IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/bla/ecgeog/v91y2015i2p147-164.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Circus in Action: Exploring the Role of a Translation Zone in the Cirque du Soleil's Creative Practices

Author

Listed:
  • Norma M. Rantisi
  • Deborah Leslie

Abstract

This article explores the process of knowledge production and creativity in the circus. In particular, it examines how the Cirque du Soleil has been able to forge an innovative and novel tradition of circus arts by drawing upon knowledge and competencies from the related fields of sport, circus, dance, and theater. Using the notion of translation developed in actor network theory, we trace how a variety of actors and entities, including both human and nonhuman actants, are enrolled in the creation of a contemporary circus performance. We explore how power and agency are distributed in the networks that foster creativity in the circus, highlighting their inherently unstable and precarious nature, and how the Cirque has created an open and unbounded space that accommodates fluid exchanges between actants (what we call a translation zone).

Suggested Citation

  • Norma M. Rantisi & Deborah Leslie, 2015. "Circus in Action: Exploring the Role of a Translation Zone in the Cirque du Soleil's Creative Practices," Economic Geography, Clark University, vol. 91(2), pages 147-164, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:ecgeog:v:91:y:2015:i:2:p:147-164
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10.1111/ecge.12082
    Download Restriction: Access to full text is restricted to subscribers.
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Madeleine Akrich & Michel Callon & Bruno Latour & Adrian Monaghan, 2002. "The Key To Success In Innovation Part Ii: The Art Of Choosing Good Spokespersons," International Journal of Innovation Management (ijim), World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., vol. 6(02), pages 207-225.
    2. Susan Christopherson, 2002. "Project Work in Context: Regulatory Change and the New Geography of Media," Environment and Planning A, , vol. 34(11), pages 2003-2015, November.
    3. Maskell, Peter & Malmberg, Anders, 1999. "Localised Learning and Industrial Competitiveness," Cambridge Journal of Economics, Cambridge Political Economy Society, vol. 23(2), pages 167-185, March.
    4. Bjørn Asheim & Lars Coenen & Jan Vang, 2007. "Face-to-Face, Buzz, and Knowledge Bases: Sociospatial Implications for Learning, Innovation, and Innovation Policy," Environment and Planning C, , vol. 25(5), pages 655-670, October.
    5. Gernot Grabher, 2002. "Cool Projects, Boring Institutions: Temporary Collaboration in Social Context," Regional Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 36(3), pages 205-214.
    6. Meric S. Gertler, 2003. "Tacit knowledge and the economic geography of context, or The undefinable tacitness of being (there)," Journal of Economic Geography, Oxford University Press, vol. 3(1), pages 75-99, January.
    7. Deborah Leslie & Norma M. Rantisi, 2011. "Creativity and Place in the Evolution of a Cultural Industry," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 48(9), pages 1771-1787, July.
    8. Madeleine Akrich & Michel Callon & Bruno Latour & Adrian Monaghan, 2002. "The Key To Success In Innovation Part I: The Art Of Interessement," International Journal of Innovation Management (ijim), World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., vol. 6(02), pages 187-206.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Carolyn J. Hatch, 2013. "Competitiveness by Design: An Institutionalist Perspective on the Resurgence of a “Mature” Industry in a High-Wage Economy," Economic Geography, Clark University, vol. 89(3), pages 261-284, July.
    2. Carlo Corradini & Emma Folmer & Anna Rebmann, 2022. "Listening to the buzz: Exploring the link between firm creation and regional innovative atmosphere as reflected by social media," Environment and Planning A, , vol. 54(2), pages 347-369, March.
    3. Edward J. Malecki, 2010. "Everywhere? The Geography Of Knowledge," Journal of Regional Science, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 50(1), pages 493-513, February.
    4. James Faulconbridge & Sarah Hall, 2011. "Business Knowledges Within and Between the World City," Chapters, in: Ben Derudder & Michael Hoyler & Peter J. Taylor & Frank Witlox (ed.), International Handbook of Globalization and World Cities, chapter 20, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    5. Gao, Xue & Rai, Varun, 2019. "Local demand-pull policy and energy innovation: Evidence from the solar photovoltaic market in China," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 128(C), pages 364-376.
    6. Renato Garcia & Veneziano Araujo, 2012. "Knowledge Spillovers through Informal Contacts in Urban Production Systems: The Case of ICT Firms in Campinas, Brazil," Chapters, in: Marina van Geenhuizen & Peter Nijkamp (ed.), Creative Knowledge Cities, chapter 16, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    7. Monia Niero & Charlotte L. Jensen & Chiara Farné Fratini & Jens Dorland & Michael S. Jørgensen & Susse Georg, 2021. "Is life cycle assessment enough to address unintended side effects from Circular Economy initiatives?," Journal of Industrial Ecology, Yale University, vol. 25(5), pages 1111-1120, October.
    8. Naouri, Mohamed & Kuper, Marcel & Hartani, Tarik, 2020. "The power of translation: Innovation dialogues in the context of farmer-led innovation in the Algerian Sahara," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 180(C).
    9. Doloreux, David & Parto, Saeed, 2005. "Regional innovation systems: Current discourse and unresolved issues," Technology in Society, Elsevier, vol. 27(2), pages 133-153.
    10. Sándor Juhász, 2021. "Spinoffs and tie formation in cluster knowledge networks," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 56(4), pages 1385-1404, April.
    11. Neij, Lena & Heiskanen, Eva & Strupeit, Lars, 2017. "The deployment of new energy technologies and the need for local learning," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 101(C), pages 274-283.
    12. Paul Benneworth & Tiago Ratinho, 2014. "Reframing the Role of Knowledge Parks and Science Cities in Knowledge-Based Urban Development," Environment and Planning C, , vol. 32(5), pages 784-808, October.
    13. Monique Bolli, 2020. "Innovators in Urban China: Makerspaces and Marginality with Impact," Urban Planning, Cogitatio Press, vol. 5(4), pages 68-77.
    14. FUKUGAWA Nobuya, 2016. "Knowledge Creation and Dissemination by Local Public Technology Centers in Regional and Sectoral Innovation Systems: Insights from patent data," Discussion papers 16061, Research Institute of Economy, Trade and Industry (RIETI).
    15. Martin M�ller & Allison Stewart, 2016. "Does Temporary Geographical Proximity Predict Learning? Knowledge Dynamics in the Olympic Games," Regional Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 50(3), pages 377-390, March.
    16. Askfors, Ylva & Fornstedt, Helena, 2018. "The clash of managerial and professional logics in public procurement: Implications for innovation in the health-care sector," Scandinavian Journal of Management, Elsevier, vol. 34(1), pages 78-90.
    17. Nobuya Fukugawa, 2016. "Knowledge creation and dissemination by Kosetsushi in sectoral innovation systems: insights from patent data," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 109(3), pages 2303-2327, December.
    18. Michaela Trippl & Franz Tödtling & Lukas Lengauer, 2009. "Knowledge Sourcing Beyond Buzz and Pipelines: Evidence from the Vienna Software Sector," Economic Geography, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 85(4), pages 443-462, October.
    19. Marialuisa Divella & Alessia Lo Turco & Alessandro Sterlacchini, 2023. "Local labour tasks and patenting in US commuting zones," Journal of Economic Geography, Oxford University Press, vol. 23(5), pages 1097-1119.
    20. Markus Grillitsch & Magnus Nilsson, 2015. "Innovation in peripheral regions: Do collaborations compensate for a lack of local knowledge spillovers?," The Annals of Regional Science, Springer;Western Regional Science Association, vol. 54(1), pages 299-321, January.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:bla:ecgeog:v:91:y:2015:i:2:p:147-164. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Wiley Content Delivery (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/declaus.html .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.