How We Celebrated Circus Nights This Year

In mid-November 2025, Circus Nights / La Nuit du Cirque once again took place across Europe - an international celebration of contemporary circus, movement, and creativity. The Czech Republic joined the project for the second time, and MOVE Ostrava was part of it again this year.

Circus Nights ran from 14 to 16 November 2025 and were coordinated in the Czech Republic by the Czech Contemporary Circus Association The three-day programme connected professional productions, international collaborations, and openness to diverse audiences. Ostrava thus once again found itself - both symbolically and in practice - on the European map of contemporary circus.

Gozd (Forest) – Ostrava as Part of a European Trilogy

On Friday, 14 November, we presented the project Forest at the Puppet Theatre Ostrava - an ecofeminist performance reflecting the relationship between humans and nature, responsibility, and collective strength. This version of the originally Slovenian production by choreographer Danijela Zajc was created through coproduction across Europe, including Tabačka Kulturfabrik, and concludes the trilogy Niti – Prah – Gozd. An essential part of the project was participation: the performers involved were selected through an open call by MOVE Ostrava and partner organisations. The result was a creative residency during which, together with the choreographer, they rehearsed a completely original Czech–Slovak version, performed only twice - in Košice and in Ostrava. Thank you for this unique opportunity, and we look forward to further collaboration with the wonderful Društvo Matafir, which stands behind this project.

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Wild Geese on the road to Varnsdorf for Vítr z hor festival

On Sunday, 16 November, our Circus Nights celebrations moved to northern Bohemia. The family performance Divoké husy (Wild Geese) - this year’s new coproduction by MOVE Ostrava and FysioART - was presented in Varnsdorf as part of the Vítr z hor festival. The production, combining movement, live music, imagination, and the theme of nature, thus continued its premiere tour and confirmed that contemporary circus can naturally reach audiences across generations and regions.

Why Circus Nights Matter for Ostrava Too

For MOVE Ostrava, participating in Circus Nights means much more than simply presenting two projects. It is a confirmation of our long-term strategy of decentralising culture, building meaningful international collaborations, and anchoring contemporary movement art beyond major cultural centres.

We thank all our partners, artists, and audiences who were part of this year’s Circus Nights—and we look forward to where circus energy will carry us next 🎪