[PRESS RELEASE] Lucho Smit new artistic director of Festival Circolo

From 1 April, Lucho Smit will become the new artistic director of Festival Circolo, the largest festival for contemporary circus in the Netherlands. He will take over from Wendy Moonen, who has been artistic director since 2012 and has built the festival into an internationally acclaimed event. Festival Circolo is convinced that Smit is the right person to continue this line and is very excited about his vision for the future of the festival.

An experienced circus creator himself, the 40-year-old Smit has earned his spurs in the circus world over the past decades. Smit: "Circus has been part of my life for more than 30 years. It is a great honour and challenge for me to take on the role of artistic director of Festival Circolo. I see opportunities to position the festival even more strongly in the Dutch and international performing arts field. In addition, I want to work for a more intense interaction between circus makers and audience and for socially relevant circus projects. In my view, art and circus should contribute to strengthening cohesion in society."

Lucho and Festival Circolo are no strangers to each other. In 2010, his performance Risque Zér0 by Galapiat Cirque was Festival Circolo's big hit. In 2021, he was there again with his acclaimed solo performance L'âne & la Carotte. Smit has also lectured and participated in debates at previous Circolo editions.

Lucho is regularly asked as director and/or artistic advisor by circus companies and circus schools around the world. He is also a member of the international professional jury of CircusNext, the European circus talent programme. With all this experience and knowledge in his pocket, Festival Circolo is convinced that Lucho is a valuable addition to the team and will play an important role in the future of the festival.

About Festival Circolo

From 13 to 22 October 2023, the number of open mouths, gaped eyes and squeezed buttocks in the heart of Tilburg will increase dramatically. The Netherlands' largest circus festival will then descend on Spoorpark Tilburg for ten days of top-quality contemporary circus.