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Building Circus Routes in South Bristol

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In 2023 we began working with Filwood Community Centre on a pilot project, Circus Routes, to explore what a circus programme in Filwood might look like. We wanted to think about how we could connect with Filwood as a place for exceptional performances and to connect with new audiences.

With support from the The Nisbet Trust and Bristol City Council’s Originators Fund, plus support in-kind from Filwood themselves we were able to develop Circus Routes a programme of free and pay-what-you-can performances, reaching a total audience of 275 people, most of whom had not accessed our work before.

Our programme connected with local artists based here in Bristol, as well as international artists who were touring the South West as part of Circus Around and About 2. Across the summer we presented two free outdoor performances including the joyful and chaotic Books! by Bristol based company Tit for Tat as part of Knowle West Fest, and Foley “a thrilling contemporary circus show for all ages”, by international company Collective ConTakt. Foley explored “the highs and lows of togetherness, with exquisite live music, performed by a musician and five acrobats”. Our audiences described these as “mindbogglingly impressive, inspiring and creative” as well as “beautifully joyful”. 

We also presented a low cost (pay what you can from £3.50) performance of Knot by Nikki & JD inside Filwood’s soon to be renovated Main Hall to a delighted audience who fed back: “I have never seen anything like it before, the movement was fantastic and music went really well with the story. I thought the story was just brilliant, I would recommend to anyone who want to see a show like this as you will be for a treat” and “So good to have creative performance at last, more, more. Emotional, powerful and special – great! Inspirational and a must for this area of south Bristol”.

As we continue to develop our citywide programme with exciting plans for Circus Routes in 2025, we are immensely grateful to Filwood and Circus Round and About 2 whose collaboration has given us the opportunity to bring these incredible shows to new audiences.

Photos by Filwood Community Centre (Books!) and Ryan Murphy Photography (Foley).

Images of Books! performance including a man standing to the left of the image reading a book whilst 3 performers create a monster like shape pulling faces at the audience
Young children's sitting in the sunshine on the grass enjoying a performance
Books performance image including 4 performers in front of a bookcase. There are two ladders held up by one performer in the centre. One performer is straddling both ladders whilst the two remaining performers hang off the outside of the two ladders pulling faces at the audience
Books performance shot including 4 performers in front of a bookcase. Each performer is holding a flaming torch.
Foley performance shot including 5 performers standing in a line holding the remaining performer at a horizontal angle. The horizontal performer is holding a microphone.
A Foley performance image showing two performers. One performer stands below holding the hands of a second performer who is doing a handstand.
Audiences seated and watching the performances.
Two performers. One standing on the others shoulders whilst playing a saxophone with a red lead holding tension off to the side of the image.
A Foley performance image with one of the performers holding a microphone unclose to some young audience members who are crowding around.