Acrobatics as an Art Form: Yasmine Heyer on Contemporary Circus in Austria

In our collaboration with the complex – KULTURMAGAZIN, guest author Brigitte Egger spoke with Yasmine Heyer from the Graz-based collective Akrosphäre about her work and the state of contemporary circus in Austria

(c) Patrizia Liebisch

This article was created in collaboration with komplex – KULTURMAGAZIN. komplex – KULTURMAGAZIN is a non-profit cultural association and a platform focused on independent art and culture in Innsbruck and its surroundings. On komplex-kulturmagazin.com, cultural journalism and artistic contributions are regularly published, along with an annual artistic print publication featuring curated content as part of the participatory call for submissions, komPOST. (Instagram)

Acrobatics as an Art Form: Yasmine Heyer on Contemporary Circus in Austria

The Graz based collective Akrosphäre has established itself as a pioneer of contemporary circus in Austria’s cultural landscape. With their latest production, Xpect, the duo Yasmine Heyer and Uwe Sattelkow will tour Austria in 2025 alongside the Vienna-based Dada Zirkus, inviting audiences to discover the diversity of modern circus art. Under the title "DadaSphäre – zeitgenössischer Zirkus im Doppelpack", the two ensembles will perform at the beginning of the year in Innsbruck, Linz, and Graz.

During the joint tour, Akrosphäre and Dada Zirkus each unfold their own unique, fantastic worlds in half-hour performances. While Xpect questions identity and relationship networks through acrobatics and interactions with an electric piano, Dada Zirkus presents a satire on societal clichés in its surrealist piece, Das Sein verwirrt das Bewusstsein (Being Confuses Consciousness). Both productions combine acrobatics, live music, and nonverbal storytelling.

Ahead of this tour, I had the opportunity to speak with Yasmine Heyer about Akrosphäre. In the interview, she shares insights into the founding of the association and the visions they pursue for the future of circus art in Austria.

Brigitte Egger

Yasmine, can you tell us something about the history of the Akrosphäre Graz?

Yasmine Heyer

Kerstin Oschabnig and Uwe Sattelkow founded the association in 2015. I was active in a youth circus in Munich and thought such things existed everywhere. When I came to Graz for my studies, I was disappointed: Where are the circus people? Where is the circus association? Then I attended an acrobatics course at the University Sports Institute (USI) and met Kerstin and Uwe. They told me that, indeed, there was nothing like it in Graz, but they were motivated to create something. I immediately said I was in.

Brigitte Egger

What were those early days like?

Yasmine Heyer

It all began in their living room, which was called Luftraum B. They moved into a larger apartment with high ceilings, installed rigging, and set up a small training space in the living room. That’s where the first classes took place: acrobatics, partner acrobatics, acro-yoga, and aerial acrobatics. I quickly joined with trapeze. Just a year later, in 2016, we created our first production.

We discovered funding for contemporary circus through the Austrian Federal Ministry for Arts, Culture, the Civil Service, and Sport (BMKOES) and received €1,500—we were so excited. With that, we rented the Explosiv venue in Graz and, with about 12 people, created our first production, Identity Taken, an acrobatic blacklight story. It was immediately sold out, and we even did a reprise. Since then, we’ve regularly produced new shows.

Brigitte Egger

You also host an annual international acrobatics festival in Graz. How did that come about?

Yasmine Heyer

Kerstin and Uwe attended many international festivals and wanted to bring something like that to Graz, so they started organizing festivals right after founding the association. The acrobatics festival is an international event where around 120 acrobats from Graz and abroad come together. We aim to create a platform for exchange and enrich the city with this offering. This year marked our tenth festival. It’s very well received by the international community and usually sells out within just a few hours.

Contemporary circus is a versatile form of expression that tells stories and conveys emotions.

Yasmine Heyer
Brigitte Egger

Is the festival open to spectators as well, or is it only for acrobats?

Yasmine Heyer

The main focus is on the exchange among participants. There are workshops and open training sessions, known as jams. At the same time, we also offer public formats, such as a flash mob at the main square, for which participants learn a choreography, or an open stage and gala show—essentially a contemporary circus variety show. These allow participants, often emerging artists, to present their acts and gain their first stage and career experiences. These events are open to the people of Graz and operate on a sliding scale for admission. This way, we aim to make our events affordable for everyone while giving individuals the responsibility to decide how much culture is worth to them.

Brigitte Egger

How has the scene in Graz developed since your founding? Are there now other similar associations as well?

Yasmine Heyer

So far, we are the only association in this field, but we are well connected, both in the cultural and sports sectors. We receive a lot of support and openness from the independent cultural scene and the IG Kultur. Our sports courses take place in a gymnasium, which we can use every evening after school hours. The program is diverse: aerial acrobatics, partner acrobatics, but also courses like floor gymnastics and handstand training—everything needed as a foundation for acrobatics. The association has 120 members, and we also offer children’s courses. It’s wonderful to see how the children bring in their creative ideas and develop their own pieces.

Brigitte Egger

How old were you when you started acrobatics?

Yasmine Heyer

I was twelve. Among the children we have now, the youngest are between six and eight years old.

Brigitte Egger

Is it difficult for adults to start acrobatics? Is there a point where you’re too old for it?

Yasmine Heyer

Not at all! I’m always fascinated by how quickly adults can learn when they get good guidance. What used to take years of trial and error for us—like learning how to make a stable pyramid—many people who start from scratch today can achieve in just a few hours. Through international exchange, this now works at a very professional level. It’s often incredible to me how fast you can learn something. And people really enjoy it when they suddenly achieve something they thought they’d never be able to do.

I’m always fascinated by how quickly adults can learn when they get good guidance.

Yasmine Heyer
Brigitte Egger

How does contemporary circus fit into the context of art and culture?

Yasmine Heyer

This is especially a challenge in terms of funding—contemporary circus operates between the worlds of art and sport. In the beginning, we were often shuffled between different funding pots. Since 2016, however, there has been a dedicated circus fund at the federal level. But this fund is still very small, and because contemporary circus is growing rapidly in Austria, this fund is not sufficient. One of the biggest difficulties is the lack of tour support: Unlike theater, there are only project-based funding options, which forces us to constantly start new projects. However, in circus, this is often not practical, as productions require enormous effort and should ideally tour over the long term.

Despite these challenges, we are pioneering: we simply apply for theater funding and are often pleasantly surprised by how cooperative the funding bodies are. For example, this year we were funded for the first time from the theater fund. Such successes show that the scene is developing, although a lot of political work is still needed to create sustainable structures.

Brigitte Egger

How is it with funding at the state and city level?

Yasmine Heyer

At the city level, it happened surprisingly quickly. This is probably due to the groundwork laid by initiatives like the street art festival La Strada, which had already established contemporary circus in Graz. When the city administration saw that an independent scene was developing, they were immediately willing to support us. At the state level, it took longer. Initially, we were often only seen as a sport. It was only when we clarified what contemporary circus actually is that we started receiving funding. Since then, a lot has happened, but it requires continuous commitment and political work to further advance the development.

Brigitte Egger

How would you define contemporary circus in relation to the history of traditional circus?

Yasmine Heyer

Contemporary circus is a versatile form of expression that tells stories and conveys emotions. There are different currents within it, such as “Cirque Nouveau” (new circus), contemporary circus, and experimental circus. These often differ in aesthetic preferences, working methods, and the self-imposed limitations of the artists. In contrast to traditional circus, which focuses on technical tricks and the awe of the audience, contemporary circus places greater emphasis on content and thematic exploration. Stories, emotions, and societal issues are brought to the forefront, similar to contemporary dance.

In traditional circus, there are often clear hierarchies, which are frequently broken down in contemporary circus, where collective work is a central component and performance hierarchies are often consciously played with. While there are overlaps and even exchanges at the technical level between the two scenes, traditional traveling circuses and contemporary circus are otherwise quite distinct.

Brigitte Egger

Can you say something about your current project DadaSphäre in collaboration with Dada Zirkus?

Yasmine Heyer

Wir touren gemeinsam mit zwei Stücken. Unser Stück "Xpect" ist 2023 entstanden, es ist ein 30- bis 40-minütiges Stück von Uwe und mir. Wir wollten uns intensiver mit der Kombination aWe are touring together with two pieces. Our piece Xpect was created in 2023 and is a 30- to 40-minute performance by Uwe and me. We wanted to explore the combination of acrobatics and music more intensively. Uwe plays the piano, and we thought about how we could incorporate the piano into our piece. Ultimately, the electric piano became an independent stage character, creating a relationship between us and the instrument—a trio, so to speak. It was exciting to explore this connection between movement and music research.

The collaboration with Dada Zirkus was a perfect fit because our piece doesn’t offer a full evening’s program. Dada Zirkus also has a piece of this length, Das Sein verwirrt das Bewusstsein (Being Confuses Consciousness), which was one of their first works after completing their circus training, although they’ve never toured with it in Austria. Dada Zirkus comes more from the Cirque Nouveau direction, with a more direct narrative style, which becomes even more unique due to the dadaistic element. An exciting parallel to our work is that their piece is also accompanied by live music.

In traditional circus, there are often clear hierarchies, which are frequently broken down in contemporary circus, where collective work is a central component and performance hierarchies are often consciously played with.

Yasmine Heyer
Brigitte Egger

What’s next for you in the future? Do you have any new projects on the horizon?

Yasmine Heyer

In 2025, we will open our first contemporary circus center in Graz. It’s been a long process because we need specific requirements for training, like height and rigging possibilities. The new hall will be built on an old factory site, and the developer is in close contact with us to ensure that the hall meets all the needs of contemporary artists. Finally, we will have a space where we can create our shows without having to rely on private resources or constantly seeking out residencies.

The center is intended to be a funded creation space for artists, where we can also offer residencies. At the same time, our weekly training program will continue. Additionally, we plan to organize various events annually through the circus center. This includes supporting emerging artists by offering them a platform and training opportunities. However, many funding opportunities are currently in limbo because coalition negotiations at the federal and state levels are still ongoing. We hope that this will be clarified soon so that the center can become an important hub for the circus scene in Graz and beyond.

YASMINE HEYER

is a contemporary circus artist (partner acrobatics, handstands, group acrobatics, trapeze). As the organizer of the association Grazer Akrosphäre, she plays a key role in the development of contemporary circus in Graz and beyond. She is a co-founder of the international collective “ConTakt,” which combines partner acrobatics with live beatboxing and looping. Her latest production “Xpect” combines partner acrobatics with piano music. Yasmine advocates for empowerment and breaking traditional gender roles in contemporary circus and is particularly interested in community building as well as the exploration of group dynamics and processes. She also teaches acrobatics and trapeze at circus schools and international events.

UWE SATTELKOW

is a co-founder of Akrosphäre, an artist, and an organizer. He has taught in Graz and abroad, has been performing as an acrobat for years, and prefers projects that blur the lines between disciplines and shed light on the structures of our human experience.

BRIGITTE EGGER

born in 1993, mostly lives in Tyrol. She completed her master’s studies in Philosophy and Comparative Literature at the University of Innsbruck and is currently pursuing her PhD in Aesthetics and Philosophy of Art. She works as a freelance curator, cultural worker, and cultural journalist, and she leads the non-profit cultural associations komplex-KULTURMAGAZIN and GRUND1535.

(c) Richard Griletz
(c) Lex Karelly
(c) Lex Karelly
(c) Lex Karelly
(c) Lex Karelly