OPEN CALL FOR 

MUCH MORE SHOWCASE

Apply for MUCH Festival 2024 and compete for the More Grant! 


What is MUCH Festival? 

MUCH Festival emerged to support artists in the field of contemporary circus in Central and Eastern Europe. Our goal is to connect the scattered regional circus community in addition to building bridges between like-minded artists, professionals and festivals in the region. MUCH Festival 2024 will feature 3 full length circus shows, 3 work in progress presentations, 3 roundtable discussions and a competition of short format contemporary circus acts, called MUCH MORE Showcase. The competition will award the winners with the More Grant. 


What is the More Grant? 

The MUCH Festival will feature a showcase of circus acts of artists who are inspired to create longer format shows, but lack funding or professional support. A professional jury will select a project who receives More Grant: a year-long creation mentoring program with residencies, financial support, work-in-progress presentations, a premier on the subsequent MUCH festival as well as 6 shows at Sziget Festival 2025.




What is the MUCH More Showcase? 

It is a competition of circus acts on the Sunday of MUCH Festival. Circus artists can apply through the given form. Members of OneTwoMany will choose up to 12 projects to present a 3-8 minute act at the MUCH More Showcase, 28th of April 2024. The international jury will read the written applications beforehand and after watching the live presentations will choose one creation that will receive the More Grant.


Behind the Festival...

MUCH Festival and the More Grant program were dreamt up by the Budapest-based OneTwoMany Collective, a newly formed group of artists and cultural organizers. In collaboration with Trafó House of Contemporary Arts (HU) and Inspiral Circus Center (HU) and with international partners from the region such as Cirkusfera (SRB), Cirqueon (CZ) and Kejos (PL). The festival and grant are designed to become a yearly event of circus art in the region. 


Where and When? 

MUCH Festival will take place between April 26-28 2024, at Trafó House of Contemporary Arts in Budapest, Hungary. See the full program of the festival here


Deadline for application: 1 March 2024 23:59 CET


Who can apply? 

Any individual, duo or group/collective from Hungary, Central and Eastern Europe wishing to develop a contemporary circus show in 2024 - 2025 and is ready to present an act from it at the MUCH MORE Showcase on the 28th of April 2024.

  • eligible countries are Hungary, Serbia, Croatia, Slovenia, Bulgaria, Ukraine, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland, and Austria. 

  • 1-3 performers based in the countries given above

  • committed to creating min. 30 minutes long circus piece

  • no official circus qualification required

  • emerging artists: no more than 3 creations developed as authors


What can you apply with? 

To become one of the competitors of MUCH MORE Showcase, you can apply with a minimum 3 maximum 8 minute long circus act and a written proposal of the long-format concept that you wish to work on. The act must be in relation, possibly a scene of the work you plan to develop with the help of the More Grant.


Awards: 

The first prize of the festival is the More Grant, which will support the creation of a long-format show with: 


  • one year long professional mentoring by OneTwoMany collective 

  • a residency at Inspiral Circus Centre in Budapest during summer 2024

  • an opportunity to premier the ready show or a work in progress during MUCH 2025

  • a prize of 2.500.000 HUF to: 

  • support the creation 

  • perform at MUCH Festival 2025

  • perform 6 times at Sziget Festival 2025 at the open air stage at the Cirque du Sziget

The financial support will be given out in three installments until 20.08.2025 

Additional special prizes will also be given out to other competitors. 

Details to be confirmed later. 


Selection process: 

  1. round - members of OneTwoMany Collective will be curating the applications. They choose up to 12 projects to be presented at the Showcase

  2. round - MUCH MORE Showcase

  • who is the jury?

  • Veronika Gallyas - Hungarian Juggling Association & Inspiral Circus Center

  • József Kardos - Sziget Fesztivál

  • Marta Kuczynska - Kejos Production & Carneval Lublin, Poland

  • Milan Manić - Cirkusfera & Cirko Balkana, Serbia

  • Sarka Marsikova - Cirqueon & Cirkopolis, Czech Republic

  • what we will look for in the written proposals and presented acts 

  • expressive stage presence

  • technical excellence

  • high quality of circus skills

  • unique vision and authorship

  • realistic plans for the creation

  • relation to the written concept 



Application process: 

Applications can be submitted until 1 March 2024 at 23.59 CET through this form: https://forms.gle/sP3iT9BHYfjQQnus8.

Proposals may be submitted in English or Hungarian. 


What to include: 

  • Concept proposal for a contemporary circus show (between 2000 - 4000 characters with space). You may include pictures and other visual materials to help explain your vision.


Here are some guiding questions to help you articulate your thoughts:

1. What is the concept, guiding principle, story or topic of the creation?

2. What are the disciplines, techniques you wish to use?

3. Do you wish to create for open-air or indoor?

4. Do you have a scenical idea or a set-up for your show?

4. Will there be more collaborators?

5. What is the act you wish to showcase at MUCH and how is it connected to the creation?


  • Technical sheet of the applied short-format act which includes your needs for rigging, sound and lights

The venue for the MUCH MORE Showcase is Trafó House in Budapest. We will have professional riggers, sound and light technicians, stage hands for the showcase. Each act will have 30 minutes on the day of the showcase to set up and rehearse in the space with our crew. The Showcase is a 2 hour long cabaret with MCs and stage hands to create smooth transitions between competing acts. Please plan for a quick and easy set-up and break-down. 


  • Space - 12 x 12 meters and 7 meter height. There is a black backdrop and side curtains are available if needed.

  • Rigging - We will install 5 points with pulley systems at a 7-meter rigging height, connected to floor rigging points. If you wish to use those or need another type of rigging, please specify.

  • Lights - Our technician will make a plan from all your requests, please stay minimalistic.

  • Sound - Do you need music or a microphone? If you have music, please upload the track(s). Find the folder via the application form. 

  • What needs to be prepared before you enter the stage for your act? 

  • CV / Portfolio / Artist bio 

  • Link to a recording/video/teaser of the act 

  • Link to previous works, website, social media, or whatever else you want to show us 


Contact us for help! 

via email: one@twomany.org 

We are organizing an online info session to help you with the application on 17 February at 17:00 CET. Apply here to participate! 


Timeline of MUCH Festival and the More Grant 


  • 1 March 2024: Deadline for MUCH MORE Showcase

  • 15 March 2024:  Submission results 

  • 26-28 April 2024: MUCH Festival 

  • May 2024 - May 2025: Creation process (including mentoring by OneTwoMany Collective, residencies, finalization of show)

  • MUCH Festival 2025: premier of the new creation 

  • August 2025: 6 presentations at Sziget Festival




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