Jury of the "Magical Arena 2026" Festival: The Team of Experts Who Determined the Best
The second "Magical Arena 2026" All-Ukrainian Circus Festival was not only a massive event for young artists but also a unique example of a multi-tiered evaluation system. For the first time, determining the winners involved three independent panels of judges, each fulfilling its own vital mission.
This approach allowed for the most objective assessment possible of more than a thousand festival participants, ensuring not only fair judging for the children but also new opportunities for their development.
The Preliminary Round Jury
The first stage of the festival took place from April 17 to 19, during which experts reviewed 276 competitive acts presented by over 1,000 participants from all across Ukraine.
The preliminary round jury panel included leading Ukrainian educators, directors, performers, and circus art professionals:
- Nataliia Pozdniakova — Head of the Circus Genres Department at the Kyiv Municipal Academy of Variety and Circus Arts, teacher-methodologist, and specialist in aerial genres and equilibristics. Her students perform in leading global shows, including Cirque du Soleil and Moulin Rouge.
- Myroslava Perysta — Director of the Professional College of the Kyiv Municipal Academy of Variety and Circus Arts, teacher-methodologist, and an expert in educational process management with over 20 years of experience.
- Mykola Baranov — Professor of the Art Direction Department, stage director, and one of the founders of the Ukrainian school of circus directing. His students are laureates of international festivals in Paris, Monte Carlo, and other prestigious competitions.
- Iryna Pitsur — Instructor at the Kyiv Municipal Academy of Variety and Circus Arts, and a circus artist with extensive international experience. She has performed in leading European circuses, including Roncalli, GOP, Wintergarten, and Palazzo, and has participated in international gala shows and television projects.
- Mykola Bondar — Acting coach, professional theatre and film actor. He has worked with performers from the world's leading circus companies, including Cirque du Soleil.
- Oleksandr Bilohub — Instructor, performer, director, and producer in the genre of clowning and pantomime, and founder of the "ART-OBSTREL" clown syndicate, which made a significant contribution to the development of modern Ukrainian clowning.
- Liudmyla Zavada — Instructor of circus gymnastics, stage director, and a highest-category specialist with years of experience creating circus shows and acts.
- Andrii Pyr — Master of Sports of Ukraine of International Class in sports acrobatics, and stager-choreographer for the National Team of Ukraine. His students are winners of prestigious international festivals.
Thanks to their profound professional experience and uncompromising expertise, this panel accomplished an incredibly challenging task — discovering true diamonds within a massive stream of performances. These specialists laid the fundamental groundwork for future triumph, meticulously selecting the strongest, technically flawless, and original acts that ultimately earned their right to compete in the final phase of the festival.
The Secret Jury
Following the conclusion of the preliminary round, a secret jury stepped in — an independent team of Ukrainian artists and directors who evaluated the finalists and shaped the program for the gala show.
The panel included:
- Oleksii Hryhorov — An international-level circus artist, holder of eight gold awards from international festivals, silver medalist at the International Circus Festival of Monte Carlo, laureate of the Cirque du Soleil award, founder of Colibri Motors, and a volunteer for the "Magical Wings" Charitable Foundation.
- Petro Horodytskyi (Chornenkyi) — An artist of the State Circus Company of Ukraine, a carpet clown, and a participant in numerous international circus programs and artistic projects.
- Olha Krasnopolska — Director-choreographer of the "Rhizome" art studio, currently working in Switzerland and serving on the jury panels of circus competitions in Europe.
- Heorhii Kyrychenko — Performer, director, graduate of the Kyiv Municipal Academy of Variety and Circus Arts, participant in international festivals, and holder of a bronze award from the Monte Carlo festival as part of the "Equivokee" comic trio.
- Vasyl Kuts — Professional juggler, graduate of the Kyiv Municipal Academy of Variety and Circus Arts, winner of the Young Stage international festival, and bronze medalist at the International Jugglers' Association (IJA) Championship in the USA.
Operating in an atmosphere of complete secrecy and independence, the secret jury took on the mission of finely polishing the competitive program. Through the lens of global experience and current trends in spectacular live entertainment, the experts selected the 21 best and most captivating acts. This exclusive top list formed the core of the vibrant Grand Finale, gifting the audience an unforgettable, highly concentrated spectacle of the premium quality.
Boundless Gratitude for the Magic and Professionalism
The organizers of the second "Magical Arena 2026" All-Ukrainian Circus Festival express their most heartfelt gratitude to each member of both the preliminary round jury and the secret jury. Your titanic, complex, and incredibly vital work became the solid foundation upon which the entire scale of our celebration rests.
Reviewing hundreds of routines, spotting a unique spark in every single child, and maintaining absolute impartiality is a challenge you met at the highest professional level. Thanks to your experience, insight, and dedication to circus art, the festival received a transparent and honest selection system.
On the Eve of the Grand Finale: Seeking the Best of the Best
The result of this tremendous collaborative effort is the festival's unique shortlist. Ahead lies the most critical and exciting moment. It is from these 21 selected acts, which passed through the fine sieve of rigorous evaluation by Ukrainian experts, that our esteemed international jury will choose the grand prize winners.
We will present the lineup of this star-studded team of experts in a separate article. Read more about the global leaders of the circus industry, producers, and casting directors who joined the judging panel in our news feature: International Jury of "Magical Arena 2026".
They are the ones who determined the best of the best among the participants of the "Magical Arena 2026" Grand Finale, opening the doors to prestigious international venues for talented Ukrainian children. Thank you to our experts for making this grand finale possible!
We sincerely thank you for spreading the word!
Every repost, mention, or story is not just information — it’s a chance to touch someone’s heart. Thanks to you, more people will learn about good deeds, join in helping, or find inspiration for their own change. Together, we can reach far more — because kindness should be heard loud and clear.
Join our projects
Ми відкриті до співпраці