Our first intention was to strengthen the connection between the circus scenes in Berlin and Budapest through undertaking this partnership project. Our second intention was to gather information from innovative actors within each of our networks that would be beneficial for our wider audience. Our third intention was to disseminate the knowledge gathered to this wider audience, and ideally to create reference resources that would exist beyond the duration of the project timeline, and be accessible to an audience outside our immediate networks. The overall goal of the project was to improve the understanding of the possibilities of digital technology and digital tools to benefit artistic working processes and to encourage artists to engage audiences in new and unusual ways.
We applied for this project because we identified a need within the artist community around us to gain knowledge and skills in the field of digital with the goal of improving working processes in situations of limited contact (ie, how to continue working under conditions such as those created by the ongoing global pandemic). We also wished to provide inspiration on possibilities of using technology creatively to develop previously unseen styles of art as well as to give audiences new and unusual forms of access to performance. We believe that the core team of this project is well-qualified to research the topic and present the findings. The professional background of the main project coordinator is in digital project management and creative technology, and both partner organisations are leaders in the use of digital within the fields of circus and performing arts.