We are Petra, born 1992 in Vienna, Austria, and Felix, born 1991 in Dresden, Germany. The first time our paths crossed was 2012 in Berlin. Both of us had decided to start a study at the private circus school Die Etage to become professional circus artists.

Soon after we applied for a higher education at Fontys Academy of Circus and Performance Art (ACAPA) in Tilburg, Netherlands. There we focused on partner acrobatics for four years and formed a quartet together with Hendrik Van Maele and Josse De Broeck. Since our graduation in 2017 we create and perform together as the collective Familiar Faces.

Having worked with various companies in recent years, our aim is to take our experiences and bring them into our work as a duo. As Maker for a week, we will explore the human connection of a couple, and how to make this connection visible and relatable to an audience. With our skills in handstand, headstand and hand-to-hand, we look for a balance of strength and vulnerability on stage. Our aim is to stay true to ourselves and present real emotions rather than acting.

We met TENT during our studies at ACAPA. In our internship with TENT, we created a performance with Thomas Falk, which led to the Peregrin Project. They have welcomed us into their residency space with Familiar Faces and support the solo research of our colleague Hendrik Van Maele. Our show Surface was presented on the first edition of This is not a circus in 2021.

Since we always kept a warm-hearted connection with TENT, we could not imagine a better place for a first try out of our duo.

MAINTENANCE • JULY 22 UNTIL 28, 2022Can we make our connection visible on stage, despite being distant?