Creativity in the business of circus

This semi-ethnographic research is an exploration of the creative process from the unique perspective of the circus business. It examines, from an interpretivist perspective, how circus companies collaborate in the generation and manifestation of ideas, balancing the demands of maintaining a strict physical training regime with devising the circus aesthetic for an expectant audience.

The focus of the research is a retired aerial trapeze artist and company director supported by contributions from semi-structured interviews with nine contemporary circus directors and an arts policy officer. Issues were identified from attending three circus network events providing an opportunity to conduct an online questionnaire resulting in 39 responses. Following thematic analysis across all data, key themes emerged identifying networked creativity, productive creativity and intrinsic creativity which correlates to conceptual models of creativity and innovation in organisations.

Preliminary findings suggest that networks, skills and intrinsic motivation are integral to creativity within the circus business environment. Whilst this may not be unique to circus, the depth to which it is experienced and its inter-relationality to the form, is readily apparent. This has potentially interesting implications for further research within a circus context, as well as implications for further exploration of practice in other creative sectors.