HP24 - Collectif

As part of the HP24 Festival, 3ᵉ year students from the École Supérieure des Arts du Cirque (ESAC) present ‘The Ones Left’, a collective creation directed by Elske van Gelder and Christophe Lafargue, artists associated with Cirque Pardi!

In the half-light of the decline, everything suggests that outside, the world is in peril.
As if a big party had suddenly gone off the rails, we gather together to console ourselves. Thanks to glam, make-up and all our velvet artillery, let's lose ourselves for a moment in all that remains to us: glitter on our cheeks, the echo of our laughter, a hummed tune from our past memories.
Like a nostalgic ode, let's dance this waltz of consolation that binds us together so much. But, dear friends, let's not get sentimental: the party's not over yet.
Tomorrow at dawn, a long journey awaits us.
We are The Ones Left.

THE CONCEPT OF COLLECTIVE CREATION

Collective creation is one of the pillars of ESAC's teaching methods. During these supervised projects, students work with directors, choreographers and circus artists to develop original shows and explore a variety of artistic languages.

From writing to production, students take part in the design, construction and staging of the show, and finally in the performance. This collaborative process highlights their individual creativity while strengthening their group cohesion.

‘The Ones Left' is the fruit of intense work combining circus technique, staging, lighting and a contemporary vision of the circus.

ESAC

ESAC (École Supérieure des Arts du Cirque) is the only school in Belgium to offer official higher education in the circus arts. Heir to the history of the Cirque du Trottoir and the École sans filet, pioneers of the new circus in Belgium, it was initially a preparatory school, before becoming a higher education establishment recognised by the COCOF in 1999. It now offers a university programme with an international reputation. Since 2018, ESAC has occupied the former CERIA boiler room in Anderlecht, a building that has been renovated and expanded specifically to allow circus disciplines to develop to the full, from physical preparation to public performance.