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SERIOUS CLOWNING: "SHAPITO" AIMS TO ESTABLISH TRADITION OF TRAVELLING CIRCUS IN ARMENIA
Arts and Culture | 26.06.13 | 14:59
By Gayane Lazarian
ArmeniaNow reporter
The bright colorful circus tent - shapito - amidst the abundant summer
green of the Armenian capital is a cheerful sight that evokes
curiosity.
"The first day we were putting up the tent, people from the
neighborhood were approaching us wondering if we were gipsy," says
artistic director of the Travelling Circus Gevorg Grigoryan aka clown
Gosha. "This was my idea. I wanted people in Armenia to get to know a
travelling circus. This culture has to be developed here; people have
to perceive what a travelling circus is. Why should we lag behind the
rest of the world?" he says with pride for his brainchild.
In Yerevan the former premises of Dolphinarium now hosts the circus,
next to Komitas park. Before getting to the capital the circus offered
joy and laughter to the residents of Abovyan, Ashtarak and Artashat
towns.
"Somebody came up in Artashat and asked what this is. We said it was a
circus. 'All right, so circus you say, ha? But, what is going to be
inside?' At another place someone made an assumption: 'They have
knocked down the circus and left you wondering in the streets.' It is
not surprising, because people in Armenia are not familiar with the
concept, they have never seen a mobile circus," says Grigoryan, who
has devoted three decades of his life to circus.
"Gosha" has been performing since he was 14, graduated Moscow Circus
Academy, worked at the Soviet State Circus. After the collapse of the
Soviet Union, he worked on contract basis at various circuses. He says
circus doesn't age, it is universal art.
"Abroad 70 percent of the audience is adults; only those come with
children who either do not have anyone to leave them with or want to
show a doggie to the child. I am a clown, but the program is designed
both for adults and children. The claim that circus is only for
children is a remnant of the Soviet demagogic heritage," he says,
explaining that "shapito" means tent translated from Italian
(sciapito). There are more than 400 functioning in Europe.
The performers invited from Russia, the Ukraine and two locals, and
the animals - 3 bears, 3 monkeys, dogs and reptiles - are housed next
to the circus tent. They will stay in Yerevan till September; so far
they have performed five times here. The tent holds up to 800
spectators.
"We have done everything at our own expense with our own means. And it
does not matter whether we would profit or not, what matters most is
that we are doing something good for our children," he says.
>From Yerevan the circus will travel to Gyumri, Artik, Vanadzor,
Dilijan and so on to cities and towns of Armenia, then leave for
Nagorno Karabakh. Close to Christmas time it will return to Yerevan
and offer Armenian circus fans a new holiday program. Tickets in the
capital cost $5, but are more affordable in the provinces.
The travelling circus has been granted a premise license by the
municipality of Yerevan, however Grigoryan is unhappy about the
culture ministry's indifference.
"Of course they know that a mobile circus is performing in the
country, but nobody from our culture ministry comes to ask 'Who are
you? What a good thing you are doing! Let us be your information
sponsor, make it public, involve larger audiences, since you have
brought performers and animals.' When a child comes to a circus today
and watches a good performance, then stands up to applaud, that is due
to our efforts, isn't it, and that's culture," he says.
The first circus functioned in Yerevan in 1930s in a wooden building;
in 1939 it was replaced by a new stone building, which underwent full
repair in 1962. That very building was demolished last September and a
new one on the site is expected to be put into operation in 2014.
http://armenianow.com/arts_and_culture/47228/armenian_circus_tent_gevorg_grigoryan
Arts and Culture | 26.06.13 | 14:59
By Gayane Lazarian
ArmeniaNow reporter
The bright colorful circus tent - shapito - amidst the abundant summer
green of the Armenian capital is a cheerful sight that evokes
curiosity.
"The first day we were putting up the tent, people from the
neighborhood were approaching us wondering if we were gipsy," says
artistic director of the Travelling Circus Gevorg Grigoryan aka clown
Gosha. "This was my idea. I wanted people in Armenia to get to know a
travelling circus. This culture has to be developed here; people have
to perceive what a travelling circus is. Why should we lag behind the
rest of the world?" he says with pride for his brainchild.
In Yerevan the former premises of Dolphinarium now hosts the circus,
next to Komitas park. Before getting to the capital the circus offered
joy and laughter to the residents of Abovyan, Ashtarak and Artashat
towns.
"Somebody came up in Artashat and asked what this is. We said it was a
circus. 'All right, so circus you say, ha? But, what is going to be
inside?' At another place someone made an assumption: 'They have
knocked down the circus and left you wondering in the streets.' It is
not surprising, because people in Armenia are not familiar with the
concept, they have never seen a mobile circus," says Grigoryan, who
has devoted three decades of his life to circus.
"Gosha" has been performing since he was 14, graduated Moscow Circus
Academy, worked at the Soviet State Circus. After the collapse of the
Soviet Union, he worked on contract basis at various circuses. He says
circus doesn't age, it is universal art.
"Abroad 70 percent of the audience is adults; only those come with
children who either do not have anyone to leave them with or want to
show a doggie to the child. I am a clown, but the program is designed
both for adults and children. The claim that circus is only for
children is a remnant of the Soviet demagogic heritage," he says,
explaining that "shapito" means tent translated from Italian
(sciapito). There are more than 400 functioning in Europe.
The performers invited from Russia, the Ukraine and two locals, and
the animals - 3 bears, 3 monkeys, dogs and reptiles - are housed next
to the circus tent. They will stay in Yerevan till September; so far
they have performed five times here. The tent holds up to 800
spectators.
"We have done everything at our own expense with our own means. And it
does not matter whether we would profit or not, what matters most is
that we are doing something good for our children," he says.
>From Yerevan the circus will travel to Gyumri, Artik, Vanadzor,
Dilijan and so on to cities and towns of Armenia, then leave for
Nagorno Karabakh. Close to Christmas time it will return to Yerevan
and offer Armenian circus fans a new holiday program. Tickets in the
capital cost $5, but are more affordable in the provinces.
The travelling circus has been granted a premise license by the
municipality of Yerevan, however Grigoryan is unhappy about the
culture ministry's indifference.
"Of course they know that a mobile circus is performing in the
country, but nobody from our culture ministry comes to ask 'Who are
you? What a good thing you are doing! Let us be your information
sponsor, make it public, involve larger audiences, since you have
brought performers and animals.' When a child comes to a circus today
and watches a good performance, then stands up to applaud, that is due
to our efforts, isn't it, and that's culture," he says.
The first circus functioned in Yerevan in 1930s in a wooden building;
in 1939 it was replaced by a new stone building, which underwent full
repair in 1962. That very building was demolished last September and a
new one on the site is expected to be put into operation in 2014.
http://armenianow.com/arts_and_culture/47228/armenian_circus_tent_gevorg_grigoryan