THE COMPANY – DISCOVERING THE COLLECTIVE MEMORY OF KNITTING.
If Circus is a contemporary circus company born in 2019 by Mar Olivè Nieto (Barcelona). In 2022, Shalom Gramiccioli (Albano Laziale, Rome) joined the adventure, bringing together their creative paths into one shared artistic vision. The duo met while studying at ACAPA (Tilburg, NL) where they found a common language: using circus as a space to explore memory, heritage, and the deep wisdom behind traditional crafts. Their first show, Somehow, where Mar was working with knitted ropes, alongside the cellist and performer Rogier Hornman. The piece won the Keep an Eye Foundation award in 2020 and was pre-selected by CircusNext Netherlands, standing out for its poetic, multidisciplinary vibe.
Today, Mar and Shalom are leading If Circus, with all the energy into their latest creation: Melic. This piece dives into both personal and collective memory through ropes, gestures, and textures, drawing inspiration from knitting traditions and the stories passed down through generations. In their work, rope isn’t just a piece of circus equipment — it’s a symbolic thread, tying together body and memory, tradition and innovation, stage and audience. With Melic – Knitting Memories (Nominated project at ZIRKÓLIKA AWARDS 2025) the company is crafting a kind of circus that listens, that remembers, that brings movement and meaning to spark a sense of connection, presence, and care.
WHO IS SHALOM?
– Dancer and Circus Artist –
Shalom (1998) is a circus and dance performer born in Rome. From an early age, she was interested in all kinds of movement, which led her to join the artistic gymnastics group. To take her career a step further, she decided to study circus in ACaPA (Tilburg, NL). Until now, she has worked with Julian Vogel in China’s Series #4. She worked as an acrobat and performer with Hendrik van Maele, Margot Jansens and Maria Madeira in ’13 Harbinger Road. She is founder of the company Framing Effekt together with Marius Cavin, Julie Micheneau and Lara Schoental who premiered in Vitrine Festival (Kortrijk) the show ‘Systema’. She is also working on her solo Lavanda. Climbing, dance and food are her favourite three things in this world. She has been working in If Circus since January 2023 creating the new piece Melic – KnittingMemories with her friend Mar.
WHO IS MAR?
– Circus and Knitting Artist –
Mar (1998) is a Catalan artist who, after being in the youth circus school of l’Ateneu de 9 barris in Barcelona, specialized in aerial rope at the Academy for Circus and Performance Arts, ACaPA (Tilburg, NL). She knits different kind of structures, experimenting with several ropes and papers, as well as combining them with the hair-hanging technique. She has been knitting ropes since more than 10 years already! Next to the circus training, she writes poems, climbs trees, makes homemade recycling paper notebooks and croches all kind of objects. She has been working in If Circus since 2019. Since January 2023 she has been creating the new piece Melic – KnittingMemories with her friend Shalom. .