BECOME A MAKER FOR A DAY
Make your mark at this Special Edition of Back to Base
This year, we celebrate the twentieth edition of Back to Base. What started as an open stage for circus makers has grown into a recurring meeting place for artists, audiences and professionals in Amsterdam. For this anniversary edition, we are choosing a special format.
The call is open to artists of all nationalities, provided they maintain a professional practice in the Netherlands. We invite artists to present an act or excerpt of up to 8 minutes. Each selected artist will be given their own space, while the audience follows a route through the building in three groups, visiting the different acts. This format comes with a number of practical conditions:
- Performance area: maximum 8 x 8 metres
- Maximum height: 3.5 metres
- No rigging possible
- The act must be suitable for performing three times in a row (up to 8 minutes)
- Technical requirements should be kept to a minimum (you are self-sufficient)
The focus is on artistic quality, experimentation and strong ideas. You are welcome to create something specifically for this occasion or tailor your proposal to the studio space. Use the limitations as a starting point: for this twentieth edition, we are returning to the essence of Back to Base, both literally and figuratively. As in previous editions, the evening concludes with a Circus Café, offering the opportunity to exchange thoughts with audience members and professionals after the performances.
You can find the technical specifications of the spaces here: Kleine Zaal, Studio Stork, Studio Cube.
We welcome both emerging and established performing artists whose work places circus at its core. Each selected participant will receive a fee of €300 and reimbursement of travel expenses within the Netherlands.
To celebrate this twentieth edition, we have invited Sinking Sideways to present a 20-minute work-in-progress in the main hall. The collective previously participated in Back to Base and was also selected as a Maker for a Week at TENT. Their presentation will form the festive closing event of the evening, bringing all participants together for a shared finale.
Applications can be submitted via the Google Form until Sunday, October 4, 2026.
If you have any questions regarding the technical conditions, please feel free to contact Silvy Hendriks at [email protected].
BACK TO BASE #20 • SA November 7 • 20:00
LOCATION Podium Likeminds, Amsterdam
DEADLINE SU October 4, 23:59
SELECTION Week 41
APPLY via google.form
If you apply, please make sure you will be able to attend on Saturday November 7, both during the day and in the evening. The form can be completed in Dutch or English. In case of selection the submitted texts and images will be used - by mutual agreement - as basis for the promotion of Back to Base #20.
MAKER FOR
A DAY