Carmen Raffaela is a circus researcher, creator & coach with a very interdisciplinary practice.
I love my art form of real live performance. Physical actions that happen in the here and now, in a shared space and time WITH YOU.
Inspired by the strongest driving force of the universe – curiosity – I am happily facing any problem that crosses my way. As a designers mind in a circus body* I simply just love problems. Because it is the occasion to challenge creativity and come up with crazy, funny or practical ideas for solving them…
….or just hilariously fail – like all good clowns do.
however, so far I learned so much from my mistakes, so I happily prepare for doing some more ; )
*btw: I do not even believe in this distinction of mind and body…
CV excerpt
- 2022-24 MA in Physical Theatre at Accademia Dimitri, CH
- 2017-19 MA in Choreography / ‘Co-Creation of Movement, Master Joint degree by Codarts & Fontys, NL
- 2011/12 fellow at Akademie Schloss Solitude, Stuttgart, D
- 2005-09 BA/Laurea in Visual Communication & Pruduct Design unibz – Free University of Bolzano, I
- Erasmus at écal – Ècole Cantonale des Arts de Lausanne, CH
selection of artistic works
- 2024 ReAnima. Circus-Theatre outdoor production. Funded by the Austrian ministry of culture. Premiere Krapoldi Festival Innsbruck, August 2024.
- 2023 «this way» Devised Physical Theatre piece about decision making. With Anna Lisa Grebe & Athanasia Chatzigiannaki. Teatro Dimitri, CH & Anton Bruckner Universität Linz, AT.
- 2022 Night Circus Varieté – contemporary circus piece. Artistic Director of a team of 8 circus performers. Premiere: Festival Circustage Kufstein, AT.
- 2021 How to Grow a Seed of Movement – ‘work- & research-grant’ by the Senat for culture and Europe, Berlin, GER. Research team of 5 aerialists.
- 2019-21 Striking Roots into the Void interdisciplinary stage piece on a real natural suspended tree root. Premiere & Austria-Tournee 2021. Funded by the Austrian ministry of culture.
- 2020 ‘Tree Encounters – Berlin Series’ / Artistic Research grant-like project funding #takecare, Fonds Daku.
- 2013- 2018 Flying Trapeze Artist. Creation & Tournee of the piece ‘Gravity is a Mistake’ in co-creation with cie. Omnivolant.
- 2017 Premiere of hochSpannung at Winterfest Salzburg. Contemporary Aerial Counterweight Duett. cie. in_tensegrity.
- 2016 foundation of in_tensegrity company with Linda Lou & Gernot Bitschi.
- since 2014 ‘dance with me’ counterweighted Dance Trapeze Solo, internationally performed, 80+ shows in USA, UK & EU.
- since 2013 ‘trap(eze) me & turn me on’ clownesk dancetrapeze solo, performed at Wintergarten Berlin, Pfefferberg Theater 2018, ‘Eye Candy’ tfk Berlin 2016, and many other events.
I am a circus artist, researcher & creator passionate about the entwinement of physical performance and artistic expression. Always curious about creative processes, I consider artistic research a journey into the unknown – to find new approaches to movement qualities and physical artistic expression you have to keep openness as the only constant. I love to use the metaphor of growth from seed to flowering plant for artistic creation processes and stage performance production and consider myself a ‘permacultural choreographer’.
Carmen Raffaela