Tai Kwun’s Parade Ground hosts VOÛTE, a contemporary circus production by Cirque du Corbak, an ensemble founded by three graduates of France’s Centre National des Arts du Cirque, or CNAC. VOÛTE runs until May 24 with shows at 6pm and 8pm daily. Presented as part of French May’s French Rendezvous@Tai Kwun, the performance is free to the public.
Founded in 1985 with support from the French Ministry of Culture, CNAC is internationally recognized for advancing contemporary circus as a serious art form. Its training places equal emphasis on technical precision and creative research – an approach evident in VOÛTE’s measured exploration of balance, structure, and collective movement.
The performance emphasizes coordination and teamwork. Performers move in close proximity, seamlessly counterbalancing, supporting, and responding to one another as the apparatus becomes fully integrated into the choreography rather than serving as a backdrop. What stands out most is the precision – and the trust – required to carry out each sequence with control and cohesion.
There is no traditional ringmaster or storyline to guide what to look for. The performers move in and out of formations, testing their balance and adjusting to one another as they go. Some sequences unfold slowly; others gather speed without warning. Much of the interest lies in the details – a hand shifting position, a shoulder taking weight, a brief pause before the next lift. The focus remains on how the group works together from moment to moment.
Performed in the open courtyard of Tai Kwun’s former Central Police Station, the work occupies a space most visitors recognize for its granite buildings and long balconies. Temporary rigging is installed in the Parade Ground, rising before the historic facades. The contrast is simple yet striking – contemporary circus staged within one of Hong Kong’s best-known heritage sites.
Additional family workshops and other activities later in the program offer audiences opportunities to engage more closely with the practice behind the performance.
Supported by the Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust and presented in partnership with Tai Kwun, VOÛTE reflects France’s institutional commitment to circus arts and Hong Kong’s ongoing investment in accessible cultural programming.
Bernard Charnwut Chan is the chairman of the West Kowloon Cultural District
𝗗𝗼𝘄𝗻𝗹𝗼𝗮𝗱 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝗔𝗽𝗽 ↓
