Circus and its Others is thrilled to announce that its fifth international conference will take place in Kerala, India, in January-February 2027! 

Through our conference theme, “Embracing flows and challenging genealogies: Ruptures, remains, and resurrections in circus studies and practice” we will explore the disciplinary, historical, creative, and intellectual inheritances that shape our understanding and practice of circus. 

Kerala is known in South Asia as the cradle of Indian circus, and as conference co-organizer Aastha Gandhi (2023) has explored, circus there demonstrates the ongoing and complex interplay of local, regional, and global forces that continue to shape the field. Thrissur, our host city, is a particularly vibrant site of festivals, academies, and cultural institutions, with strong ritual and performance traditions. CaiO V will take place in the context of one of two long-standing festivals in Kerala: the International Theatre Festival of Kerala or the International Festival of Theatre Schools, both of which take place in Thrissur in late January / early February 2027 (exact date and host festival to be announced in mid-2026). 

Our Call for Participation can be accessed here or by clicking on “Call for Participation” above. 

We look forward to seeing your responses to the Call for Participation by 15 March 2026! Come join us in Kerala!

The conference logo features a Koothambalam, a typical Keralan performance space, infused with the vibrant hues of a circus tent, set against the backdrop of Kerala's landscape. The gajam (“elephant” in Malayalam), is essential to the cultural fabric and festivities of this region, particularly in Thrissur, which is renowned for its annual elephant parade, Thrissur Pooram.