Circus director awarded KTH's Great Prize
Inspired by acrobats, Tilde Björfors found a way to manage her fears and dare to believe that it is possible to achieve the impossible. Now the director and founder of Cirkus Cirkör is receiving KTH's Great Prize for almost 30 years of artistic and educational work.
"It feels cataclysmic. I feel honored,” Björfors says. “It’s also very appropriate in economically difficult times like these.
“It's fantastic that KTH is investing in and awarding prizes for cultural activities in the current situation," she says. Björfors is currently in Paris working on setting up collaborations with French partners for an upcoming performance.
Björfors' experience in artistic circus work goes back to the mid-1990s when she was introduced to contemporary circus in France. She then decided to start Sweden's first such company.
The award citation states that since then she has "raised contemporary circus to new levels, created a school and established the genre in Sweden. With elegance, equilibrium and persistence, she has opened new doors to an artistry that breaks the boundaries of what is possible both in the imagination and in the ring."
Today, Cirkus Cirkör is the largest in the Nordic region and has a circus high school and extensive educational activities. At Stockholm University of the Arts, Tilde Björfors has initiated and developed a bachelor's degree program in circus.
An ecosystem
She likens it to an ecosystem or two chambers in a heart. In the artistic productions - a total of 30 full-scale shows that have entertained and made a statement and have been shown worldwide - the artists also work as teachers. The educational activities train the circus stars of the future.
When Björfors explains why she fell in love with the art form she has devoted her life to, she says it's all about daring to dream big and the art of managing your fears. The circus is like a metaphor for life - the acrobat's job is to turn risks into opportunities.
“Acrobats show in a physical and tangible way that we humans are capable of so much more than we think. They do risky things but have to make sure it works, otherwise injuries occur. Therefore, there is a large bank of knowledge in contemporary circus on how to make the impossible possible.
This was also true for Björfors herself when, as a young person, she worried about being limited and that fear would set the framework for her life. The New Circus showed that fear can be overcome.
“I used the acrobatic training as a way to practice my courage. Facing problems became a springboard for new opportunities. It has helped me a lot to be more daring in other areas - to tackle and approach difficult problems.
Interdisciplinary research
Over the years, Björfors has received some thirty prizes and awards for her leadership and artistic work. Until recently, she was professor of contemporary circus at the Stockholm University of the Arts.
Her research, which is still ongoing, is interdisciplinary, cross-border and often results in concrete performances. Brain research, technology, pedagogy and organization are all topics that have been investigated.
Are you satisfied with what you have achieved so far in contemporary circus in Sweden?
“I am very happy with what we have done and touched when I come across world stars in the circus arts that I once helped train. Or when I meet people who have realized their dreams in other professions but once attended our school and learned to defy fear.”
And satisfied?
“I have a hard time with that state. I always want a little more, a little deeper and a little higher. All my curiosity is still there.”
Björfors has both Swedish and international projects in the pipeline. In Sweden, she is working with Malmö Stadsteater. Out in Europe, a project in Prague with glass artists and in the UK a collaboration in video art. All projects aim to result in new cross-border performances.
Text: Christer Gummeson