Introduction to Research Design in Circus
Information about the course
This course introduces you to artistic research in circus. What do circus artists know? How do they know it? How is artistic research different from research for production?
Throughout the course, you’ll have space to experiment with, critically reflect on, invent and re-invent methods of artistic research connected to the embodied specificities of your practice. You will work in community with peers and faculty to develop your understanding of the role of artistic research in knowledge development within and beyond your artistic field.
Supported by regular supervision, critical response processes, and peer thinking partnerships, you will
- bring your ideas and work into dialogue with others,
- increase your ability to give and receive critical feedback, and
- develop strategies to account for and articulate the outputs of a small personal research project.
Do you have an idea you have always wanted to investigate but never found the time and space? Bring it!
Please find more information regarding the course content, set-up and admissions process below.
You can apply from anywhere!
The application process for this course will be entirely online. You who wish to apply will find detailed information about the application process and required documents under the heading "How to apply".
The course is designed as an intensive and comprises five weeks of advanced studies (second cycle) at 100%.
You apply to the course with an idea for a small research project. Your individual artistic practice and project form the basis for your studies.
We will kick off the course with an introduction where we’ll set you up with all you need to get the most out of this course.
Four weeks are dedicated to laboratory time, where you will explore early research steps in the studio, supported by supervision, ‘meet the artist-researcher’ - guest lectures / interactive encounters, peer thinking partnerships, and facilitated critical feedback processes.
The last week will be exam week, during which all students will present their research projects and receive feedback.
The course will run from 17 March to 18 April 2025 in-person at our premises in Stockholm, Brinellvägen 34 and 58.
We are on-site Monday to Friday with classes in the mornings and laboratories in the afternoons. There will be access to a training space for your own training most evenings (subject to available space). Laboratories and classes are compulsory, independent evening training is optional and not part of the course.
Below you will find an example schedule to give you an impression about what your day would look like. (Please note that this is subject to change and not the final schedule!)
17.03.-21.03.2025 (Week 12) - Laboratory week 1
Day |
Morning |
Afternoon |
Evening (optional) |
Mon |
09.00 – 10.00 Welcome to the course and SKH/course overview 10.30 -12.00 community guidelines – how we will work together |
13.00 – 17.00 Intro to spaces, Equipment set-up (TBC) |
Access to open training (subject to availability) |
Tue |
09.00 - 10.00 Individual student meetings 10.00 – 12.00 Intro to Artistic Research – Seminar 1 |
13.00 – 17.00 - Laboratory Provocation, Equipment set-up (TBC) |
Access to open training (subject to availability) |
Wed |
9.00 – 10.00 Individual student meetings 10.30 – 12.00 How to library, how to work with sources, how to register in the research catalogue |
13.00 – 17.00 - Independent Lab-time, Equipment set-up (TBC)
|
Access to open training (subject to availability) |
Thur |
09.00 – 10.00 Individual student meetings 10.30 – 12.00 student goal setting |
13.00 – 17.00 – Independent Lab-time, Equipment set-up (TBC) |
Access to open training (subject to availability) |
Fri |
10.00 – 12.00 - Guest Lecture / interactive encounter 1 – meet the artist researcher |
13.00 – 17.00 - Lab-time with sharing |
Access to open training (subject to availability |
For individual scheduled student meetings each student will have a 30 mins 1:1 with the course leader
24.03.-28.03.2025 (Week 13) – Laboratory week 2
Day |
Morning |
Afternoon |
Evening (optional) |
Mon |
9.00 – 12.00 - Intro to Critical Response Process |
13.00 – 17.00 - Laboratory Provocation |
Access to open training (subject to availability) |
Tue |
9.00 – 12.00 – Intro to Artistic Research Seminar 2 |
13.00 – 17.00 - Independent Lab-time |
Access to open training (subject to availability) |
Wed |
9.00 – 12.00 - Research catalogue Introduction workshop |
13.00 – 17.00 - Independent Lab-time |
Access to open training (subject to availability) |
Thur |
9.00 – 12.00 - Introduction to Thinking Partnerships Session 1 |
13.00 – 17.00 - Independent Lab-time |
Access to open training (subject to availability) |
Fri |
9.00 – 12.00 - Guest Lecture / interactive encounter 2 – meet the artist researcher |
13 – 17.00 - Lab-time with sharing |
Access to open training (subject to availability) |
31.03.-04.04.2025 (Week 14) – Laboratory week 3
Day |
Morning |
Afternoon |
Evening (optional) |
Mon |
9.00 – 12.00 - task based independent study time |
13.00 – 17.00 - Laboratory Provocation |
Access to open training (subject to availability) |
Tue |
9.00 – 12.00 – Intro to Artistic Research Seminar 3 |
13.00 – 17.00 - Independent Lab-time |
Access to open training (subject to availability) |
Wed |
9.00 – 12.00 - Research catalogue based independent task time |
13.00 – 17.00 - Independent Lab-time |
Access to open training (subject to availability) |
Thur |
9.00 – 12.00 - Introduction to Thinking Partnerships Session 2 |
13.00 – 17.00 - Independent Lab-time |
Access to open training (subject to availability) |
Fri |
9.00 – 12.00 Guest Lecture / interactive encounter 3 – meet the artist researcher |
13 – 17.00 - Lab-time with sharing |
Access to open training (subject to availability) |
07.04.-11.04. 2025 (Week 15) – Laboratory week 4
Day |
Morning |
Afternoon |
Evening (optional) |
Mon |
09.00 – 12.00 setting space |
13.00 – 17.00 - Laboratory Provocation |
Access to open training (subject to availability) |
Tue |
09.00 – 12.00 Intro to Artistic Research Seminar 4 |
13.00 – 17.00 - Independent Lab-time |
Access to open training (subject to availability) |
Wed |
09.00 – 12.00 Research catalogue follow-up |
13.00 – 17.00 - Independent Lab-time |
Access to open training (subject to availability) |
Thur |
09.00 – 12.00 Introduction to Thinking Partnerships Session 3 |
13.00 – 17.00 - Independent Lab-time |
Access to open training (subject to availability) |
Fri |
09.00 – 12.00 Guest Lecture / interactive encounter 4 – meet the artist researcher |
13 – 17.00 - Lab-time with sharing |
Access to open training (subject to availability) |
14.04.-16.04. 2025 (Week 16) – Presentation week
Day |
Morning |
Afternoon |
Evening (optional) |
Mon |
09.00 – 12.00 Thinking Partnerships Session 3 |
13.00 – 17.00 Presentations & Feedback |
Access to open training (subject to availability) |
Tue |
09.00 – 12.00 Student goal revision & looking ahead / Student Feedback |
13.00 – 17.00 Presentations & Feedback |
Access to open training (subject to availability) |
Wed |
09.00 – 12.00 Student feedback discussion |
13.00 – 17.00 Research Catalogue Exhibition, Wrap up & Good-byes |
Access to open training (subject to availability) |
General Requirements: for studies at second cycle.
Specific Entry Requirements:
- Degree of Bachelor of Fine Arts or other relevant Degree of Bachelor of Arts or the equivalent.
- English 6 or the equivalent.
- A grade of Pass in the qualification test showing artistic ability in circus.
If you don’t fulfil the formal entry requirements for the programme you may apply for recognition of prior learning, in other words that the knowledge and competence you have acquired through other activities are assessed as the equivalent of the formal merits that are required. Submit your application for recognition of prior learning with your application for the programme.
You may also apply for an exemption/a waiver, that allows you to proceed to the selection process even though you don’t meet the general admission requirements. Submit your application for an exemption/a waiver together with your application.
Read more about how you can show that you meet the entry requirements (that you are eligible).
Start your application early! Don’t delay in submitting your application! You may run into trouble if you wait until the last day and your internet connection happens to be down, or you find that your files are in the wrong format. You will not be able to apply once the last date for applications has passed. Keep in mind that your application needs to be turned in by 23.59 (Swedish time).
Apply to the education via universityadmissions.se
You apply to the education in two steps
1. Apply to the education via universityadmissions.se
Last day for application: 15 October 2024
Please note! Choose “Spring 2025” if you search for the course at universityadmissions.se.
Please note that you need to submit supporting documents showing that you meet the entry requirements via universityadmissions.se under My pages/Documents/Upload documents.
Last day to submit supporting documentation: 1 November 2024*
2. Submit your worksample via Varbi (according to instructions below)
Last day to submit worksamples to be part of the selection: 15 October 2024
Important dates for your application
- Last day for applications:15 October 2024
Please note! Choose “Spring 2025” if you search for the course at universityadmissions.se.
- Last day to submit supporting documentation for entry requirements: 1 November 2024.* NB! SKH's date is an earlier date then the general date communicated on universityadmission.se.
- Last day to pay the application fee or prove that you are not required to pay the fees: 1 November 2024 (read more under Application and tuition fees below).
- Admission results: Published on My pages on universityadmissions.se 10 December 2024.
- Last day to reply to possible course offer: 16 December 2024.
Instructions for work samples
You need to submit the following work samples via Varbi. Only files uploaded in the current admission round can be considered for selection.
TEXT SUBMISSION
1. Letter of Motivation (4 000 characters max)
Write in English only answering the following questions:
Why are you applying to this course?
What do you expect from this course and what would you like to learn?
What do you hope to do during this course that would be hard to do elsewhere?
2. CV
List your education, professional experience and other relevant experiences that you want to refer to in chronological order. The CV must be in English only.
3. Your Research Project Description (1 500 words max)
Your project description must be in English only. Describe your artistic exploration and research interests in the field of Contemporary Circus including the following elements:
a. your project idea (what you want to investigate),
b. how your project contributes to or develops your current circus practice,
c. the problem/-s and/or ideas raised by the project,
d. ideas for exploring methods and process,
e. the artistic approach in relation to your primary artistic training/background and professional experience in the field,
f. idea/-s about the project documentation and its form,
g. how your project is suitable for a 5-week course, bearing in mind the scheduled lab-time, limited storage for props and that you may have to keep moving studios on a daily basis.
Please name every page with your name and the document IARC_ Text_first name_ family name.
VIDEO SUBMISSION
Video Submission – 10 min max (mov, mp4, avi)
Please upload ONE (1) video featuring all 3 sections described below.
What we want to discover through your video submission:
1. Section 1 (1 min max.)
Who are you, and how do you describe your artistic practice?
In section 1 of your video submission, please say hi to camera and introduce yourself. Then, describe your artistic practice in a few words.
Nothing fancy or with editing, just you speaking straight to the camera will be perfect.
2. Section 2 (3 min max.)
What is your skill level in your chosen circus discipline(s)?
Please choose 3 mins of video footage that you think best demonstrate your level of skill in your chosen circus discipline(s). Please use continuous sections of filmed footage and not a fast-edited showreel with rapid changes of camera angles or ‘creative’ angles where we may be looking at a skilled videographer's work but are left wondering what you can do. We want to see you, not the editing. Plain and simple is good.
3. Section 3 (6 min max.)
We are curious about your own artistic work. What have you created so far? Please choose 5 mins of footage of a piece/pieces of work that you think best demonstrates what kind of work you have devised/co-devised up to this date. We acknowledge that it is impossible to share a whole body of work in 5 mins. Don’t worry about that. The task is: What would you choose to give us a little taste?
Please clearly mark your role in the work (co-deviser, director etc.) and if there are multiple performers on stage, make sure we know which one is you.
Please name the document IARC_Video_ first name_ family name.
Read more here about reduce video size and What is Bitrate.
Proceed as follow to upload work samples via Varbi:
- Register by providing name and e-mail address.
- Fill in you contact information.
- Please note! Fill in the application number you received when submitting your application to the course via universityadmissions.se.
- Submit the requested documents/files.
- Please name the document/file with content and your name for example: CV_ first name_ family name
Confirmation that you have submitted your work samples via Varbi
When you've submitted your work samples you will receive a confirmation to the e-mail address that you’ve stated. If you don’t receive a confirmation e-mail, you should first check your spam filter. If the confirmation e-mail is not there, contact Varbi's technical support.
E-mail: support@varbi.com
Phone: +46 520 580 050 (weekdays 08:30–12:00 and 13:00-16:30).
The eligibility assessment of submitted materials will be made against the following criteria:
Criteria Video
We will evaluate your level of craftsmanship and clarity of artistic expression by looking at the film and will evaluate:
- innovation and originality within a high level of craftsmanship
- the clarity of artistic expression in your work.
Criteria Project Description and Letter of Motivation
In your Project description and Letter of Motivation, we will evaluate your level of articulation in terms of:
- Artistic intention and artistic practice
- Contextualization within the field of circus
- Proposed methods of working
- The ability to clearly state a position within the larger field of contemporary artistic production.
Further criteria for the project description only: The applicants project idea with regards to relevance, originality, conductibility and the schools availability/possibility for adequate supervision.
The assessment relates to the above criteria for the submitted material. The applicant has to get the grade of pass regarding all the materials in the qualification test. The scale for assessing the qualification test is:
- Pass: The applicant demonstrates the requested ability.
- Fail: The applicant does not demonstrate the requested ability.
Selection
Should there be more eligible applicants than places in the course, there will be a selection. Every applicant who fulfils all the general and specific entry requirements will be considered in the selection. Selection is based on the submitted documentation from eligible applicants.
We will look at how well each applicant demonstrates the requested abilities. We will then suggest which applicants are to be admitted and which should be placed on the waiting list. You will receive the result of this process on 10th of december 2024.
If you are a citizen of Sweden, another EU or EEA country or or Switzerland you are not required to pay application or tuition fees. Some other groups are also exempt from the requirement to pay application and study fees.
If you are not a citizen of Sweden, another EU or EEA country or or Switzerland you are required to pay application and tuition fees. The level of the study fees depends on which course/programme they are for, and the level is set in order to cover the actual costs of the course/programme in question. SKH has some possibilities of offering scholarships that cover the study fees for programmes.
If you are required to pay an application fee, the Swedish Council for Higher Education needs to receive your payment by the last date for paying the application fee. The application fee is SEK 900. If you are required to pay the application fee and the Swedish Council for Higher Education has not received your payment by the last date for paying the tuition fee, they will not process your application. Read more here.
The tuition fee for the course is 70 500 SEK.
Information
Study period: 17 March 2025–20 April 2025
Education scope: 7,5 credits
Teaching language: English
Study location: Stockholm
Study pace: 100 %
Subject area: Circus
Application period: Open for late application
Course syllabus/programme syllabus:Download