Acrobatics for pensioners - the Rochdale circus group teaching trapeze skills to seniors
Video report by Granada Reports Correspondent Andrew Fletcher
A Rochdale circus skills organisation, which runs classes for diverse groups such as refugees, LGBTQ+ teenagers, disabled people and over-sixties, has been announced the winner in a national competition by ticketing and event platform, Eventbrite, to find the UK’s Most Curious and Colourful Event. The competition was designed to celebrate the wide diversity of events that can be found on Eventbrite, and especially those that could be described as unusual, unique and alternative.
Skylight Circus Arts has won £2,500 in cash and £2,500 in Eventbrite fee credits to help it grow and bring even more people together through live experiences. It will use the cash to run classes and projects that it is unable to get funded, such as its Silver Circus for over sixties, drop-in classes and youth classes.
It will use the fee credits to further help promote its classes, which encourage people of all ages and abilities to improve their personal, physical and social development as they learn circus skills.
Skylight Circus Arts runs circus classes and workshops for people of all ages, as well as sessions for people with disabilities and special needs, LGBTQIA teens, and refugees from all over the world.
It was set up more than 30 years ago by Jim Riley, a circus performer who wanted to share his skills with his community. "We working with anybody and everybody. We run classes from 4-year olds to 84-year olds, and we like to get mixed up in shows. we like to get out there doing things."
Skylight Circus Arts has won £2,500 in cash and £2,500 in Eventbrite fee credits to help it grow and bring even more people together through live experiences. It will use the cash to run classes and projects that it is unable to get funded, such as its Silver Circus for over sixties, drop-in classes and youth classes.
It will use the fee credits to further help promote its classes, which encourage people of all ages and abilities to improve their personal, physical and social development as they learn circus skills.
Chief executive David Allen said: “Winning this competition means the world to a small organisation like ours and we actually cheered with delight during a staff meeting when we got the call. The money we’ve won will help us continue to support those groups that we don’t get funding for, so people in the local community can meet likeminded folks to socialise and learn new circus skills."
Linda Keane, 71, who has attended many Skylight Circus Arts events says: “A friend of a friend told me about Skylight, encouraging me to go along to the Silver Circus sessions for over sixties. I went along and everyone was so welcoming and the staff were great. They encouraged me to try things within my comfort zone and progress as I became more confident.” “That was four years ago and since then I've learnt a lot of new skills – from juggling to diablo. I've also performed aerial circus at lots of events – to learn something I thought I could never do and then progress to performing is a truly amazing experience at my age.”