Open Call: NuoraNORD Incubator is looking for initiatives to participate in co-development

NuoraNORD Incubator is a one-year project aimed at circus initiatives and projects in the Baltic-Nordic region that are not working within any structural support system. Our objective is to enforce up-and-coming initiatives, the emerging next generation of circus-makers, who have strong vision, but lack resources and peer-support.

During the year 2020 six initiatives will be co-developed in an intensive incubator residence and coached by their local partner. The project will end in a virtual conference where participants will share their outcomes with each other.

Project partners are CircusInfo Finland (coordinator), Dynamo Workspace for Circus (Denmark), Cirkus Cirkör (Sweden), Arts Printing House / Menu spaustuve (Lithuania), Riga Cirks (Latvia) and Eesti Tsirkusekeskus (Estonia). Each partner will select one initiative from their own region to participate in the project. The project is supported by Nordic Culture Point.

CircusInfo Finland organises Open Call to select the initiative from Finland. Application deadline is March 11th 2020.

Criteria for applying

Applicant may be an individual, group or organisation, that is

  • based in Finland.
  • able to attend the Incubator residence in Tallinn, Estonia April 22nd – 26th 2020.
  •  willing to commit to the process of co-development, peer-support and sharing.
  •  working on an innovative circus project in need of special support to develop.

Schedule

  • Application deadline March 11th 2020
  • Selected initiative will be notified by March 26th 2020
  • Meeting with CircusInfo to prepare for incubator residence
  • Incubator residence in Tallinn, Estonia April 22nd – 26th 2020
  • Meeting with CircusInfo to advance the project further
  •  Virtual conference autumn 2020 (exact date to be determined)

NuoraNORD Incubator will cover per diems, communal accommodation and travel costs according to the most sustainable and affordable means of transportation for the residence in Tallinn. If the initiative has several members, they are welcome to join the partner meetings and virtual conference as a group. However, only one member can participate in the Tallinn residence.

During the project each initiative will get a small fee, which they may utilise in order to best develop their own initiative. The fee will be paid as instalments over the year. Full payment is dependent on attendance and commitment to the project.

How to apply?

Send your one-page application via e-mail to by Wed March 11th 2020. Mark the subject as “Application for NuoraNORD Incubator”.  

Make sure to cover the following points in your application:

  • What is your initiative? Describe your project idea, what you want to do and why (1000–1500 characters).
  • Who is involved? Mention possible group members, organisation and/or partners.
  • Do you have funding for your project? How much? From where?
  • Why do you want to participate in Baltic-Nordic collaboration? How do you expect your initiative to benefit from it? How you think you could benefit others?
  • Imagine the ideal outcome for your initiative – what will it have brought to the field of circus? What kind of situation you see for it in five years? Or if you are planning a short-term project, what has its impact been?
  • Contact information!

Applications will be evaluated according to the idea’s innovativeness and credibility in creating something new and viable in the field of circus. Also, we stress the commitment and motivation for co-development and peer-support. The idea of Incubator project is to develop all the initiatives together, not for you to concentrate on your own project alone.

The working language for NuoraNORD Incubator is English.

If you are based in another country than Finland, please contact your local partner about their application process.

For further questions and information contact project coordinator Kaisa Tiainen on
.