Circus around the Block

Boost Producties 2025

For the program Amsterdam 750 Years City in 2025, Boost Productions was given the opportunity to develop Circus around the Block.

Theater maker Lennie Visser spent a year immersed in an Amsterdam neighborhood. By drawing weekly on the square, visiting residents, and participating in various neighborhood initiatives, she became intimately acquainted with the neighborhood's stories, customs, and challenges.

Her activities in the neighbourhood ranged from painting wooden blocks to circus workshops for all ages, and from spontaneous neighbourhood performances to stilt walkers strolling through the streets.

At the same time, designer Jelle Engel delved into the history of this particular part of Amsterdam. Using public websites and platforms, he collected anecdotes, photos, and facts. Strikingly, what is now a bustling residential area was still marshy meadowland 130–150 years ago. Based on these discoveries, he created visual designs, supplemented with artworks created during the neighbourhood activities.

Thus, together with residents, a unique circus walk was born: playful, visual, historical, and above all, very human. A meeting of neighbours, stories, technology, and circus.