Theatre / Circus
Bristol to celebrate 250 years of circus in 2018
Bristol is home to more circus companies than any UK city outside London and will be celebrating its connection to circus in 2018 as part of a year-long nationwide festival.
Circus 250 marks the 250th anniversary of the very first circus and in Bristol will start officially in March.
There will also be a prelude in January when students and teachers from Circomedia will be entertaining the guests at the Slapstick Festival gala at the Colston Hall, as well as running a pratfalls and slapstick clowning workshop.
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Another event already announced as part of Circus 250 is an exhibition at the RWA of contemporary circus-inspired art.
Bristol is just one of six places across the UK which will carry the title of City of Circus throughout 2018 alongside Belfast, Great Yarmouth and Newcastle under Lyme, Blackpool, Norwich, and London.
Bristol’s City of Circus organiser Kate Webb said: “Being named a City of Circus is a real opportunity to celebrate the diversity, inventiveness and rich culture of the circus and street arts sector that is now such a key part of Bristol’s culture while also honouring a tradition which dates back to much earlier time such as the many permanent circus sites Bristol had in the 19th century.”
As well as Circomedia’s world renowned centre for contemporary circus and physical theatre training, Bristol is also home to the Circus City international circus festival; innovative and ground breaking companies such as Cirque Bijou, The Invisible Circus and Arcadia; as well as many smaller companies and talented freelancers.
For more information about Circus 250, visit www.circus250.com
Main photo by Cynthia Price shows Circomedia students showing off their circus skills in the Bearpit, on the site of the former St James Fair which was the first ever circus performance recorded in Bristol
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