Be Flat is a street-born urban circus collective
We bring people together through performance and play, turning streets, cultural venues and unexpected locations into living playgrounds.
We believe art should be “flat”: not destined for some higher plane, but part of everyday life. The moment, the place and the people present all take part in what the performance becomes.
Founded in Ghent in 2017 by Ward Mortier and Thomas Decaesstecker, the collective has since developed performances that live in the urban space, shaped by architecture, context and the energy of the audience.
With work that travels across cities and countries, adapting to each new context it encounters along the way.
How
we work
Eachspace is determined by its own physical and social aspects. A performance can radically change that space. Rather then imposing a one-way artistic proposition, Be Flat enters in dialogue with the space and its inhabitants, incorporating both into the final event.
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Be Flat’s work is created for and with people.
There is no strict separation between performers and audience, and no fixed perspective from which the work must be experienced.
What happens during a performance is shared and shaped in the moment. The presence of people is not an addition, but an essential part of the work itself.
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A space has both physical and social aspects that make them into what they are. The happening of a performance radically changes a space. Rather then imposing a one-way artistic proposition, Be Flat dialogues with spaces and their inhabitants and approaches them as inherent part of the event.
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Alongside touring performances, Be Flat also develops one-off creations, workshops and masterclasses.
These projects are often created in close collaboration with organisers, festivals or local partners and respond to a specific context, event or group. Formats range from short interventions to longer participatory trajectories, depending on the project.
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Depending on the project, performances can take place outdoors, indoors or in hybrid settings.
Technical requirements vary per creation and are always adapted to the context. Detailed technical information is available per project and can be requested directly.
what they think
“Be Flat’s socio-artistic circus is a magnificent opportunity to enhance the possibilities of differentiated receptions among spectators.”
— Noémi Dujardin, Author Stagelync
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“The tight direction gives momentum to the performance. Living brings vitality and a pleasant sense of disruption to the group.”
— Tuur Devens, Author Theaterkrant
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“The way circus can be perceived is questioned and stretched, without it ever feeling unnatural or forced.”
— Samuel Pennyck, Author e-tcetera
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