The Svalbard Company holds a philosophy grounded in the belief that the art of circus is a powerful vehicle for social change. It is their conviction that, through a blend of disciplines, they can provoke new ways of thinking and inspire shifts in how the audience perceive the world.
Their interdisciplinary practice is an expression of this philosophy, and they view it as an approach that transcends traditional art forms. The purpose of their productions is to create a space where the audience can be transported beyond their preconceived notions of what is possible, to imagine and experience new realities.
In The Svalbard Company's view, the circus is an arena where we can reimagine our identities and relationships to each other and the world around us and their mission is to push the boundaries of what is possible with the art of circus, to challenge conventional ways of thinking, and to create new narratives that inspire hope, wonder, and a sense of collective responsibility.
‘All Genius All Idiot’ is the flagship production of Svalbard Co. AGAI is world renowned for its raw and expressive portrayal of the human condition, and played over 150 times in 28 countries, 4 continents.
“This unpredictable circus show, devised by the Svalbard Company, revels in its own messy and wayward riskiness. An all-male cast of four tease and toy with our responses to their actions in ways that feel
daring and dangerous. It’s fun but also at times more than a tad mad and unsettling.
The performance I attended started on the venue’s doorstep, with Alexis Akrovatakis — the quartet’s loosest cannon — grabbing a woman in a quick embrace while clutching a mannequin leg.
The swarthy, burly Santiago Ruiz Albalate was crouching above a low, lurid red light as I made my way into the auditorium at the Assembly Roxy, where Benjamin Smith was howling out the blues
atop a pole while clad in a fur coat”
Donald Hutera “The Times” ****
daring and dangerous. It’s fun but also at times more than a tad mad and unsettling.
The performance I attended started on the venue’s doorstep, with Alexis Akrovatakis — the quartet’s loosest cannon — grabbing a woman in a quick embrace while clutching a mannequin leg.
The swarthy, burly Santiago Ruiz Albalate was crouching above a low, lurid red light as I made my way into the auditorium at the Assembly Roxy, where Benjamin Smith was howling out the blues
atop a pole while clad in a fur coat”
Donald Hutera “The Times” ****
Evan Beswick travels to Berlin and enters the weird
and ungainly universe of the Svalbard circus troupe.
and ungainly universe of the Svalbard circus troupe.
