At Circus City, we are working continuously to develop the accessibility of the festival and to put inclusivity at the heart of what we do. This year we have a range of performances that are BSL-interpreted, audio-described or captioned and also have relaxed performances and non-verbal shows. See the full line-up of these below. If you have any questions about access at the festival, or would like to feedback please contact nicole@bristolcircuscity.com
BSL interpreted
Black Sheep – Livia Kojo Alour. Circomedia, Saturday 7th 7:30pm
Fusing physical theatre, spoken word and song, Black Sheep is the story of a queer Black woman finding love, after retiring from her full-time job as a sword swallower. BSL interpretation by Nikki Champagnie Harris.
See video below for a BSL introduction to the show:
Volt – Circomedia Scratch night. Circomedia, 12th 7:30pm
Join us for an evening of raw circus performance at Circomedia. Volt is an opportunity to catch some of the best up and coming South West based circus artists as they share new ideas and work in progress with you, the audience, for the very first time. BSL interpretation by Nikki Champagnie Harris.
See video below for a BSL introduction to the show:
Tess – Ockham’s Razor. Unit 15, Sunday 15th 7.30pm
An ensemble of performers weave together Hardy’s words and the extreme physicality of circus to tell this tale of power, loss and endurance.
Against a backdrop of shifting projections the cast wield wooden planks, climb shifting walls and move through ropes and swathes of linen to evoke the vast landscapes and interior worlds of Hardy’s Wessex. BSL interpretation by Nikki Champagnie Harris.
See video below for a BSL introduction to the show:
Books! by Tit For Tat. Unit 15, Sunday 22nd 2pm
Save the books! A joyful, hilarious adventure for all the family, with juggling, balancing, fire and a good dose of comedy chaos. Tit for Tat is an unusual juggling company that believes in celebrating the ordinary. We take everyday objects, objectives and scenes, and we explore every nook and cranny until we make them extra-ordinary.
This family show includes a 30 minute stay and play workshop. BSL interpretation by Sally Macreavy.
See video below for a BSL introduction to the show:
Audio-described
Sawdust Symphony. Unit 15, Wednesday 4th Performance + Talk 8pm +Thursday 5th 8pm
Sawdust Symphony talks about the human desire to create: the process from vision to construction, the tragedy of work and the relationship between tools and humans. Obsessed characters discover and transform their space and themselves to take the spectator into a unique DIY experience.
Download audio description notes below:
Materia – Andrea Salustri. Theatre 1532, Saturday 21st 8pm + Sunday 22nd 2pm + 7pm
In this remarkable piece of visual theatre, Andrea Salustri explores the possibilities of polystyrene to the point it becomes alive and protagonist of the events on stage. As an almost unseen animator, he shows how we engage with objects, allowing them their own performing artistry, creating magic in front of our eyes.
With audio description by Sophia Knox-Miller
Captioned
A Spectacle of Herself – Laura Murphy. Arnolfini, Friday 6th 8pm and Sat 7th 2pm & 8pm
Join Laura on a mission to serve herself up [in]appropriately for your consumption, in a bold, cinematic, acrobatic odyssey through the frontiers of mental health, queerness, rage & the 21st Century space race. Includes integrated creative captioning by Ben Glover.
Relaxed performance
Shape of Belonging – Whispering Woods and the Mumuration Choir. Totworth Arboretum,Sunday 7th 2pm
Let your heart soar amongst the mighty cathedral of the forest, with an evening of breathtaking aerial dance and euphoric choral performance from Whispering Woods and the Murmuration Choir.
Non-verbal
Stickman – Darragh McLoughlin. Circomedia Friday, 13th & Saturday 14th 7pm
The man balances the stick on various parts of his body, thereby setting himself and the stick in motion. If the man has an agenda, he keeps it to himself.
Only Bones V1.6 – Marina Cherry. The Wardrobe Theatre, 20th 7.30pm 21st 6.30pm 22nd 7.30pm
Step into the world of Only Bones V1.6 and witness the potential of the human body as it defies limits and expectations.