Cirkidz

Cirkidz is a youth circus school based in Bowden in the South Australian capital of Adelaide.

It was originally founded by Tony Hannan and Michael Lester in 1985 as a workshop project to provide alternative opportunities for recreation for disadvantaged young people in Adelaide’s industrial inner-western suburbs. An initial 6 month project was so successful it was continued, to the point where in 2010, Cirkidz celebrates its 25th Birthday.

Cirkidz has been an integral part of the arts fabric ever since and is South Australia's circus centre. Numerous Cirkidz alumni have gone on to careers in the Circus Arts at Circus Oz, NICA or by forming their own company (Rambutan Circus Collective, Gravity & Other Myths).

Cirkidz teaches circus and performance skills to children and young people (as well as adults) through three core programs: Circus School, Performance Troupe and Community Workshops.

Circus School classes are available to anyone from 2¹/₂ through to 18 years of age. Adults can also attend an adults only class. In these classes, age appropriate skills are run in a wide range of circus arts. Juggling, Unicycling, Stilts, Trapeze, Hula, Trampoline, Pyramids, Tissu, Barrel walking, Acrobatics, Skipping, Hula, Mini-Tramp, Flowersticks, Poi, Acrobatics, Cloud swing, Teeterboard, Clowning, Cord, Slapstick, Table sliding, Plate spinning, Cigar boxes, Globe, Manipulation, Slack Wire, Flower stick, Mini Tramp, Staff Twirling, Contact Juggling, Tumbling, Hoop diving and Fast Track; as well as movement, acting and related performance skills.

The Performance Troupe are Cirkidz participants who create high quality artistic work in the form of in theatre & roving performances. They are regularly booked to perform at a range of iconic South Australian events, including the Adelaide Fringe Parade, the Credit Union Christmas Pageant, the Tour Down Under as well as a range of other events. They recently performed Freaky, a sold out co-production with Circus Monoxide as part of Come Out 2009.

The Community Workshop Program takes the circus arts into schools, workplaces, health organisations, child care centres, or partners with events such as Tunarama in Pt Lincoln as part of Cirkidz brief to provide circus experiences for a rnage of disadvantaged, or isolated young people.

See also

• Flying Fruit Fly Circus School
• National Institute of Circus Arts

External links

• Cirkidz
• Circus in Australia at the Australian culture and recreation portal