Day one of the international conference includes following lectures- “Circus vs Conservative Postulates: Woman is not Destined to be Miraculous“ (Ivan Kralj, Croatia), “A Female Phaethon: Gloria by Ranko Marinković“ (Morana Čale, Croatia), “On the Move; women in and out of the international circus ring” (Jessica Kendall, G. Britain), “Legendary Performances: Gendered Outrage in Australian Circus (Oz)” (Peta Tait, Australia), “Circumflexion and/as cirumfession: Angela Laurier and/as Jacques Derrida” (Nataša Govedić, Croatia) and a film projection – “A Plane Without Wings is a Rocket“ (Australia).

Day two of the international conference includes the following lectures- “Brazen, Bare, Beautiful and Bearded: Circus Women and the Making of Modernity” (Janet Davis, USA), “Gender Beyond Gender in Circus” (Camilla Damkjaer, Sweden), “From traditional to new circus: Women’s place and esthetics” (Anne Quentin, France), “Female circus performers and artification: the passage to art and its implications” (Magali Sizorn, France), “Heavenly Horses & Exquisite Equestriennes” (Rose English, G. Britain), “Production, Domesticity and Motherhood: Women in Traditional British Circuses” (Yoram Carmeli, Israel), “Taming the Pain: Female Body and the Circus” (Jana Drašler, Slovenia).

Starting point of a first of several Circussions (or circus discussions) in a row is a video of a performance called „ What if…? my eyes never see what your eyes see“ by British artist Layla Rosa (Muslim). A performance installationstarring Virgina Fernandez de Gamboa, Geneva Foster Gluck and Layla Rosa is all about looking through the eyes of another: inside, outside, behind and beyond the veil. The focus is set on a lost cultural identity.

Although a founder of The Center of Equestrian Circus Arts at Noailles, Valérie Fratellini originates from a distinguished family of clowns. As a seventeen-year-old, she formed the first female clown duo with her mother Annie – Annie was Auguste, Valérie a white clown. Out of modesty and due respect for her mother, Valérie would never call herself a clown.

Final round-table conference for „Women & Circus“ will sum up the experience of the academic-performing meeting held in Zagreb and attempt to set possible questions for future dealings with the issues of women in circus and the circus in a woman.