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 the International Festival of Theatre Schools in Thrissur in late January 2027.