“CADÊ O CIRCO?”, “CADÊ OS PALHAÇOS?”: AS ALTERAÇÕES DO CIRCO POPULAR AO CIRCO EXPANDIDO A PARTIR DA RELAÇÃO COM O ESPECTADOR

Abstract

This dissertation investigates the transformations of contemporary Brazilian circus, positing that the relationship between the artist and the audience serves as a fundamental axis structuring different logics of production. It is argued that the circus field in Brazil is organized into two distinct and complementary ecosystems: the Popular Circus (Circo Popular), heir to the modern circus, and the Expanded Circus (Circo Expandido), which has emerged in recent decades. The Popular Circus, whose business model is based on box office revenue, is guided by the objective of "pleasing" a broad and heterogeneous audience. This results in an aesthetic aimed at broad access, grounded in the spectacular and the grotesque, and in a mobile structure. In contrast, the Expanded Circus, sustained primarily by public grants and funding policies, is led by artists with a different sociocultural profile who expand the objective of "pleasing" by seeking to "connect" with a segmented audience. This pursuit results in a poetics of singularity, aligned with contemporary art, which values formal research, hybridization, and authorship. Based on a literature review and interviews with artists, the research demonstrates how the relationship with the audience relates not only to aesthetic choices but also to funding models, the artists' profiles, and training dynamics, revealing that the tensions and challenges of the current circus reflect the coexistence of these two complex and coherent systems.