Can you hear the echoes of laughter and joyous chaos? This is Alto dos Palhaços. It is a place where the spirit of the circus whispers on the wind. While seemingly quiet now Alto dos Palhaços may soon resonate with the vibrant energy of a dedicated circus museum.
Imagine Portugal embracing its rich circus history. This could happen within the next ten years. The vision comes from Rui Leitão. He is the scientific coordinator of the Center for Research on Circus Arts RISCO.
Leitão envisions a national circus museum. It will preserve and celebrate Portugal’s circus heritage. The realization of this dream depends on securing national and international partnerships. Financial backing is also needed. Such a project demands substantial investment. Securing community funds will be essential.
Consider the initial steps. Establishing technical reserves alone requires significant funding. A dedicated technical team is needed. They will manage and expand the collections. Securing suitable storage space is also key. Leitão estimates that these preliminary efforts could cost between 300000 and 500000 euros per year. Constructing a physical museum space will require even greater investment.
Despite the challenges dedicated work is underway. For two and a half years efforts have been made to establish a circus museum in Portugal. Discussions are ongoing with various municipalities in the north of the country. RISCO has established partnerships to support this endeavor.
Partners include the University of Minho. The Porto Higher School of Education is also a partner. They offer a Masters in Heritage Studies. International collaborations extend to the University of Campinas in Brazil. Brazil is home to the Circus Memory Center. It is the only exclusive circus museum in Latin America. Additionally RISCO collaborates with Circo Conteúdo. This is a Portuguese-language circus research portal.
Currently RISCO’s collection includes over 500 historical documents. These documents were donated by six circus families in Portugal. The collection includes clown costumes. There are also hundreds of color photographs. Original scores from the Circo Chen orchestras are present. Management and administration correspondence from 2000-2004 are also included.
Leitão emphasizes that this heritage belongs to everyone. The collection resides at the National Institute of Circus Arts INAC. However it is not exclusive to INAC. It forms part of Portuguese circus history. It belongs to all of us.
Leitão encourages anyone with circus-related items to contact RISCO. This includes family legacies passed down through generations. The center aims to study and showcase this patrimony. Since 2023 RISCO has been connecting with circus families. They seek to understand and share their material and immaterial heritage.
Creating conditions to safeguard this heritage is crucial. The circus museum promises to be a place of preservation and celebration. It will keep the laughter alive for generations to come at Alto dos Palhaços.
So breathe it in. That joyful potential hovers in the air around Alto dos Palhaços. It awaits the day when circus memories find their home.