The Imaginarius festival will include in its official 2026 programme artistic projects by students or recent graduates from circus schools worldwide that are part of FEDEC – the International Network for Professional Circus Education, under a partnership that includes an international call for proposals, whose applications are open until 17 November. In the year it celebrates a quarter-century of activity promoting street arts in Portugal, Imaginarius reaffirms its position as a stage for emerging artists and a driver of new forms of creation in the field of performing arts.
This international open call allows the selection of up to six original performances (solos, duets, trios, or quartets) to be presented as part of the official Imaginarius 2026 programme, all associated with the theme of the festival’s 25th edition: “25 Years – The Body”. This participation includes a one-week residency in Santa Maria da Feira, between 13 and 20 May, as well as a performance during the festival on 21, 22 and 23 May. The participation guidelines and application form are available here.
The selected artists or groups also commit to promoting workshops with the local community or participating in cultural mediation activities, in addition to their involvement in the festival’s programming aimed at professionals. In turn, Imaginarius supports the artists’ accommodation and meals, as well as a support grant.
In evaluating the applications, the jury, composed of members from Imaginarius and FEDEC, will take into account creativity, originality, artistic quality, relevance to the festival theme, and adaptability to the stage, as well as the technical requirements of the submitted proposals. The results will be announced in mid-December.
FEDEC is an international network created to support, develop and promote education and professional training in the field of circus arts worldwide, bringing together schools, training centres and educators with the purpose of fostering collaboration, knowledge sharing and innovation in the field of contemporary circus arts.
Based on collaborative and research projects, artistic encounters, and continuous dialogue between partners, FEDEC has made a decisive contribution to the training of educators and students, ensuring that circus arts education responds to current artistic, cultural, and social challenges, in addition to recognizing the circus as an art form and profession.
Through this partnership between Imaginarius and FEDEC, the festival connects with international trends in contemporary circus, creating space for experimentation, exchange, and artistic renewal, while simultaneously supporting the new generation of creators who will shape the future of contemporary performance.
Considered one of the largest street art festivals in Portugal and a benchmark in the European scene, the Imaginarius festival annually transforms the historic centre of Santa Maria da Feira into a democratic and accessible stage, inviting domestic and international artists to challenge the limits of imagination, promoting encounters and building bridges for the construction of new understandings. The festival embraces street art as resistance, critique, and freedom, establishing itself as a space for sharing, reflection, and collective transformation.
