Bristol is a city of circus! Back in May 2024 with the help of citywide partners and networks, we asked the Bristol circus community to fill in the Bristol Circus Census. We set out with the aim to build a snapshot of the needs and challenges of Bristol’s circus sector. A total of 91 individuals responded to the survey which included quantitative and qualitative questions.
Key Findings:
The report shows a picture of the different training pathways undertaken by individuals as well as how individuals are diversifying across performing, teaching, production, tech and design, as well as supplementing income from circus with work in other fields.
The importance of Circomedia in drawing people to Bristol is evident in the report, as is concern around the closure of Unit 15 and the impact this will have on the sector.
Challenges:
The report highlighted some of the consistent challenges faced by circus artists and professionals living within the city:
- Cost of living versus income: Many respondents told us about the challenge of meeting living costs. A common understanding was that performance fees have not risen in line with inflation, with people being paid the same today as they were a decade ago.
- Access to space: Training and creation spaces appeared as a central concern in the survey. Respondents repeatedly voiced their desire for access to affordable and well-equipped spaces to train and to make work.
- Performance opportunities: Perhaps striking, given the strength of the circus community in Bristol, are the limited opportunities for performing in the city, with only 12% of respondents having the opportunity to perform often.
The Future:
There are a whole host of ideas from respondents about ways to support the industry, including subsidised training spaces, outreach programmes run by venues to develop the audience base, and a centralised online space for advertising jobs and opportunities.
You can access the full report below:
The report creates a detailed snapshot from a wider range of respondents. We are using this insight to shape our work and advocate for Bristol’s circus sector locally, nationally and internationally, and we encourage other organisations to do the same. Please feel free to reference data from this report, citing the Handstand Arts Bristol Circus Census 2024.
Thank you to The Invisible Circus, The Island, Circomedia and The Albany for sharing the survey and to all respondents for completing it.
Raw data available on request. Please contact nicole(@)bristolcircuscity.com