Bristol's new biennal festival Circus City will launch in October featuring a mixture of live circus performance, talks, masterclasses, have-a-go sessions and workshops, including a half-term programme of shows for families.
Circus City builds on the work of the first Bristol Circus festival that was held in a circus big top 2 years ago at Creative Common. This year, the various events will be at a variety of venues including Circomedia, Bristol Old Vic, Tobacco Factory Theatres, Arnolfini and Trinity Centre as well as outdoor spaces.
Highlights include gravity-defying show Clockwork from Swedish company Sisters, circus theatre show L’Enfant Qui.. (The Child Who..) by Belgian company Theatre D’un Jour, anarchic dance comedy Chaos from madcap Irish performers Lords of Strut and the acrobatic Barely Methodical Troupe with Bromance.
For young people and families, Unstable King’s Game explores the world of online gaming, Upswing presents Bedtime Stories combining circus with dance, theatre and projection and Metta Theatre’s The King of Tiny Things follows the tale of two young sisters who meet a mysterious winged creature that teaches them about other insects living in the garden.
There will also be a range of work taking place in secret locations and outdoor spaces and some circus-themed film screenings.
Bristol's Mayor George Ferguson said, "I declared Bristol to be a ‘Circus City’, to some amusement, on coming into office, but it is now reality and I am delighted to see this biennial festival bringing such an exciting programme of work for the people of Bristol and beyond to enjoy.
"Bristol is rightly gaining a world reputation for its great variety of cultural events and Circus City looks set to be an exciting addition to the mix."
The Circus Hub for information and tickets will be at Circomedia, St Paul’s Church, Portland Square in the city centre, open from 10AM to 4PM every day apart from Sundays and until 1:30 on matinée days.
Circus City will take place in Bristol from 8 to 31 October.