The Circus Village is back, but not like you’ve seen it before.
This summer NoFit State Circus is teaming up with circus organisations and freelancers from across the UK to put together a programme to support and inspire the circus sector after one of its most difficult years. From 13 August – 25 September the village, based just outside of Cardiff, will be welcoming aspiring and established circus practitioners from Wales, England and Scotland to come together to train, learn and create meaningful work. And they’re looking for participants.
Borrowing from the Big Top touring culture we all know and love, the village will be an outdoor site complete with circus tents, outdoor rigs and space for circus people of all kinds and creeds to set up camp. Living, learning, and working together in one space, the village will be the perfect environment to explore what circus practitioners do, how they learn, and test new ways of doing things - all whilst celebrating every aspect of their shared art form.
The first two weeks of the programme will be dedicated to the Welsh Circus sector. Inviting enthusiastic community participants, emerging artists, and seasoned professionals to join together in imagining the future of the Welsh Sector, with everyone having a creative and social part to play.
England and Scotland based circus practitioners will then be invited to join the programme for the following 4 weeks, as it begins to delve even deeper into skills development and sessions for artists looking to make new work. Here, participants from all three nations will take part in an extensive programme covering Teaching and Training, Working Outdoors, Digital Circus, Creative Rigging and Professional Development.
All participants selected onto the programme will be provided with a stipend to cover their time and travel expenses, ensuring that money won’t be a barrier for freelancers wanting to take part, with additional access and finance support also available.
Participants will live together on site for 6 days or more at a time. In this way the village can be managed as a ‘bubble’ should Covid-19 restrictions be tightened again at any time.
The Circus Village is supported by the Arts Council of Wales, Arts Council England and Creative Scotland, ensuring a uniquely national reach for the project. If you’re a circus practitioner based in Wales, England or Scotland and you’d like to take part, then make sure to submit your application as soon as possible, spaces are limited and it’s likely to be very popular. Don’t miss out!
Visit The Circus Village website to find out more and to apply now:
The Circus Village dates
Full programme:
Friday 13th August - Saturday 25th September
Welsh focus fortnight:
Friday 13th August to Thursday 26th August
England and Scotland based participants join:
Friday 27th August - 25th September
Project Partners
Articulture, Cimera, Citrus Arts, Hannah Darby, Ellis Grover, Ellie Kate, Zoe Munn, NoFit State Circus, Organised Kaos, Syrcas Byd Bychan, Up Side Down Circus.
(Partners from English and Scottish representatives are still being confirmed.)