MARSEILLE, France (AP) — It’s been a tough year for the performing arts in most countries, with virus lockdowns cancelling shows and shuttering venues. But the world’s top circus festival, in the French port city of Marseille, has found a way to flourish between the cracks in the rules — even without the huge crowds that would normally have attended. More than 110,000 people attended the last Circus Biennale, in 2019. This year it had up to 2,000 visitors, all professionals who work in the circus or are looking to buy shows. In France, theaters, concert halls and other venues have been shuttered since Oct. 30 due to COVID-19. Before that, they were shut from mid-March to late June.
