Anasirk

2019 was a wonderful year for all of us. Anadolu University Circus Arts Society also known as Anasirk, established. That year, our motivation and eagerness to learn grew so much that we felt the need to create a space where we could grow together and share what we had learned so far. Our community became a spark in Anatolia, inspiring both long-established and newly formed communities.

Hi. I am Derya, your narrator. 🙂

Anasirk was a decentralized community where we took on responsibilities voluntarily; there was no single leader or main decision-maker. Each task or event had its own coordinator. We met weekly to plan ahead and to find ways to learn and introduce more people to circus arts. To make this possible, we made our own props by hand and organized weekly workshops. Also, one day in a week was dedicated to create a small open stage, where we could present what we had practiced and learned.

After officially establishing our community at the university, we discovered a long-running event: the Turkish Juggling Convention, also known as J-Fest, which unfortunately no longer takes place. Attending this festival allowed us to connect with artists from different cities and countries, and explore diverse forms of circus arts.

We returned to Eskişehir inspired, full of ideas and united by a shared vision. Wanting to bring people together and exchange skills, we organized one of the unique events in the city. We imagined a weekend dedicated to sharing knowledge and experiences with jugglers from across Türkiye, welcoming participants from İstanbul, İzmir, and Ankara. Despite the cold weather and lack of heating, we played all day long. Our warmth came from our enthusiasm and love. Later on that day, with a hot wine in our place. 🙂

Why would we stop here? We began dreaming bigger. It didn’t take long for us to decide to organize what would likely be the first circus festival in Türkiye. We chose the historical site of Yazılıkaya as our venue. To prepare, we traveled there for research and planning. Eskişehir can be extremely cold and snowy, and our visit happened on one of the coldest days of the year. Although much of the site was covered in snow, its beauty was still striking. After completing our planning and convincing ourselves that Yazılıkaya is a great place, we obtained permission from the governor’s office, as it is a protected historical location.

During that snowy exploration in such a remote place, something that would soon affect the entire world had already begun: the pandemic. We still had a few months before its impact became clear, so we continued dreaming and juggling. When we finally grasped the seriousness of the situation, we were attending another special gathering —the Turkish Highline Carnival in Geyikbayırı, Antalya, which, like J-Fest, is no longer happening. The climbing, slackline, and juggling communities have always been closely connected, and Geyikbayırı felt like a shared home for all three.

As we all experienced, everything changed in March 2020 when lockdown began. Our carefully made plans remained unrealized. There is still a sense of incompleteness in this story because we truly deserved to bring that circus festival to life. It had been a year of dedication, passion, and collective effort. Although we tried to remain active, staying connected —especially with new university students, became increasingly difficult. Within two years, most of us had graduated, and Anasirk gradually dissolved. Each of us moved on, carrying the lessons, friendships, and inspiration from this once-in-a-lifetime journey.

Among the many people who shaped our path, one person held a special place: Necmi Can Öztoprak, as we call him Neco. He visited us regularly to teach juggling, but his contribution was far beyond technical skills. He advised and encouraged us, collaborated on performances, introduced us to his network, and always supported our events. Full of creativity and ideas, he was not only a great juggler but also a generous mentor and a dear friend.

Anasirk was something very special, as it shaped our lives in a different direction. The rest of the story I am going to tell carries the nourishing roots of this community. Although that period ended sadly at the time, it was also the beginning of something new.

Everything we share comes from our lives, with a great passion and years of work. Our creation is full of curiosity and enthusiasm, but it also needs support. You can support us by donating, or by sharing this with your family and friends if you feel it's worth supporting.

We are more than happy to share this journey with you, and we hope you enjoy it as much as we do. 🙂

Stay curious,
Derya