Contemporary circus is a diverse and flourishing art form which stands out for the variety of its aesthetic vision. This variety is a reflection of its artists’ individual creativity as well as its ambition to tackle the issues that affect us as human beings and the era we live in. As a result, in this article we have decided to present an overview of creative circus arts in France, taking as our focus the themes shows address, rather than their formal similarities.

ARTCENA, National Centre for circus, dramatic and street arts, was born out of the alliance of the National Centre for Theatre and HorsLesMurs in 2016.

OVERVIEW Cyrille Planson writes about the tremendous changes that went through productions aimed at children and young audiences over the last century. Discover how France has become a leader in this artistic field, and enjoys international visibility and recognition in the matter.

OUTSIDE PERSPECTIVES As much as creative projects can alter a territory, they are in turn formed by their surroundings. The Mexican circus festival FiCHo grew out of a company, Les Cabaret Capricho, but also out of a city — Guadalajara. César Omar Barrios, one of the organisers, takes up the tale.