we’ve got clowns all over the place.”
Hopla! festival, until Sunday 10 April.