BNG Circus Award

To encourage and support emerging circus talent, we present the BNG Circus Award annually. The cash prize enables talents to further develop themselves. The Circus Award is given to the most promising talent graduating that year from one of the two higher education circus programmes in the Netherlands: Codarts in Rotterdam and Fontys Academy for Circus and Performance Art in Tilburg.

Festival Circolo BNG Circusprijs Jostijn Ligtvoet Fotografie.png

Winner BNG Circus Award 2025

On the final days of Festival Circolo in Tilburg, four up-and-coming circus talents amazed the jury and audience with their short presentations. The nominees were:

  • Tim van den Bos de Lucas - Kenova (Fontys Circus and Performance Arts)
  • Lily Nolan - With Eyes Closed (Codarts Circus)
  • Tom Laurent - Make the Unseen Visible (Codarts Circus)
  • Tatjana Sommer - ZAP (Codarts Circus)

After the performance on Sunday 19 October, the winner of the BNG Circus Prize was announced. Tim received the title and cash prize of €7,500 from Margo Mulder, Mayor of Bergen op Zoom and board member of the BNG Culture Fund.

Jury report

“With Kenova, Tim van den Bos demonstrates to Lucas how parkour can be utilised to combine movement, dramaturgy, and scenography into a universally relatable and impressively professional performance.”

Jury

The jury for the BNG Circus Award 2025 consisted of:

  • Marc Eysink Smeets, director of Festival Circolo, former board member of Circuspunt (nominations & selection of winner)
  • Britt Timmermans, Knot On Hands, winner of the BNG Bank Circus Award 2019 (nominations & selection of winner)
  • Carole van Ditzhuyzen, Maas Theater&Dans (nominations)
  • David Severins, Wintervariété, independent circus artist (nominations)
  • Jans Bolder-Duijker, Circustheater Zanzara, Hirondelles (selection of winner)
  • Pauline Roelants, United C (selection of winner)

Collaboration with Circuspunt

The BNG Circus Award is a project of the BNG Culture Fund and Circuspunt: the platform for the Dutch circus sector, in cooperation with Festival Circolo. Circuspunt is a platform that unites and connects creators, circus companies, festivals, theatres, training programmes, youth circuses, and circus workshops. With support and promotion, the organisation stimulates the artistic and business development of the sector. In this way, they lay a solid foundation for circus in the Netherlands.

Previous winners

  • Winner 2024: Alice Davies
  • Winner 2023: Erik Berkey
  • Winner 2022: Harvey Cobb
  • Winner 2021: Melody Nolan
  • Winner 2020: Laurance Felber, Jessica Hellmuth, Aleš Hrdlička, Christopher McAule
  • Winner 2019: Knot on Hands
  • Winner 2018: David Eisele
  • Winner 2017: Familiar Faces
  • Winners 2015: Jeugdcircus Okidoki from Meppel
  • Winners 2014: Nevermind from Zoetermeer (category Best Youth Circus) and the duo Luna & Marleen from Circus Santelli in Groningen (category Young Talent Youth Circus)
  • Winner 2013: Simsalabim (category small youth circuses)
  • Winners 2012: Circuskunst (category medium-sized youth circuses), Michaël Betrian (category young talent youth circus), and Lisa Chudalla, Codarts Circus Arts (category young talent higher education)
  • Winner 2011: Circaso
BNG Culture Fund

The BNG Culture Fund supports the arts and culture sector in the Netherlands. Read more about what the fund does.

Questions about the BNG Culture Fund?

For questions about the BNG Culture Fund, please contact:

Ana Buzón

Ana Buzón

Secretary of the BNG Culture Fund