Dinnington School Circus Club
One of our colouring book pages sent to us by a pupil
We ran a regular Circus Club at Byron Woods School Sheffield
Vocal Development
There is no quick-training to create an understanding and practice of breath and vocal development. We teach a method that develops breathing and the cycle of breath as a primary and essential element of life. This is a workshop that requires several regular sessions. It involves elements of yoga and theatre/actor training.
Theatre/Dance/Mask
We work closely with Theatre and Dance companies to deliver a workshop activity that crosses over between the art forms. Please ask us for more details.
Storytelling
We work with Storytellers and can support storytelling about Circus or about other subjects.
Arts Award
We are an Arts Award Centre and we can take your pupils through the Bronze and Silver Arts Award with Circus as the theme. Please ask us for more details. See the Arts Award website for general information.
Safety and Safeguarding is paramount to Swamp Circus. We have a child protection policy, we provide risk assessments, all of our tutors and artists are CRB checked. We are fully insured.
General Note
Although we often talk about about Circus activities for groups of younger pupils we belive that Circus is applicable for and a valuable tool for all ages of pupils, students and adults. All our workshops can be geared for students of all ages and for teachers.
Circus -Theatre, Physical Theatre, Outdoor Arts, Animation, Parade, Carnival, Festival, Outdoor Production, Stage Managment, Outdoor Spectacle are all within our field of work. We can provide you with information and workshops on all these topics. We can also advise on the 'pathways to work' in these professions and industries.
We have been working with schools succesfully for many years (since 1986!) but over the past 3 years we have been concentrating on continually improving our workshop offers to Schools and Colleges.
We regularly work with primary schools, secondary schools, 6th Form Colleges, Further Education Colleges and Universities.
There are many benefits specific to Swamp Circus workshops. You can download a pdf file here that details what we consider to be some of the benefits and the main details of our workshop offering.This is our general information document.
We tailor-make our workshops to suit your needs, so we will contact you, talk to you and produce a workshop that supports your aims and objectives. Circus is not only for kids! It works effectively for young people, young adults, adults, teachers, trainers, lecturers and professors. We take our job very seriously .. in order to be - at the point of contact - seen to be very silly indeed.
Circus is a remarkably effective tool for learning.
Why use Circus in your School? What is the benefit of circus activities? Here are two examples ...
Juggling ... DyslexiaHere are two articles about dyslexia and juggling and other circus skills.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/2714175.stm
www.audiblox2000.com/dyslexia/juggle.htm.
Circus Skills and Literacy in primary school pupils“The Effect of Kinaesthetic training on literacy performance among primary school pupils". View our introduction pdf here
There's plenty of general information to read about our schools workshops on the page Workshops: Schools page.
We work with pupils with SEN, more information here
On this page we will go into more detail about our workshops offerings.
We actively promote Modern Circus: non-animal and egalitarian - open to everyone regardless of ability, gender, faith or age. We are fully inclusive.
Some examples of Workshop delivery
The Swamp Circus Colouring Book
During 2010 -11 we created a Colouring Book for younger pupils to colour-in. We found that some younger ones get physically tired during the workshop activities so we made a Colouring Book for them. This can also be provided to schools and used before or after workshops or as part of a Circus curriculum theme.
Numeracy
Counting made simple with juggling props. Dealing with multiple numbers and different shapes; breaking down processes into a step-by-step learning method. Learning to deal with complex visual and physical operations through the 'fun' of circus skill activities.
Literacy
Following oral instructions; learning the spelling of unusual circus props. We can focus on any literacy issue through fun, hand-on circus skills learning.
Look at this research for example - Circus Skills and Literacy in primary school pupils.“The Effect of Kinaesthetic training on literacy performance among primary school pupils". View our introduction pdf here
Science
In 2010 we developed a CPD programme with Partners In Innovation as part of their Space Circus project. This CPD is useful for teachers and can be applied to pupils with our workshop in The Science of Circus. See the Teachers Resource book here.
We can deliver a training for Teachers or deliver a workshop directly for your pupils. The project is all about using in-th-classroom activities to introduce real science.
We can work with you to develop this type of programme to support other science studies - biology, chemistry - and would like to pursue this kind of development. Circus is science in action after all.
Sport
Circus is a perfect example of non-competitive sport. Physically challenging, discipline based; develops reaction-time, hand-eye co-ordination, flexibility, stamina and step-by-step progress. The skills also burn calories, stimulate the body and brain. Our games are sometime individual and often team-based. Our circus skills are complimentary to standard sports training.
Co-operation and Teamwork
All our activities have a strong element of co-operation and teamwork. We use our workshop activities to highlight the importance of learning together, supporting each other, the balance of playing as an individual as part of a group and playing as part of a team. By working together every individual beneifts. We work to make sure that pupils who don't usually work together get to work together and get to know each other better. We like to work closely with staff to deliver just the right level of engagements. We guide, we encourage and help pupils achieve more than than they 'expect' of themselves.
Innovation and Creativity
The modern circus arts and skills are driven by individual and group innovation and left-field creativity. There are very few rules about how to use circus props 'correctly'. By breaking 'the rules' and letting the unexpected happen, new forms, new patterns are created by participants 'playing', having 'fun' and feeling able to try something new and free.
Performance Skills
We teach the skills of circus but we can also take any level of skill and turn it into performance. We teach basic stagecraft ideas, support the ability to stand up in front of the class and have-a-go and be happy to do that. We make sure that the pupils can appreciate being in the audience as well as being 'on stage'. The experience of standing-up in front of your peers is useful in developing self-esteem, confidence and also in developing the idea of 'sharing' with your friends, experiencing the ups and downs of trying to 'show off', the successes and failures of taking a chance. We support every individual warmly. This is NOT X-factor, with winners and losers! This is all about sharing and mutual support.
Transition Days
We deliver activities for Transition Days regularly. We delight in getting young people to meet other each other, often for the first time. Circus Skills give an experience where no one in the group has any experience - so its a shared 'new' experience, one that gives a common point of reference to share; a common point of laughter and enjoyment.
Circus as a curriculum theme
We have a good resource of video, photos and literature on the topic of Circus, Comedy, Physical Theatre, Puppetry, Outdoor Arts. We can support your theme with materials or with our own workshops. Note: we teach Modern Circus but we do reference historical circus too. We like to work well beyond the commonly held view of Circus as animal-based with some red-nose clowns. We are Modern Circus and proud of it and wecan share that with you and your pupils.