The arts council met with members of Ireland’s leading traditional circuses in Dublin yesterday in advance of the publication of a new Circus policy in late 2025r.
The Arts Council’s strategy is guided by “Making Great Art Work” (2016-2025), targeting five key areas to develop the arts landscape.
The policy distinguishes between traditional/classical and contemporary circus practices. The council notes that circus draws substantial audiences annually, including rural communities and newcomers to various regions of Ireland.
Circuses and funfairs operate throughout Ireland from March to October, attracting over 1.5m visitors annually. Family-operated circuses and funfairs collaborate with local festivals, enhancing community ties and providing steady income streams.
The Irish Showmen’s Guild, founded in 1954, currently includes around 105 members representing approximately eighty family-run businesses. Duffy’s circus traces its origins to 1775, and Fossett’s circus to 1888. Traditional circus has been recognised as an art form in Ireland since 2003. They were joined by Circus Gerbil and Circus Vegas in recent years.
The arts council shared: We are dedicated to identifying challenges & improving strategic support to Circus artists and organisations, a valued pillar of the arts, in line with our new Circus policy to be published late 2025
