Circus Around and About 2


Extraordinary circus shows visiting rural and urban communities across the south-west.

Circus Around and About 2 is a south-west touring circus project, funded by an Arts Council England Lottery Project Grant. This 21-month project is led by Take Art with principal partners Crying Out Loud and Extraordinary Bodies.

Presenting partners:

AIR in G, Gloucestershire; Artsreach, Dorset; Beaford Arts, Devon; Carn to Cove, Cornwall; Cinderford Artspace, Forest of Dean; School of Larks, Stroud; Super Culture, Weston-Super-Mare; Strike a Light, Gloucester and Villages in Action, Devon.

Building on the successful 2021 pilot tour, Circus Around and About 2 is a south-west touring circus project, funded by an Arts Council England Lottery Project Grant. The project is led by Take Art with principal partners Crying Out Loud and Extraordinary Bodies, in collaboration with nine presenting partners (venues and touring schemes).

Six outstanding performing companies have been selected to bring their extraordinary contemporary circus shows and workshops to rural parts of Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, Gloucestershire and Somerset, plus urban community venues in Cinderford, Gloucester, Stroud and Weston-Super-Mare. They are: Max Calaf Sevé ('Anyday'), Levantes Dance Theatre ('The Band'), Matt Pang & Owen Reynolds ('Those in Glass Houses…'), Collective ConTakt ('Foley'), Poppy Plowman ('Turk(ish)') and Nikki & JD ('Knot').

The project aims to increase a welcome to diverse audiences including D/deaf, disabled and neurodivergent people. It also aims to support the circus sector, by opening up touring opportunities for circus artists, and introducing rural and urban community touring to Circomedia students.

Keep up to date with the project on socials using #CircusAround_About2.

First tour:

Anyday by Max Calaf Sevé

19 March – 1 April

The programme kicked off in March, with Max Calaf Sevé’s solo trampoline show Anyday delighting audiences at nine regional venues – including outdoors, and in the rain!

Second tour:

Those in Glass Houses by Matt Pang and Owen Reynolds

Those in Glass Houses is a celebration of glass and all its fragilities. Two of the most trustworthy jugglers in the UK take on a giant pendulum and a ton of bricks. With the assurance of protective eyewear, glass is safe in their hands. Brace yourselves for swinging bricks, comedy catapults and glass-shattering domino runs in this adventure of controlled destruction.

For over two decades, Matt and Owen have delighted audiences throughout Europe with their imaginative and often riotous exploits in the world of circus. They have juggled everything from apples and crockery to fish and now, glass. In addition to their on-stage expertise, Matt and Owen have taught in circus schools and led numerous community and school projects, passionately nurturing creativity and skill development.

“Awe-inspiring and outlandish entertainment”

WHAT'S ON STAGE ****

Third tour:

Foley by Collective ConTakt

Foley is a thrilling contemporary circus show for all ages, brought to you by Collective ConTakt. They are a circus collective specialising in high level acrobatics and live music. The group have their roots in Austria, Germany, Switzerland, France and the UK, and are touring Foley to outdoor venues across the south-west this summer.

Foley explores the highs and lows of togetherness, with exquisite live music, performed by a musician and five acrobats. Foley is full of surprises, touching on themes of vulnerability and trust with light-hearted, playful silliness. Their tall, human towers and high throws will take your breath away!

Autumn 2024:

The Band by Levantes Dance Theatre, Knot by Nikki & JD and Turk(ish) by Poppy Plowman will be touring the south-west this autumn; watch this space for dates and venues to be announced.

If you want any more information about this project, please contact the Project Manager, Rachael Duthie at rachael@takeart.org