Mar Olive Nieto

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, 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.