Circomedia is a school for

contemporary circus Contemporary circus (or ''cirque contemporain'' in French-speaking countries) is a contested term in circus studies. In this article, it is used in contrast to the term 'traditional circus', combining with the genre elsewhere disambiguated as ne ...

and

physical theatre Physical theatre is a genre of theatrical performance that encompasses storytelling primarily through physical movement. Although several performance theatre disciplines are often described as "physical theatre", the genre's characteristic aspe ...

based in

Bristol Bristol () is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, the most populous city in the region. Built around the River Avon, Bristol, River Avon, it is bordered by t ...

England England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...

. The school offers a variety of training courses and workshops that teach

circus skills Circus skills are a group of disciplines that have been performed as entertainment in circus, carnival, sideshow, busking, variety, vaudeville, or music hall shows. Most circus skills are still being performed today. Many are also practiced by ...

in the context of physical theatre, performance and creativity. It was founded in 1993 by Bim Mason and Helen Crocker, following the closure of Fooltime, Britain's first circus school. It is financially supported by

Arts Council An arts council is a government or private non-profit organization dedicated to promoting the arts; mainly by funding local artists, awarding prizes, and organizing arts events. They often operate at arms-length from the government to prevent pol ...

South West and a range of other funding. Since 2004, Circomedia has been based in the redundant St. Paul's Church at Portland Square, Bristol, and a site in Kingswood, Bristol, which is home to the degree programme and the main office.

Courses

At the core of the school's training programme is the one-year Diploma in Circus Skills and Physical Theatre, which includes

trapeze A trapeze is a short horizontal bar hung by ropes, metal straps, or chains, from a ceiling support. It is an aerial apparatus commonly found in circus performances. Trapeze acts may be static, spinning (rigged from a single point), swinging or ...

juggling Juggling is a physical skill, performed by a juggler, involving the manipulation of objects for recreation, entertainment, art or sport. The most recognizable form of juggling is toss juggling. Juggling can be the manipulation of one object o ...

acrobatics Acrobatics () is the performance of human feats of balance (ability), balance, agility, and motor coordination. Acrobatic skills are used in performing arts, sports, sporting events, and martial arts. Extensive use of acrobatic skills are most ...

and

. After completing the diploma, students may join the 10-week Act Creation Course, or may undertake teacher training. Other training programmes include: * a BA (Hons) in Contemporary Circus with Physical Performance * a Foundation Degree (FdA) in Contemporary Circus and Physical Performance in partnership with

Bath Spa University Bath Spa University is a public university in Bath, Somerset, Bath, England, with its main campus at Newton Park, about west of the centre of the city. The university has other campuses in the city of Bath, and one at Corsham Court in Wiltshi ...

* a BTEC National Diploma in Performance for 16+ * adult evening classes open to the general public * circus workshops and team-building events

Outreach

Circomedia also runs an outreach programme for local young people.

References

External links

Circomedia website
{{coord, 51.4611, -2.5847, type:landmark_region:GB, display=title Circus schools St Pauls, Bristol

Courses

Outreach

See also

References

External links