For 15 years, the arts printing house has organized a festival – "New Circus Weekend". This year the festival changes its name and will now be met – on behalf of the international contemporary circus - HELIUM!

HELIUM PROGRAM:

HELIUM | IT SHOULDN'T HAVE LEGS | Fauna Circus (SWE/UK) 

In a world of meta, macro and micro imagery, somewhere between fiction and reality a collective biography unfolds. Surrealism that breathes, jumps and thrives in impossible circumstances, yet despite its abstraction, this world is much like our own. A dichotomy between natural life and technological advancement, a journey through the inevitably changing psyche of characters as they cycle through life, connecting and disconnecting from nature, from one another.

September 7, Tuesday, 19:00 / September 8, Wednesday, 19:00

Location: Arts Printing House (Šiltadaržis st. 6)

Duration: 1 hour

Tickets: https://bit.ly/FAUNATickets

 HELIUM | HOLY | Emil Dahl (SWE)  

This visually minimalistic piece uses balance to create fragile sculptures in real time. A hypnotizing atmosphere is created through groundbreaking technique and unique imagery.

With modern juggling techniques and clean Scandinavian design as guidance, this piece will help elevate juggling to the same level as other art forms.

 September 8, Wednesday, 18:00

Location: Studio II, Arts Printing House (Šiltadaržis st. 6)

Duration: 45 min

Age: 13+

Tickets: https://bit.ly/HOLYTickets

 HELIUM | O‘DD | Race Horse Company (FI) 

A SciFi-inspired cinematic journey of an ultraphysical circus – this futuristic dream pulls you into another dimension. O’DD is a multidisciplinary adventure story of humanity in the guts of gravity. It plays with the laws of physics until they bend and break. Unknown threats collide with acrobatics beyond imagination. O’DD is a new kind of direction for contemporary circus, and a bold continuum to Race Horse Company’s hit shows like “Petit Mal” and “Super Sunday”.

September 10, Friday, 19:00 / September 11, Saturday, 19:00

Location: Black Hall, Arts Printing House (Šiltadaržis st. 6)

Duration: 1 hour

Tickets: https://bit.ly/ODDTickets

 HELIUM | MONSTRO | Collectif sous le manteau (FR)  

It exists in each of us. We confront ourselves with it personally. And whoever is around us will also have to get to know it. Moreover, in creating its own identity, a collective will develop its own monster versus the individual. Group dynamic.

Vivant en Bretagne provided financial support for the creation of the show.

September 14, Tuesday 18:30 / September 15, Wednesday 18:30

Location: courtyard of the Arts Printing House (Šiltadaržis st. 6)

Duration: 1 hour

Age: 8+

Tickets: https://bit.ly/MonstroTickets

HELIUM | WAKE UP | Corentin Diana & Leonardo Ferreira (FR / PT)  

Two men appear on an endless trajectory, their path is linear and continuous, but their temporalities are distinguished. One in a distant obsession, frozen in its space-time. A dusty strangeness that makes us travel in the past. The communication is dramatic and evolves in a gestural and acrobatic sense.

September 14, Tuesday, 20:00

Location: Studio II, Arts Printing House (Šiltadaržis st. 6)

Duration: 30 min

Tickets: https://bit.ly/HeliumWakeUpTickets

HELIUM BALTIC PROGRAMME: 

HELIUM | THREE SISTERS | Big Wolf Company (EE) 

How strong legs does one need to have to break a log? What is needed to give birth in the middle of a field? And what is there to be done, if there are no men on sight and the whole future a woman sees ahead is work, more work and the company of one's envious, vicious and yet incredibly loving sisters... Inspired by folk songs and stories, “Three Sisters” is a performance that talks about the great women of the Nordic countries – of their tenderness, strength, convictions and fears.

September 9, Thursday, 19:00

Location: courtyard of the Arts Printing House (Šiltadaržis st. 6)

Duration: 45 min

Age: 5+

Free / Registration: https://bit.ly/THREESISTERSregistracija

HELIUM | ONE HUNDRED AND SEVEN WAYS TO DEAL WITH PRESSURE | Kanta Company (LT/FI/US) 

Pressure that the live performance would be as good as its presentation online. Pressure to train constantly and stay in good physical shape. Pressure to show the audience the best version of the performance. This circus show is exactly about such and similar pressure. Psychological pressure is strongly associated with stress, however, circus artists are interested not only in its psychological but also in the physical aspect of it.

September 11, Saturday, 17:00

Location: Studio II, Arts Printing House (Šiltadaržis st. 6)

Duration: 30 min

Free / Registration: https://bit.ly/PRESSUREregistracija

HELIUM | HIPPOPOTAMUS | Cirkus Sabok (EE) 

On stage, two characters take us through an emotional journey filled with acrobatics as they take action to leave their baggage behind. Good might keep on getting better, but how to coexist with the worst versions of ourselves wanting to join the party? Some things are as hard to hide like a hippopotamus in a room.

September 12, Sunday 13:00

Location: Black Hall, Arts Printing House (Šiltadaržis st. 6)

Duration: 25 min

Free / Registration: https://bit.ly/HIPPOPOTAMUSregistracija

HELIUM | UP TO THIS POINT | Taigi cirkas (LT/LV)

In this creative work, the authors investigate the points of contact between the creative practices of three circus artists: all of them were searching for their artistic path in unusual conditions. How do they feel and how do their bodies change? How do body changes affect our psyche and the other way around – how are our thoughts reflected in the bodies? What happens, when three creators, who are used to walking their unique paths along with their faithful props, meet in the creative space? Materials that surround us create spaces, lines, metaphors, it seems, that they live their own lives, have their own will and do not necessarily obey us.

September 12, Sunday, 18:00

Location: Black Hall, Arts Printing House (Šiltadaržis st. 6)

Duration: 40 min

Free / Registration: https://bit.ly/UPTOTHISPOINTregistracija

The programme of the festival is supported by: Lithuanian Council for Culture, Vilnius City Municipality, French Institute in Lithuania.