Circus Magic

Leaps & Bounds worked in partnership with Pyro Productionz and Citizen Coaching to create and programme the week-long residency that took place in Rogpeuplay Studios from August 21st – August 26th in Digbeth, Birmingham. We worked with Beatfreeks Young Giant led by Amerah Saley and three artist facilitators from Rogueplay staff directed by Wez Gurn (Pyro Productionz) to create an activity week for participants to learn circus skills of poi and staff; rope work; acro-balance and stilt walking and the fire artistry sessions that were held outside at the Bond Warehouse and in ACE dance and music Car Park (owned by the Bond Warehouse).

The week included two personal development sessions and was supported by two Ballet Hoo graduates (Christina Reaney and Leroy Ward) who supported the range of 14 participants during the week. Ginnie Wollaston and Nicholas Paton Philip from Moving Souls dance co-produced the residency with Wez Guren and attended all sessions and rehearsals, supporting safeguarding and project management, costume development and supervising the dress rehearsal procession at mac on 26th August and the rehearsals leading up the final performance of RAGE, choreographed and produced by ACE dance and music, on September 23rd as part of the Birmingham Weekender Festival.

The audiences for this show totalled 1500 and there was an estimated informal audience of approximately 500 in the mac show saw the dress rehearsal performance/procession and stilt walking on 26th August. This residency surpassed expectations of what young people aged 16 – 25 could learn in a week and perform circus and fire artistry skills with confidence in front of a large audience with six follow up rehearsals.

The critical artistic feed-back from Culture Central Producer and Board members of ACE Dance and music who were familiar with previous carnival projects was very positive in that the fire element added greater spectacle and excitement to the dance presentation which was also enhanced by brilliant costumes produced by ACEDM for their youth and adult groups inspired with designs by Imagineer.