The finger-pointing and calls for solidarity for Ukrainian refugees have started quickly in the European Union.Continue reading
Since March 2022, the Capital Circus of Budapest, operated by the National Center for Circus Arts, has welcomed more than 100 Ukrainian artists, students of the Kiev and Kharkiv Artist Schools. They have since continued their studies in Budapest, and this summer they also performed at the National Theater in Hungary in a production put together at the request of the organizers of the International Circus Festival in Monte Carlo.
Support for the students has continued ever since. In September, important school equipment for the trainee artists under the auspices of the National Center for Circus Arts was brought by the International Organization for Migration, a member organization of the United Nations.
Ukrainian artists coming to Hungary come as a community, and the experience of being together is very important to them. Moreover, from the very first moment, the children spend their days in a strict order, striving for specific goals in sports and artistic activities.
In addition to providing accommodation and three meals a day for refugees, the National Center for Circus Arts provides opportunities for practice and performance, employment and learning, recreational programs, as well as full assistance with administration and access to specialist services.
An unprecedented cooperation has been created in the Hungarian circus society, and this unique situation also offers further opportunities: those involved can learn from each other and from each other’s culture and professional knowledge.
Refugees from the war are divided into several groups. There are families of performers who know that the Capital Circus of Budapest is a safe haven where they can rest, get accommodation, food, and necessary equipment, and then join their relatives in Western Europe. However, young trainee artists who have been forced to leave their homes and have nowhere else to go have also found a home in Budapest.
Featured photos via MTI/Balogh Zoltán