Variety of games, juggling, stilt and tightrope walking on offer
A CIRCUS will be holding free workshops to connect with the community in Adamsdown.
NoFit State Circus is inviting people to come along and learn skills such as juggling, unicycling and even “low-level” tightrope walking at taster sessions on the last Saturday of every month.
The circus, which has been based in Splott and Adamsdown since its inception in 1986 when it started as a few street jugglers, is based on Four Elms Road in Adamsdown in what used to be a derelict church.
Jo Taylor, 42, community project manager, said: “We’ve got a fantastic team of teachers here, who are all past or present circus performers. They help us run the community programmes by delivering the circus classes.”
The activities at the free workshop tomorrow will range from juggling manipulation with balls and batons to low‐level tightrope walking. The free sessions run until the end of July.
Different paid sessions are available throughout the week to learn a variety of skills. For example, on Monday evenings there are beginner aerial classes which include trapeze work and elevated hoop skills.
“In the main hall, you can fly,” said Ms Taylor.
As well as letting people try taster sessions, the monthly free sessions will provide an opportunity for NoFit State to hear from people about how to make their building more visible and accessible.
The circus receives funding from the Paul Hamlyn Foundation to create change in the art sector by rethinking traditional circus training programmes and making them more accessible.
NoFit State is also working with the Oasis centre in Splott to provide circus activities to refugee children.
Francis Maxey, 66, is a workshop teacher at NoFit State and has been a circus performer for the last 42 years.
He said: “A lot of the people we teach won’t go on to be circus performers but what they gain is physical literacy and the pleasure of the openness of being a clown.
“Being a clown, you learn to relate to other people. For those who do take it on and become a professional, it’s great seeing someone blossom with a little bit of what you have taught them.”
Chieh-Ju Yang, 27, was initially paired with the circus through the Art & Business Cymru internship and she now works for NoFit State as a development assistant.
She said: “I really like this company because of the values they have, combining creating art and having fun.”
Keep an eye out for further updates from NoFit State by following them on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
- To book sessions visit the website or call 029 2022 1330.
