Creative ID: 635
Banks Peninsula, Selwyn District and Christchurch
My arts or creative practice (including details about my specific focus within that art form/practice and my strengths):
I have been a circus arts student for over a decade, a performer for eight years, and a teacher for over five years. I have studied circus arts broadly in that time, including many of the ground-based disciplines such as object manipulation (juggling, hula hoop, poi), hand balance, contortion, tumbling and adagio (partner balance), and also aerial-based disciplines such as trapeze, silks, lyra, hammock, doubles aerials (with a partner).
My primary disciplines are adagio, trapeze, silks, lyra, poi and doubles aerials and I have performed all of these professionally at different times. I have trained towards teaching qualifications in both yoga and acro-yoga and have some experience in staging multi-media events, script-writing, and creative writing. My strength comes from my versatility; my diverse skill base enables me to teach, perform, and stage a variety of circus and creative artforms. Photos of my circus school productions are available on request.
My track record of experience and success - or the track record of experience and success of the creative or artist that I will partner with:
I have over a decade of training in circus arts, across multiple disciplines, having trained with accomplished circus teachers in Christchurch every week for over ten years now, plus I have attended immersions in Auckland, Wellington, and Sydney at various times. I have performed in public shows, private events, and music festivals in Canterbury for the past eight years, in solo, duo, or group acts. I have worked backstage in many circus shows too, managing either lighting or sound.
I have taught children for over five years and founded my own all-ages circus school in August of 2019. My school’s second large-scale multimedia production is currently in development.
Describe the experience you have had working with children or young people, teaching or facilitating creative processes:
I teach circus arts to children and youth in Christchurch and on the Banks Peninsula. I primarily teach children and youth aged 3–17 at a circus school I founded in 2019 and another circus school in the region, though sometimes I also run workshops at various Canterbury schools, through the school or local holiday programme, and hold kids’ circus birthday parties regularly.
I coach children in a wide range of ground-based circus arts – juggling, poi, hula hoop, tumbling, adagio (partner balance), hand-balance, contortion, as well as aerial arts – trapeze, silks, hammock, and aerial hoop. I stage my own circus productions, both small-scale student showcases and large-scale full productions involving over 40 children and youth performers. I cover dance, choreography, drama, and visual arts in my shows. I love to help children develop fitness, flexibility, self-awareness, and confidence in their bodies. Circus is a multi-disciplinary artform of creativity, movement, character development, and technical skill.
Why I want to be part of the Creatives in Schools programme and how my involvement will link to my creative practice:
Sharing my passion for circus arts with children and youth has become such an enjoyable driving force in my life. I love to see our young people develop confidence in their physical capabilities and creative self-expression. I am aware, however, that not all families can afford to attend circus classes outside of school, and the Creatives in Schools programme is a perfect way to offer this to students who might not otherwise have the opportunity to participate in circus arts. I have access to two spaces with rigging and other equipment in place – it seems a good idea to try and get some use out of this during school time.