All the fun of the circus at Lighthouse (From Bournemouth Echo)

All the fun of the circus at Lighthouse

9:00am Sunday 29th August 2010 in

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THERE were unicycles, tightropes, diablos and juggling – but not a red nose in sight.

This month at Lighthouse, Poole, children have been learning all about circus arts, with the help of NoFit State, a contemporary circus company.

The youngsters had the opportunity to learn the skills usually associated with people in brightly coloured costumes and painted faces.

But this is Lighthouse’s Carte Blanche circus season, which is highlighting the wonders of modern-day tricks.

I needed no second invitation to run off and join the circus, but soon realised that, perhaps, I had not found an undiscovered talent.

I started off with a unicycle, on which it is very hard to find your centre of gravity. When sitting on a normal bike you lean forward, but on a unicycle your back should be tall and straight.

I simply couldn’t get the hang of it.

When Niki McCretton, Lighthouse artist and circus workshop curator, took hold to help me, I then understood where I was going wrong.

“The thing with circus is that it literally takes your breath away as you stare up in awe of what the performers can do,” says Niki.

Then came the tightwire.

My first attempt went well, but on my second I tumbled off – although admittedly I was only a couple of feet off the ground.

Third time came and I managed to stay on. Hoorah!

However, I was shown up by Callum Watson, nine, Tom Watson, seven, Corina Marchant, six, and Olivia Newman, also six, who walked perfectly well from one side to the other without touching the ground.

The children went on to learn slapstick comedy, acrobalance, hulahooping and tumbling, over the rest of the week, and performed all the things they had learned on the Friday, with their achievements recorded on a DVD to take home.

Family Circus events at Lighthouse

Matilda Temperley exhibition, October 16 – November 27

London-based artist/photographer Matilda will be showing photographs of contemporary British circus.

Circus films

Man On Wire (October 22), The Circus (October 24), Wings of Desire (October 25) and Trapeze (October 26)

Activate Promoters’ Exchange

An afternoon of networking and exchange for professional circus artists and promoters from both sides of the channel.

Fun day, October 24

Events and activities for everyone to get inside (and upside down). Juggling, hula hoops, a taste of trapeze from Gorilla Circus, silent film and unexpected performances throughout the day. The day builds to a 4pm performance of Le Grande C by Compagnie XY.