The development of circus art in Russia until 2035 in a cultural aspect

Ganin Anatolii Andreevich Executive Director, Nationwide Union of Nonprofit Organizations 125009, Russia, Moscow region, Moscow, Vozdvizhenka str., 4/7 director.statya@mail.ru

Bushkova Tatyana Vladimirovna First Deputy General Director, Federal State Enterprise "Russian State Circus" 109012, Russia, Moscow, Pushechnaya str., 4/1 service@circus.ru

Introduction

Circus art, in comparison with other types of art, is distinguished by the integration of genres, constant work at their junction, which allows accumulating the achievements of related types of art. At the same time, circus art in the use of human potential is similar to the sports convergence of the arts, which developed in the context of the implementation of the idea of artistic synthesis and meant "crystallization of the specifics of each of them" ^{[1, p.30]}. O.S. Klepatskaya notes that the Russian circus has undergone many changes, including the formation of the institute of circus entrepreneurs, the formation of a new management circus business, which corresponded to the socio-economic demands of the time, external influences, including fashion, and remained within its aesthetic boundaries ^[2]. The Russian circus is based on fruitful soil, which includes a spiritual and moral component. E.A. Tinyakova points out that "a specific feature of the history of circus art in Russia is the fact that circus art was formed under the blessing of the Russian Orthodox Church" ^{[3, p. 43]}. So, in 1887, a circus opened in Nizhny Novgorod, its "opening was preceded by a magnificent traditional prayer service. The circus arena was covered with a carpet, tables were placed on it... The clergy came to the prayer service with an icon, which was placed in the middle of the arena. The whole circus room was sprinkled with "holy water" ^{[4, p. 206]}. The axiological fullness of the Russian circus causes a revival of interest in the circus and dictates the need to develop a strategy for the development of circus business until 2035.

The role of the circus in the formation of the socio-cultural environment

Circus art has a high level of cultural significance, and a centralized management system and a conveyor principle ensure the availability of high-quality circus programs ^[5]. The combination of these factors testifies to the significant potential of the circus industry as a tool for implementing state cultural policy, as well as a high contribution to solving socially significant tasks:

?       Strengthening of the All-Russian civic identity through the integration of the cultural heritage of various peoples and nationalities of Russia into the circus art;

?       Education of patriotic values of the younger generation through children's and youth thematic performances in circuses aimed at the harmonious development of a responsible person;

? Professional orientation of children and youth in the field of creative and creative professions by organizing systematic activities of circus studios, master classes, contests, festivals, competitions;

? Formation of a careful attitude towards nature and animals among children and young people through the demonstration of advanced technologies and approaches to working with animals, as well as humane training, keeping animals in circuses;

?       Promotion of healthy lifestyle ideas in society through wide information coverage of circus performances, which are based on tricks at the limit of human capabilities, demonstrating the excellent physical form of circus artists. E.A. Tinyakova draws attention to the fact that "every circus trick is a measurement of physical, aesthetic, artistic capabilities of a person. There can be no average level of performance here, everything is only at the highest level with the most cruel selection criteria" ^{[3, p. 39]};

?       Socialization and rehabilitation of children with disabilities by watching circus performances, as well as through classes in circus inclusive studios. I.A. Shmeleva, V.A. Belyaev note that "for the sustainable development of the city, it is important to find an optimal balance in which people with disabilities would have the same rights and freedoms as ordinary citizens" ^{[6, p.57]}; 

? Development of the investment and creative potential of the subjects of the Russian Federation through the integration of circuses into the infrastructure of the development of creative industries of territories, the development of circuses not only as entertainment, but also exhibition, concert, literary, discussion platforms.

In many cities, the circus is a cultural center. The purpose of circus art is not only to organize leisure activities for young people and adults, but, above all, to educate and educate children, to develop an aesthetic perception of the world, spirituality and morality ^[7]. In order to enhance the socio-economic effect of circus activities, a comprehensive interdepartmental approach is needed to promote circus art at the federal, regional and municipal levels.

Circus is a phenomenon of cultural and social life, which is the object of study in various fields of knowledge. "The circus in its various organizational and artistic forms and schemes of expression of artists represents a kind of social reality, a socio-cultural world sui generis. The circus represents for the viewer a pre-organized world, whose special structure of shaping is the result of a historical process and, therefore, is different for each specific culture and each specific society" ^{[8, p.17]}.

At the same time, it seems to be an ideal space for the implementation of various scientific projects in the humanitarian, natural science, and technical fields. A circus is a natural object for studying the capabilities of humans and animals, including in extreme conditions, under extreme loads and in extreme circumstances. It is also necessary to develop methodological recommendations concerning the involvement of people with disabilities in the circus environment with a view to their social integration, their inclusion in the socio-cultural environment.

The study of the capabilities of the human body in conditions of high mechanical and psychological loads of circus activity can be useful in many other areas. Thus, the Soviet cosmonaut training methodology borrowed a number of techniques from circus practice, "effective technologies of simulator training of cosmonauts have been developed to ensure the specified quality and reliability of the activities of spacecraft crew members in flight conditions" ^{[9, p. 84]}. The purpose of the research may be to determine the parameters and methods of effective adaptation (training) of the human body to various load factors, preparation for specific types of activities of special recommendations for effective selection, adaptation, use of personnel operating in extreme conditions.  

The study of animal behavior in a creative setting is necessary to clarify the boundaries of the use of animals for cultural, entertainment and educational purposes; to determine objective indicators of the quality of life of a circus animal in the entire spectrum of scenarios for the practice of maintenance, methods of evaluation and measurement of such indicators; to prepare methods for confirming humane treatment of animals by objective indicators in order to clarify standards in the designated area ^[10]. 

In order to develop circus art, it is necessary to develop new forms of support for the creation of new circus programs. At the same time, first of all, technologically complex experimental programs should receive state support, the costs of which cannot be compensated by income from their rental for five years or more. The implementation of the complex of the above-mentioned activities contributes to the cultural and scientific enrichment of circus art and acquaintance with it of the viewer.

Key directions of circus business development in the Russian Federation for the period up to 2035

The main trends in the development of circus art are determined by two factors: global vectors of the development of spectacular arts and domestic socio-cultural features. Among the global trends , one can distinguish:

? increasing the availability of spectacular arts both on a territorial and economic basis;

? development of multi-format circus performances and programs at the junction of various genres (pop, theater, cinema, animation, computer games, etc.);

? implementation of experimental and synthesis formats of circus art (combining two or more genres in one attraction, synthesis and complement with other types of arts) ^[11];

? application of modern technologies in circus business: visualization, augmented reality, holographic projection, etc.;

? mastering the online space by a modern circus, including online broadcasts of the most popular circus performances and illusion shows. 

Viewers appreciate technological additions and the use of hologram, visualization, and virtual reality technologies, but the most powerful sides for Russian and foreign viewers are the traditional circus components of circus programs:

? availability of attractions performed at a high professional level;

? the presence of technically strong tricks;

? integration of thematic numbers with serious artistic elaboration;

? work with animals using humane training technologies.

Domestic trends include:

? integration of circus art into the agenda of preservation of cultural values, development of cultures of small nations, as well as patriotic education of the younger generation;

? the growing demand for circus art among children aged 2 to 14 years;

? increasing the humanity of modern training, significantly improving the conditions of keeping and using animals for cultural and entertainment purposes;

? rapid development of creative industries, including in terms of spectacular arts.

Unlike the Russian circus industry, the Western model is more segmented. The first segment represents a small number of innovative high—tech world-class shows: Cirque du Soleil, illusionist shows - D. Copperfield, K. Angel, etc. ^[12]. There is a convergence of high-performance sports, sports shows and a number of genres of circus art ^[13]. 

The second segment is the traditional circus troupes with stationary venues or circus — tent as a base site. The third segment is amateur or professional circus performers with individual numbers and programs, mainly performing on stage or on the street and creating conditions for the development of tourism. In Russia, the first and third segments are presented in a relatively small volume, and the second is integrated into the general system of the circus conveyor due to its high demand among children and family audiences. 

Development prospects

Currently, Russia faces the task of creating a new system for promoting cultural values that does not depend on hostile geopolitical manifestations. In the circus business, the development of relations with the EurAsEC, SCO and BRICS countries is promising, in which the popularity of circus art is traditionally high. Circus systems in Russia, China and India are world leaders. It is necessary to work out organizational procedures for the exchange of numbers and programs, holding international congresses and festivals, to reach an agreement on the exchange of students of specialized educational institutions, as well as universities specializing in the designated areas ^[14].

A significant direction for the further creative development of the Russian circus system until 2035 should be the creation of qualitatively new circus programs and performances using the capabilities of related arts (theater, cinema, variety, etc.) and the use of modern technologies. These circus programs are provided with modern lighting and musical accompaniment, special effects are commercially attractive ^[15]. They are based on circus performances of different genres, combined into a program taking into account the overall composition, stylistics and semantic load ^[16].

A promising direction for the development of modern circus art until 2035 is story-themed performances based on specially created dramaturgical works. The promotion of such works requires significant costs to achieve commercial success, however, circus performances are the most promising format of circus art from the point of view of the implementation of state cultural policy, as well as patriotic education of the younger generation.

Animal performances as one of the distinctive features of Russian circus art should remain an important element of circus programs. At the same time, modern world trends in the development of human-animal relationships suggest the use of only humane training methods in the circus. Circus tricks in rooms with animals should be based on a game, a spectacular display of the beauty of an animal, which solves several tasks at once — introducing the younger generation to the spectacular arts and developing humane treatment of animals, the ability to interact with them within the circus space ^[17].

An effective tool for improving the artistic level of circus performances is the preservation and development of circus competitions and festivals, especially international ones, which push cultural boundaries. It is necessary to carry out systematic work on the preparation of the numbers and the subsequent display at the circus venues of the country, taking into account the current foreign policy conditions.

Purposeful state support of circus art involves the expansion of the genre diversity of the circus repertoire, the appeal to patriotic themes within the framework of performances, the elimination of existing genre imbalances. It seems necessary to establish the effective work of the Circus Art Center of the Russian State Circus Company on the preparation of new circus acts, attractions, programs. In the development perspective until 2035, it is necessary to provide mechanisms for investing in new circus products at all stages of the life cycle: starting from concepts (startups) of circus performances, and ending with assistance in the rental of full-fledged performances ^[18]. It is advisable to work out the procedure for selecting initiatives and projects in the field of circus art, as well as the issue of forming a trust fund under the Russian State Circus Company to create new numbers, attractions and programs, the sources of replenishment of which will be deductions and other investments of the founder of the fund, as well as state subsidies and private donations.

An increase in the number of high-quality circus programs is possible on the basis of the Circus Art Center, modernized as innovative audiovisual solutions are introduced, whose key tasks are to update the material base of circuses and equip them with modern technical means. The modernization should take into account and maintain the traditions of Russian and Soviet circuses, a variety of programs and accessibility for viewers of all ages ^[19].

The basis of a high-quality circus product until 2035 are circus performances and attractions that require state support for a full cycle of events, the formation of an effective system of interaction of all participants in the circus art market at each stage:

? forming a request for new presentation elements;

? setting the number ^[20];

? organization of the rehearsal process;

? production of costumes, props, props;

? purchase of necessary equipment.

It is advisable to provide preferences for distributors who supplement the programs with new numbers and attractions. 

In various sectors of the economy, including creative industries, an ecosystem approach to the organization of public and private support is practiced. It is recommended to implement such measures for the circus art sphere until 2035 in the directions of the support ecosystem:

? creation of circus programs (creation of ideas-concepts of circus performances, formation of a circus program, staging of a program, rental of a program, export of circus art);

? creation of rooms and attractions; ecosystem of training for circus art;

? related industries (innovations in creating props and props, broadcasting circus performances, etc.).

Conclusion

The objective of the development of circus art in Russia until 2035 in the cultural aspect is its popularization among the population, increasing its contribution to the cultural life of the country, technological and organizational improvement of circus business, social protection of circus artists and circus groups, expansion of the international positions of the Russian circus. To do this, you need:

? increase the popularity of the circus as a form of family leisure and tourist attraction;

? maintain and develop the material base of the circus;

? form the basis for the development and introduction of new circus products;

? develop intersectoral and interdepartmental cooperation;

? increase the prestige of circus support at the federal, regional and municipal levels, as well as in the corporate sector;

? expand the range and improve the quality of circus products;

? modernize the system of maintenance and development of circus personnel and supporting staff of the circus industry;

? to raise the international status of Russian circus organizations and collectives.

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