Contemporary circus, also known as New Circus or Cirque Nouveau, is a relatively young art form within the wider performing arts that reinterprets circus as a means of expression powered by a love of experimentation and innovation. The genre integrates elements from theatre, contemporary dance, music, visual arts and new media to create interdisciplinary performances that feature a variety of approaches, themes and aesthetics. The focus is no longer on the presentation of incredible acrobatic feats, but on the underlying artistic concept and expressive potential of circus. Contemporary circus is enormously multifaceted and thrives on questioning conventions, crossing boundaries and constantly researching and implementing new ideas.

At the Chamäleon, we see contemporary circus as a socially essential art form that has a magical ability to take on any form, be performed in any location and to not have to use spoken language but still be able to communicate, to reach and respect every audience member. We believe that in doing so contemporary circus can build bridges and close divides. We have been dedicated to contemporary circus for 20 years and still continue to discover new and surprising facets of this art form with every season, every new production and every passionate after show discussion at our theatre bar.

We believe that theatres are social meeting places and see our task, alongside our artistic work, in the facilitation and moderation of these encounters. Precisely because circus is so open, inviting and versatile, it has enormous potential to communicate emotions and ideas and spark moments of human connection. We look forward to sharing these moments with you.