Director Gerhard Willert, JKU researchers, and students at the JKU’s Institute for Philosophy and Scientific Method have been hard at work to create a unique ensemble of theater, science, and music sure to delight audiences on three performances days during December.

The stage is set on December 2 at 7:30 PM for the premiere of "Und da oben zwischen die Sterne”. Director Gerhard Willert, the longtime director of the Landestheater Linz, is celebrating a comeback in Linz, making his first guest appearance at the Circus of Knowledge. To stage the production, Willert has been working together with JKU researchers and students at the JKU’s Institute for Philosophy and Scientific Method. He noted: "I find it remarkable that this special venue not only facilitates artistic encounters across various disciplines, it encourages these types of interactions. For me personally, working with the philosophers and doctoral candidates is a great pleasure I have an opportunity to discover completely new artistic forms."

Julian Reiss, a philosopher and the head of the JKU’s Institute for Philosophy and Scientific Method, added: "Even for me as a philosopher, the parallels and contrasts between Kepler's and Galileo's lives, along with the scientific views and perceptions of science, have been fascinating. Performing these themes in a light-hearted way with theatrical and musical professionals has been a unique experience for me."

Audiences can look forward to three days of performances (December 2 and 6, each beginning at 7:30 PM; December 3 at 4:00 PM) by a collective consisting of theater, science and music, that explores the traces of Kepler and Galileo in a playful way, addressing fundamental questions about science’s relationship to the church and capital. Admission is free; seating is limited seating and we recommend registering in advance to attend: jku.at/zirkus-des-wissens.

JKU Rector Meinhard Lukas is equally delighted: "In order to find solutions to social challenges, we need the alphabet of the arts just as much as we need scientific methods. Social progress requires both reason and the senses, they are equally important. We need to create a common language, a basis to support mutual understanding, be more open to respective approaches and methods so we can use them to support a more sustainable, diverse, humane, and just society; meaning, a better future. With this in mind, Gerhard Willert’s collaboration with Julian Reiss and doctoral candidates on ‘Und da oben dazwischen die Sterne ' is representative of what we here at the JKU’s Circus of Knowledge want to convey to the world."

A Successful First Year at the Circus of Knowledge
Over the past year, the Circus of Knowledge has been regularly staging performances suitable for all age groups. The circus ring is both analog and digital, giving actors, musicians, scientists, artists, acrobats, clowns, - and sometimes even robots - a stage to transform science into art and create stimulating, fun, and inspiring experiences.

Circus director Airan Berg recounts: "The Circus of Knowledge has held regularly scheduled performances for over a year now. The diversity of events reflects the diversity at our university. An increasing number of departments and institutes are showing interest in becoming more actively involved, and our artistic research journeys are increasingly linked to scientific and scholarly research at the JKU. The public is also attending more performances and appreciating our work. We are very happy that our program is being so well received, particularly in these times of crisis."

A Few Highlights:

• Between March and mid-November 2022, the Circus put on 145 events in a wide range of disciplines (theater, dance, performances, discussions, readings, workshops), attracting over 7,000 visitors and guests.
• Internationally renowned artists (such as Klaus Maria Brandauer, Anne Bennent, Otto Lechner, and TEXTA) have performed at the Circus of Knowledge, along with local talent (such as Andreas Pfaffenberger and Alexandra Mayer-Pernkopf).
• The majority of performances were created especially for the new venue and there were a total of 8 world premieres.
• There was a special focus on performances for kids & teens and the Circus held a total of 84 performances for school classes. In addition, and together with the JKU’s School of Education and area of JKU Art & Science, the Circus of Knowledge submitted a joint project to be funded by Sparkling Science. The goal is to spark enthusiasm and curiosity for research and scientific discovery and encourage young people to see themselves as changemakers and activists.
• There are partnerships with local artists and institutions (such as the inclusive Linz cultural festival sicht:wechsel, the Long Night of Stages, and Children's Culture Week), as well as with various JKU institutes and departments.
• Inclusion is one of the Circus of Knowledge’s underlying values and including those with special needs involves commissioning artists who have disabilities and taking a close look at corresponding topics. Performances also include services for often ‘overlooked’ audience members by providing sign language translation during many performances.
   

Off to New Adventures: Brandauer & Jules Verne, Kasperl, Kepler & Galilei, State Theater & Helix Projects, and much more...
The Circus of Knowledge intends to continue its path of success. Many new performances, premieres, and other formats (in cooperation with various JKU institutes) are scheduled from now until July. 2023 will start by focusing the well-being of kids & teens, premiering "Kasperls Mut! Das tut gut" developed in cooperation with the Linz Puppet Theater. The kids & teens focus in lieu of well-being in March also includes a project "Safe Space - Brave Space" in cooperation with Teach for Austria and starting at six so-called ‘hotspot schools’. For the second time, Klaus Maria Brandauer will also hold a reading at the Circus of Knowledge in March, kicking off a new series "A Mirror Pastwards/Spiegel in die Vergangenheit" featuring famous actors reading sci-fi classics. Brandauer will captivate audiences with "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea" by Jules Verne. Austrian accordionist, Otto Lechner, will play his repertoire again at the Circus of Knowledge and Anne Bennent will revive "rubisco-variations". As an encore, Lechner will interpret the famous 1973 Pink Floyd album "The Dark Side of the Moon".

An Exciting Children’s Program
Young visitors in particular can enjoy special performances in the coming months. Following the success of "Faszination Krake", in June 2023, the Circus of Knowledge will once again explore the wonders of the ocean and the mysterious world of jellyfish with a staging of "Faszination Qualle - Geheimnisvolle Schönheiten", a new book by Michael Stavarič and Michèle Ganser (Helix Projects/Christine Maria Krenn & Leykam Publishing). This musical performance gives kids ages 4+ an opportunity to embark on a voyage of discovery into the undiscovered vastness of the ocean and the wonders of science.

Director Christine Maria Krenn is very excited: "Learning by using both hands and feet! This production with the Circus of Knowledge reinforces my concept of holistic learning and will facilitate valuable creative and participation processes."

The popular performance of MondTraum & PlanetenKlang, a fantastic shadow theater journey about the life and times of Johannes Kepler, will resume in January. Puppeteer Andreas Pfaffenberger and director Martina Winkel are also creating a new program: Their current theater production, ÜBERRASCHUNG!, is about the two Kepler twins, Jo & Jo. In April, the audience venture with Jo & Jo into the world mathematics, numbers, figures, and inventors.

With this in mind, it’s off to new adventures! The full program is available in the appendix. While admission to all of the events is still free, the Circus of Knowledge gratefully welcomes and appreciates donations. As space is limited, please register in advance to attend performances: www.jku.at/zirkus-des-wissens, opens an external URL in a new window.