Theatre / Circus
Extraordinary Bodies goes on the road
It’s been an extraordinary few years for Cirque Bijou, the Easton-based creators of Extraordinary Bodies – an exploration of disability and circus performance, involving people with all levels of ability.
After an Olympic performance and an international trip to Australia the group have just announced a two year project, working with diverse communities across the UK.
The circus group has previously toured the UK with their show Weighting, culminating in a performance in Castle Park.
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“It just felt like this wonderful moment where diverse Bristol audiences came together. There were very positive responses towards the show,” says Geraldine Giddings, Cirque Bijou producer, “we felt like we’d arrived”.
On the back of the success of Weighting, the company received Arts Council funding for a “really ambitious project” inspired by their time in Australia with Circus Oz.
Extraordinary Bodies Circus Oz Residency Part 1 from Extraordinary Bodies on Vimeo.
There the focus was on “high skill, pure circus work,” says Giddings.
“They adapted their working style to accommodate the disabilities of the Extraordinary Bodies performers. They did skills training, playing and devising. At their residency the performers were beginning to ask the question: What am I worth?”
Giddings says this question is the core focus for the new two-year project. “It’s about social value and how we value ourselves. Where we place ourselves in society,” says Giddings.
The two-year project will involve ten creative residencies across the UK, working with communities and marginalised groups, to explore the same question. A residency at the National Theatre is also lined up, to explore writing for circus.
“It’s quite a high octane few years,” Geraldine adds. “At the start of 2018 we’ll have a residency in a creative space for a month and rehearse the new show. So there’ll be a show, on a similar scale to Weighting. It will be an outdoor show, circus with music and theatre, looking at value in society.” After their residency, there is also a possibility of Extraordinary Bodies touring to Australia.
Geraldine explains that the hope of the newly-funded project is to raise the ambition of their artists. “The ultimate aim is that circus as an art form will be integrated and that disabled circus artists will be the norm, as disabled people are the norm in society.”
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