Community events aren’t just about a day out, they’re about belonging. About feeling part of something bigger and realising you matter.

At Skylight, we’re passionate about how circus has the magic to bring people together, from all walks of life! We recently attended Rochdale’s Feel Good Family Picnics and the event was a  perfect reminder of why that matters so much.

The heart of Skylights community 

As always Skylight’s youth and adult circus participants showed off their circus skills across four days, inviting their friends and families to join in too!  From ages 8 – 88 our Skylight community all came together to show off, with mums, dads, aunts, grandads, grandchildren and the next door neighbours cheering them on.

“I’ve not done any circus in years, I used to come to Skylight as a kid and loved it, now I’m here with my two kids and they’re well impressed their Mum can juggle!”

– Member of the public

“I loved performing at the parks, it’s my favourite thing over the summer holidays. I just love that all of us from Skylight are together, like we’re a little family and we get to show everyone our circus skills.”

– Youth Circus Participant

A highlight for many of our youth and adult circus participants was the flashmob. Now, we’re a circus school, but our Youth Forum really wanted to create a something that brought everyone together. With a bit of help from choreographer and circus tutor Gil Burns, they created a sequence of moves and a drop of acro-balance and the flashmob was created.  Some of the youth circus volunteered to go into our other classes to teach it to everyone else so we were ready to go.

Each day their confidence grew and by the end of the week even some of the crowd were joining in. It worked not only because it was simply loads of fun, but it was special, the youth circus brought everyone together. Not forgetting that logistically it was great as it magically cleared the workshop area ready for their upcoming circus acts. That’s what we call creative problem solving.

“It was lovely being part of the flashmob, the youth circus were great helping us lot learn it, it was like our circus secret each day!”

– Silver Circus Participant & Performer

Throw back to 2008 with Charma Force – Skylight Staff

I’m often running around here there and everywhere at these events and it’s only when it’s over I can stop and reflect on just how special Skylight is. Rochdale’s Feel Good events have taken place in various formats over the years. They’ve always been great, even the wet ones! I love the excitement of the performances, the workshops and seeing the Rochdale community love circus just as much as we do!

Part of my role at Skylight is to look after our youth performance troupe Spotlight. A group of young people FULL of creative ideas, BIG dreams and LOTS of passion. With the youth circus taking such a big role in the creation of the flash mob, their dedication to performing and some even being part of the set-up team, it reminded me of how I got to where I am today.

Charma performing at Rochdales Feel Good Festival 2009 as youth circus participant

 “Awesome, well done everyone, you all did yourselves and Skylight Circus Arts proud!!!”

 – Parent of youth circus participant 

Photo Credit: Rochdale Borough Council

Being part of a team, feeling proud of where you’re from, seeing your friends in the crowd and teaching them circus tricks. It matters. Events like these give local people the freedom to create, the confidence to be themselves and a massive feeling of connection and belonging. That’s why we love them and that’s why we’ll keep turning up, rain or shine, to share what circus can do for a community for years to come!

A big thank you to Rochdale Borough Council for putting on such a wonderful event and inviting Skylight Circus Arts to be part of it.