From purchasing its first big top and launching a trial edition to establishing a full-scale festival, FOCASA has sought to bring contemporary circus together with the character of the city, using culture as a form of soft power and working towards establishing Taiwanese circus as a cultural brand with international recognition. FOCASA founder and artistic director Lin Chih-Wei and brand director and chief curator Chang Yu-Wen share the journey behind the festival. Through their experiences, we look at the impact the FOCASA Circus Arts Festival has had on the city, local communities and the development of circus itself, while exploring the future direction of Taiwanese circus and FOCASA’s vision for the festival. We also revisit highlights from the festival, which came to life over Taiwan’s 228 long weekend.