Go back Capacity building workshops for artists | Circus Education Conference 2026
Roots & Routs | Circus Education Conference 2026
Riga Circus will host the 3rd Riga International Circus Education Conference from April 15 to 17, 2026, within the framework of the FEDEC Spring Talks of the international network for professional circus education. The conference aims to bring together a wide range of performing arts professionals from Europe and the Baltic region — including representatives of formal and non-formal education, artists, curators, producers, and policymakers in education and cultural education, including from Latvia.
Strategic Thinking and Group Mentoring Practice for Artists: “Navigating uncertainty with purpose – how to build a sustainable artistic career in an uncertainfuture”
Workshop leader: Julia Asperska
When: April 15 15:30-18:30 & April 16 14:00–17:00
Where: Riga circus
For whom: circus and other performing arts professionals
This two-part mentoring session supports artists in developing a clearer sense of purpose, long-term vision, and practical strategies for building a sustainable career in uncertain times. Across two consecutive days, participants will reflect on how to make focused professional choices, set priorities, and recognise when to decline opportunities that do not align with their goals. The second part takes the form of group mentoring, using a structured discussion method for case studies and collective problem-solving. Participants will share current professional challenges, and selected cases will be explored together through guided discussion. The session concludes with a wrap-up focused on key insights, shared learning, and practical takeaways from the two days.
Julia Asperska is a performing arts curator, mentor, and coach working across the fields of art, leadership, and cross-sector collaboration. She holds a Master’s degree in Ethnolinguistics from Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań, has pursued postgraduate studies in art history and curating, and has completed advanced training in leadership, business coaching, and team coaching. Her professional experience includes roles at Key Performance, Something Great, Campo Abierto, and Internationale Tanzmesse NRW. She is currently active as a curator, mentor, and coach, and is the co-founder of KinetiQ Lab, a development studio connecting business, science, and art.
Circus directing workshop: “Crank The Heat: Making Circus on your own terms”
Workshop leader: Daniel Gulko
When: April 16, 10:00–13:00
Where: Riga circus
For whom: circus and physical makers, students
Methods to turbocharge the creative process and sharpen the artistic brain. This workshop is for circus artists and other physical makers looking to develop their own work and that of their companies. Through creative process tools, dramaturgical analysis, and the balance between freedom and necessary constraints, we will explore three phases of creation: generating material, exploration, and analytical editing. By understanding the demands of each phase, we can create more freedom within them. There are moments to play and moments to question the play; tools for composing and tools for reflecting on what we have made. We will look at concept and action, challenge established codes, define personal and collective vocabulary, and ask when to question and when to simply do the work. This will also be an active conversation about how we work, where we place our energy, and how to let the body think from its own innate knowledge.
Daniel Gulko is an author, teacher, director, choreographer, and clown, and the artistic director of the France-based radical circus company Cahin-Caha. Internationally recognised for his interdisciplinary approach, his work brings together circus, dance, theatre, visual arts, video, and literature. He has taught and led artistic research at numerous institutions across Europe, including Stockholm University of the Arts, CNAC, Codarts, and JAMU, and has directed a wide range of acclaimed productions internationally. Based in France since 1993, Gulko continues to create, tour, and mentor across the fields of experimental circus and contemporary performance.
