Recognition of Circus as Culture
Arie Oudenes
Advisor
Fédération Mondiale du Cirque
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United Nations Education, Science
and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO)
1) World Digital Library
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Federation is a Partner
Circus images online
2) Convention the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity
of Cultural Expressions (“2005 Convention”)
3) Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural
Heritage (the “2003 Convention”)
•
Applying for Accreditation
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Protection of
Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH)
1) Elements in urgent need of safeguarding
2) Elements inscribed on the “Representative
List”
3) Register of Best Practices
Long live circus culture in Finland Helsinki
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Examples on the
Representative List:
• The Tango
• Processional giants and dragons in Belgium and
France
• Equitation in the French tradition
• Chinese shadow puppetry
• Ox herding and ox herding traditions in Costa
Rica
• Falconry, a living human heritage
Long live circus culture in Finland Helsinki
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Representative List
Process:
1) Country party nominates an “element”.
2) Multi-country nomination is possible.
3) Committee/experts consider nominations
and makes recommendations.
4) Committee decides on inscriptions.
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Critical threshold:
Country parties may only nominate
element that appears on their
National Inventory of ICH
Long live circus culture in Finland Helsinki
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an
Federation role:
1) Research and analysis to identify best options for
inclusion of “circus”
2) Development of “model” inscription
3) Participation in 2003 Convention meetings and
activities/networking.
4) Provide information and guidance to circus
organisations to support national listings.
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Recent situation
• In Hungary on the 16th of September 2016 the
Minister of Culture officially announced that circus
arts has been registered in the National Inventory of
Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH).
Péter Fekete – general director of MACIVA
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Recent situation
Monaco: Best practice. Its government today is
positive about the idea, and gave green light to put
together the documentation, submit the
application.
Other countries:
Romania, Italy, France and Latvia are the
countries in Europe where the circus community
reacted to constant pushing of FMC, but no
positive results yet.
Finland; let us work on it today.
Long live circus culture in Finland Helsinki
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Long live circus culture in Finland Helsinki
24 - 10 -2016
Circus Culture Foundation
Long live circus culture in Finland Helsinki 24 10 -2016
BOARD
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Vereniging Nederlandse Circus Ondernemers
Dutch association for Circus Companies
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Club van Circus Vrienden Nederland
Club of Circus Friends Netherlands
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Stichting de Rijdende School
Foundation the Driving School
Circus Culture Foundation
Cooperative Relationship
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Circus Culture Foundation
Cooperative Relationship
Long live circus culture in Finland Helsinki
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Circus Culture Foundation
Cooperative Relationship
Overleg Circus Collecties Nederland (OCCN
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Circus Culture Foundation
Cooperative Relationship
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Safeguarding of the
Intangible Cultural Heritage in the Netherlands
Draw up a National Inventory how do we approach the
task in the Netherlands?
In 2012 the government of the Netherlands ratified the UNESCO Convention for the
Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage.
The Dutch Centre for Intangible Cultural Heritage (VIE)
has been assigned to implement this convention in the
Netherlands, which includes the Caribbean part of the Kingdom.
Long live circus culture in Finland Helsinki
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Safeguarding of the
Intangible Cultural Heritage in the Netherlands
Draw up a National Inventory how do we approach the
task in the Netherlands?
Map the intangible cultural heritage within the Dutch territory.
 a National Inventory of Intangible Cultural Heritage within the
Netherlands was drawn up.
 a system was chosen by which heritage communities
themselves could nominate elements for the inventory.
Long live circus culture in Finland Helsinki
24 - 10 -2016
Safeguarding of the
Intangible Cultural Heritage in the Netherlands
Draw up a National Inventory how do we approach the
task in the Netherlands?
 a safeguarding plan is an obligatory part of such a nomination,
 a SWOT- analysis
 ideas for solving eventual problems in passing on the tradition to
younger generations
Long live circus culture in Finland Helsinki
24 - 10 -2016
Safeguarding of the
Intangible Cultural Heritage in the Netherlands
Draw up a National Inventory how do we approach the
task in the Netherlands?
Procedure
1. attend an information meeting.
2. the community must make a heritage care plan that makes
clear what measures they take to keep their tradition viable
and how they suppose to pass it on to young people.
3. fill out a nomination form.
Long live circus culture in Finland Helsinki
24 - 10 -2016
Long live circus culture in Finland Helsinki
24 - 10 -2016
Safeguarding of the
Intangible Cultural Heritage in the Netherlands
Draw up a National Inventory how do we approach the
task in the Netherlands?
Procedure
4. The plan is carefully checked by consultants of VIE
5. If the consultants approve of the nomination, they send their
advice to the Advisory Council, which reviews the nomination
and makes the final decision.
6. Every community that placed its tradition on the National
Inventory must send in progress reports every two years.
If the heritage care is neglected, the tradition
may be taken off the list.
Long live circus culture in Finland Helsinki
24 - 10 -2016
Safeguarding of the
Intangible Cultural Heritage in the Netherlands
Draw up a National Inventory how do we approach the
task in the Netherlands?
Elements of the nomination form
Who is asking for nomination; main applicant and other applicants
What is the involvement of the applicant (s) - Description
‘ We hereby declare that we will do our utmost to give our tradition
future’. Signature from applicants and supporters
Long live circus culture in Finland Helsinki
24 - 10 -2016
Safeguarding of the
Intangible Cultural Heritage in the Netherlands
Draw up a National Inventory how do we approach the
task in the Netherlands?
Elements of the nomination form – Heritage Care Plan
1. Description of tradition
 Name of your tradition:
Traditions and rituals that you call circus and transfer to future generations.
Finally we registered: Circus Culture
 Geographical location of your tradition
 Description of your tradition:
Long live circus culture in Finland Helsinki
24 - 10 -2016
Safeguarding of the
Intangible Cultural Heritage in the Netherlands
Draw up a National Inventory how do we approach the
task in the Netherlands?
Elements of the nomination form
2. Identification of tradition
 Can you describe what participants and organizations are involved
in your tradition ?
 What is in short the history of your tradition?
 How is the tradition changed over time?
 What are the elements of the tradition? 
 Which parts do you want to pass on to future generations? 
Long live circus culture in Finland Helsinki
24 - 10 -2016
Safeguarding of the
Intangible Cultural Heritage in the Netherlands
Elements of the tradition
Volatile character - international - travelling - small community, often within
the family - transfer of techniques by parents or old artists - in the show
integration of arts, circus music - Family - Entertainment - The tent, theater or
event hall - round ring - entrance, facade, dressing - circus performers animals dressage - circus wagons. Advertising - recruitment.
Circus and fairground look a bit alike. Like the carnival circus people have to
travel from place to place, to find a new audience.
Faith and superstition play a major role. The new circus tent is consecrated,
marriages are concluded in the tent and children are baptized there.
Superstition; the cash desk car must always be drawn back. Use no umbrella
in the tent.
Long live circus culture in Finland Helsinki
24 - 10 -2016
Safeguarding of the
Intangible Cultural Heritage in the Netherlands
Which parts do you want to pass on to future generations?
• Artistic skills and circus techniques.
• The flexible entrepreneurship, the possibility to adjust the circus product
to the spirit of the age.
• Classic clown entrées (acts)
• Large – arena filling - performing arts groups
• Live music
• Travel
Long live circus culture in Finland Helsinki
24 - 10 -2016
Safeguarding of the
Intangible Cultural Heritage in the Netherlands
Draw up a National Inventory how do we approach the
task in the Netherlands?
Elements of the nomination form
2. Identification of tradition
 How is the knowledge about your tradition recorded ?
 Where does your archive consist of ?
 Where is your archive stored?
 Where does your collection consist of ?
 How is the care for your collection organized?
Long live circus culture in Finland Helsinki
24 - 10 -2016
Safeguarding of the
Intangible Cultural Heritage in the Netherlands
Draw up a National Inventory how do we approach the
task in the Netherlands?
Elements of the nomination form
3. Protection
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What is the meaning of your tradition for you 
Why should younger generations want to take over your tradition 
How is your tradition passed down to future generations? 
What are the bottlenecks in the transmission to future generations?
What steps have been taken in the recent past to solve these problems
What measures will you take in the short term to solve these problems
What should happen in the longer term to keep your tradition viable
Long live circus culture in Finland Helsinki
24 - 10 -2016
Safeguarding of the
Intangible Cultural Heritage in the Netherlands
What significance does the circus tradition have for you?
The circus is a form of life and fulfillment and a means of livelihood.
This form of life is worth to be passed to the next generation. Because
once you have worn a pair of shoes in the circus you can not come off of
there
It is a universal form of entertainment in which many forms of art unite.
Family relationship and strong social cohesion.
Long live circus culture in Finland Helsinki
24 - 10 -2016
Safeguarding of the
Intangible Cultural Heritage in the Netherlands
Why should younger generations want to take over your tradition?
It's great to work for public and to receive applause and an honour to
carry on the tradition of parents to the next generation.
Circus making is a passion.
The free entrepreneurship.
Circus artists create their own role, to be a circus artist is fascinating.
Long live circus culture in Finland Helsinki
24 - 10 -2016
Safeguarding of the
Intangible Cultural Heritage in the Netherlands
How is your tradition passed down to future generations?
• Through the circus families
• Through former artists who train young people to become circus
artist or refine their basic training.
• Through professional vocational education at Codarts - University of
the Arts Department Circus - Rotterdam and the Academy for Circus
& Performing Art - Tilburg.
• Through fifty youth circuses, spread across the country
• Through television and film productions
• Through (children's) books and circus toys
• Through the many circus lessons given by youth circus trainers to all
types of education.
• Using hand-outs produced for basic and secondary education.
• By the training of counselors in Circus by Circomundo.
Long live circus culture in Finland Helsinki
24 - 10 -2016
Safeguarding of the
Intangible Cultural Heritage in the Netherlands
Draw up a National Inventory how do we approach the
task in the Netherlands?
Elements of the nomination form
4. Placement on the National Inventory Intangible Cultural Heritage in Netherlands
 What does it mean for your tradition to be placed on the National Inventory
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What are the benefits ?
What are the disadvantages?
How will you use the benefits ?
How will you solve the drawbacks?
Long live circus culture in Finland Helsinki
24 - 10 -2016
Safeguarding of the
Intangible Cultural Heritage in the Netherlands
Draw up a National Inventory how do we approach the
task in the Netherlands?
Elements of the nomination form
5. Summary
 What actions will you take the next two years specifically to
keep your tradition viable
Long live circus culture in Finland Helsinki
24 - 10 -2016
Safeguarding of the
Intangible Cultural Heritage in the Netherlands
Draw up a National Inventory how do we approach the
task in the Netherlands?
Elements of the nomination form
6. Attachments
 Strength-Weakness-Opportunities-Threats analysis (SWOT)
 Bibliography
 Photos
 Short film
 Otherwise
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Circus Culture placed on inventory
On the 2nd of December 2013
the Circus Culture Foundation received the formal information that their tradition
was placed on the National Inventory.
Long live circus culture in Finland Helsinki
24 - 10 -2016
Long live circus culture in Finland Helsinki
24 - 10 -2016
Circus Culture placed on inventory
The circus community sees the placement on
the National Inventory of Intangible Cultural
Heritage as a National recognition of the
circus culture. But also as a challenge to
promote and preserve the culture and for the
future.
Long live circus culture in Finland Helsinki
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Long live circus culture in Finland Helsinki
24 - 10 -2016
Long live circus culture in Finland Helsinki
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Safeguarding of the
Intangible Cultural Heritage in the Netherlands
Evaluation after three years
Period 2013 - 2016
1. What activities are undertaken to secure your tradition or transfer
2. Are all proposed actions from your care plan carried out ?
3. Which meetings from VIE did you attend?
Long live circus culture in Finland Helsinki
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Safeguarding of the
Intangible Cultural Heritage in the Netherlands
Evaluation after three years
Period 2016 – 2017
1. What bottlenecks in the transmission are you signaling ?
2. What actions will you take ?
3. What help do you want ?
Long live circus culture in Finland Helsinki
24 - 10 -2016
Safeguarding of the
Intangible Cultural Heritage in the Netherlands
circus
Let us work together to get
on the
International UNESCO list of Intangible
Cultural Heritage
Long live circus culture in Finland Helsinki
24 - 10 -2016