Modernism.ro was invited by the Sibiu International Theatre Festival to engage in conversation with experts in street arts and contemporary circus. The interview took place at Teatrul Gong Sibiu, with Dan Bartha-Lazar (curator & coordinator of outdoor events, Sibiu International Theatre Festival; local coordinator for the Circostrada AGM), Telma Luís (project manager, Imaginarius – International Street Theatre Festival, Santa Maria da Feira, Portugal; Steering Committee member of Circostrada) and Oana Nasui (cultural researcher, Modernism.ro).
Circostrada — what it is and how it works
Circostrada is the leading European network supporting street arts and contemporary circus, funded by Creative Europe and coordinated by ARCENA (supported by the French Ministry of Culture). With over 150 members across 45 countries, it operates beyond Europe — Japan, South Africa, Mexico. Its main pillars are: advocacy for the recognition of street arts, knowledge production and sectoral data, and the organisation of annual member meetings (AGM).
AGM Sibiu — context and significance
The Sibiu Annual General Meeting (AGM) is hosted by the Sibiu International Theatre Festival, Romania’s only Circostrada member. Dan Bartha-Lazar initiated the bid after his first AGM in Split (2023), securing the hosting within two to three years. The AGM runs over two to three days and plays a democratic role within the network: members are actively involved, and the board collects information and needs from each local context. Publications launched on the occasion include a sectoral mapping of Romania’s street arts ecosystem (NGOs, public institutions, festivals, residencies, artistic venues), a policy brief and a touring guide — all available online.
Artistic selection at the Sibiu International Theatre Festival
Dan describes the process as a combination of fieldwork (visits to international festivals, including FiraTarrega) and reciprocal exchange with other programmers — a concrete example being the show by Txema Muñoz, recommended by a director at Gong, seen live at FiraTarrega and subsequently programmed in Huet Square. Telma notes that selection involves building a portfolio over time, with ideas kept “in the drawer” until audiences and the political context are ready to receive them. Oana underlines the importance of travelling abroad for programmers and notes that she follows international festival programmes — including Imaginarius — precisely to understand which shows fit where and when.
Outdoor audiences — research and relationship
All three speak about the difficulty of measuring outdoor audiences (no tickets, people show up spontaneously). The Sibiu International Theatre Festival has conducted surveys; Imaginarius carried out research on arts and wellbeing, finding that audiences come primarily for human connection and transformative cultural experience, not entertainment. Dan attends every performance to observe audience reactions as direct empirical research.
Cultural policy and advocacy
Telma gives the example of Portugal, where hosting a Circostrada programme (Fresh, now approximately ten years ago) led to the official recognition of circus and street arts as an artistic discipline and to access to public funding. Dan announces the first university degree in circus arts at the University of Physical Education in Bucharest, after 25 years of advocacy — a significant milestone. Oana adds the European dimension: Culture Action Europe — one of her key reference networks — works across multiple levels of advocacy, focusing on making the sector’s needs visible and building shared arguments for funders and policymakers.
Independent vs. public sector in Romania
In Romania there is a real tension between publicly funded festivals (such as the Sibiu International Theatre Festival) and the independent sector, which perceives an inequality of resources. Dan acknowledges this dynamic — and notes that Oana is well acquainted with it through her work with the independent sector. The Sibiu International Theatre Festival launched for the first time an open call for independent Romanian artists; three shows were selected, and those not selected were invited to the “Romanian Voices” session. The stated aim: creating a framework for networking and collaboration between public and independent, with the festival as a facilitating space — not the initiator of a political movement, but a catalyst. Telma adds the example of Germany and other countries where united sectoral networks have achieved governmental recognition and funding.
Imaginarius — 25 years and the imaginary generation
Telma describes the festival, founded in 2001, as a long-term urban transformation project: children who grew up watching international street theatre companies perform in their town went on to study arts and are now applying for creation and presentation grants within the same festival. She calls them the “imaginary generation” — living proof that cultural transformation works over time.
The conversation closes with a shared call for cross-border collaboration and for understanding networks as instruments of collective power.
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The Sibiu International Theatre Festival, Romania goes beyond being a celebration of the arts — it blends theatre, dance, circus, film, musical, opera, books, conferences, exhibitions, performances, music and street shows, transforming the city of Sibiu for ten days into an enormous stage.
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