“In this together” is the concept of a participatory circus show that at several points relies on the audience in order to happen at all. The basic intent is to extend the internal experiences of the artists to a wider public, to involve them close enough to let them experience the trust, focus and joy that is so intrinsic to our disciplines. This involves sharing some of the risk, in a controlled environment and researching collective responsibility.

Trust - Is the most fundamental building block of partner acrobatics and many other aspects of circus. By working very close and together with the audience we want to heighten the experience of the trust we have in each other and the equipment we use as well as show that it is possible to trust a group of people that you have never met, even with your life.
Communication - The longer we have worked together the more emphasis communication has taken in our practice and our shows. It is the basis for moving forward together and will be an intricate part of this performance. Finding minimal, optimal and interesting ways of communicating the possibilities of contribution, each member of the audience has.
Elation - To us and most every circus artist we have met,  there is nothing better to do than this. We want to share this joy as directly as we can and experience the feeling that we are “in this together”.

The project operates with a limited number of public sharing the space with the performers and optionally a bigger audience could be watching from the outside. The participants are actively contributing in reacting to questions, lighting the actions with the given lights and shaping the performance with their movement in space. The performers use the disciplines of partner acrobatics, counterweighted aerial hoop and harness work in a loosely choreographed way that leaves opportunities and invites interaction. Through a series of games and gradual buildup we arrive at the final scene, where the public is lifting and holding an aerialist through a counterweight system, thereby taking full responsibility for her life.

The project has been selected by the regional comitee of Circus Next in 2023. Supported by the National Cultural Fund and the Staféta Program

Authors, performers: Sophie Zoletnik, Lennart Paar

Live electronic music: Márton Csuzi

Costume: Anna Weszelovszky

Video: János Szabó, Viktor Nagy, Lennart Paar

Photos: Péter Nemesházi

Tickets: Trafó (jegy.hu)