National Youth Circus Day [wrap-up]
What a HUGE success the National Youth Circus Day turned out to be. With events happening all over Australia, kids [and their parents] were treated to an exciting assortment of activities.
Melbourne celebrated youth circus day with a huge festival of activities. ACAPTA in partnership with Signal (a purpose built arts space for young people) presented three master-classes with Crash Matt (Matt Wilson), Christy Flaws and Luke O'Connor and Emily and Mieke.
The Off the Wall Troupe performed an excerpt from their award winning Melbourne Fringe Show: No Such Thing as Normal and Emily & Mieke gave us an impromptu performance of their extraordinary hoop skills. Over 40 young people came together from all of Melbourne's youth circus companies and shared skills, ideas and generally had a fantastic day - we ended the day with a huge birthday cake and as we blew out the candles we remembered Dr Reg Bolton who dedicated his life's work to encouraging and inspiring all young people to do circus - thanks Reg.
A big thanks must also go to Ella Holmes and Bec Cooen (who are part of ACAPTA's Cultural Leadership crew) who coordinated the project and who made the day happen. See you all next year on November 13th.
PHOTO CREDIT: Shami Kiely, www.caveboy.com.au
Sandfly Circus [Theatre Kimberley Inc] in Broome WA, created a show as part of their circus and dance outreach programme with the Djarrindjin/Lombarding community.
The show was the culmination of a ten week programme of sending visiting circus professionals, Bruno Michel and Jens Althiemer who worked with their local resident circus trainers, to Peninsula schools. They focussed on One Arm point and Djarrindjin/Lombadina Schools providing one day per week of circus skill development. When these school had other events programmed they took the opportunity to work at Beagle Bay School on a few occasions. In 2010 they held the wrap up show at One Arm Point. This year they held it at Lombadina/Djarrindjin community. 10 of the One Arm point students attend the Sandfly circus for a week leading up to their annual show and performed in it in Broome in September.
During the week leading up to the show at Djarrindjin/Lombadina Sandfly ran an intensive circus programme utilising the skills of visiting trainer Narelle Simpson, and local trainers Rowan Thomas, Frank Batty, Meredith Bell, and a team of emerging trainers from the rank of teenagers who form part of the Sandfly Circus. The show, their contribution to youth circus day festivities was a great success. It heralded the end of their trial period for our circus and dance outreach programme. They have now hoping to set up a three year programme of delivery to remote indigenous West Kimberley communities. They hope to extend the programme to include east Kimberley in the future.
If you are a multi-disciplined circus/dance teacher with a wide variety of skills who is interested in working in remote locations with current drivers license and working with children clearances and would like to be part of this very exciting programme. Then email Theatre Kimberly.
Check out the ABC media footage...
NB. Due to heat and issues with dirt road access at that time of the year, Theatre Kimberley Sandfly Circus had to bring their celebrations forward to earlier in November.
AERIALIZE [NSW] opened the doors of their training facility to everyone from 5 years to 18 years offering a free circus session. With well over a hundred participants the instructors were kept mighty busy taking groups from hula hoops to tissue to static trapeze to lyra. It was wonderful to watch some really enthusiastic kids get a taste of Circus and some parents helping with dubious juggling and plate spinning. All in all a huge success that they will be doing again very soon!
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