Circus and its Others V: The International Circus Conference arrives in India for its first Asian edition
From 15 - 19 January 2027, Circus and its Others (CaiO) will celebrate a historic milestone as the international conference takes place in Thrissur, Kerala, marking its first-ever edition in Asia. Hosted in collaboration with the International Festival of Theatre Schools (IFTS) and the School of Drama & Fine Arts at the University of Calicut, the fifth edition confirms the steady growth of one of the most important international conferences dedicated to circus research.
The fifth Circus and its Others conference is entitled Embracing flows and challenging genealogies: ruptures, remains, and resurrections in circus studies and practice. It will explore the disciplinary, historical, creative, and intellectual inheritances that shape our understanding and practice of circus.
CaiO V marks a historic move into the Global South, marking its first presence in Asia. Building on past successes in North and South America and Europe, this gathering explores circus as a continuously expanding network. CaiO seeks to evaluate how circus is entangled with global, local, and indigenous cultural practices, moving beyond traditional categories into a "pluriversal" future.
Founded in 2014, CaiO has developed into a vibrant international network of artists, researchers, cultural workers and students exploring contemporary circus through questions of difference, otherness and artistic exchange. Over the years, the conference has travelled from Montréal to Prague, adapted to an online edition during the pandemic, and gathered the community again in Bogotá, constantly expanding both its geographical reach and its intellectual horizons.
Choosing Kerala as the host for CaiO V is far more than a change of location. The conference continues its commitment to challenging Western-centred narratives by engaging with the histories, cultures and knowledge systems that have shaped the circus in different parts of the world, addressing its tensions, synergies and communities.
This edition turns its attention to the birthplace of modern Indian circus, where the legacy of Keeleri Kunjikannan's pioneering circus school continues to resonate within broader conversations about histories of colonialism, cultural exchange and contemporary performance.
The response to this year's call for papers reflects the growing international interest in these discussions. More than 100 participants from 31 countries across six continents will gather in Thrissur for five days of panels, workshops, keynote lectures, film screenings and hybrid artistic encounters, making this the largest edition in CaiO's history.
Around About Circus is proud to be one of the event's media partners.
To read more: Circus and Its Others at a Turning Point
Circus and Its Others V
In collaboration with: International Festival of Theatre Schools (IFTS), University of Calicut, Kerala, India; Dr Abhilash Pillai, Director, School of Drama & Fine Arts and Dean of the Faculty of Fine Arts.
Conference lead organisational team: Charles R. Batson, Karen Fricker, Aastha Gandhi.
Local organisation: Dr Abhilash Pillai, Aastha Gandhi, Prodosh Bhattacharya.
Circus and its Others leadership team: Charles R. Batson, Ilaria Bessone, Marco Antonio Coelho Bortoleto, Karen Fricker, Aastha Gandhi, Julieta Infantino, Jennifer Miller, Mathilde Perahia, Olga Lucia Sorzano, Veronika Štefanová, Ante Ursić, Gaia Vimercati, Tracy Zhang.
Media partner: Around About Circus
Publishing partner: CALS - Circus: Arts, Life and Sciences
University Partners: Brock University, Union College.