Hello from our Youth Forum!

Hello from our Youth Forum!

by | Sep 26, 2025 | News and Updates, Our Team & Community

We are Skylight’s Youth Forum, a group of passionate young people brought together by our love for circus. We first connected through different youth groups at Skylight, and now we meet regularly to share ideas and make our voices heard. Our members are aged between 13 and 19 and bring a wide mix of skills, from juggling to trapeze and everything in between.

As the next generation at Skylight, we think about the future of circus and what it means to us. Our meetings, held on the last Friday of every month, give us the chance to plan, create posts for the blog, and curate Skylight’s social media. For us, circus is more than just a hobby, it is a way to learn, grow, and connect. Being part of the Youth Forum means we get to enjoy the best of both worlds, performing in the spotlight and shaping what happens behind the scenes.

Youth Circus Star Raises Funds With A Sponsored Bike Ride

Youth Circus Star Raises Funds With A Sponsored Bike Ride

by | Sep 2, 2025 | News and Updates, Our Team & Community, Support & Donations

From Passion to Action

A Youth’s Message on Supporting Skylight Through a Sponsored Bike Ride

At Skylight we are constantly blown away by the dedication and creativity of our young people.

This summer one of our Youth Circus members decided to take on a challenge outside the our circus home here at Skylight, swapping diabolos and bouncy stilts for a bike and setting off on a sponsored ride with his family to raise money for Skylight.

Here’s a little message from Charlie, who wanted to share why Skylight means so much to him…

I decided to do a sponsored bike ride to raise funds for Skylight Circus Arts because I have been a member for a couple of years and they have helped me gain my confidence, they have helped me make friends but they have also accepted me for myself. Skylight saved me when I was at a low point in life and when I was struggling to accept I had autism, they encourage me to be the best I can be and provide a fun safe place for me to learn new things and socialise with adjustments if needed, and I feel it’s nice to show how much myself and family appreciate all members and staff at Skylight by raising funds for future events or equipment.

Charlie, Youth Circus Participant

Hearing Charlies story celebrates why we do what we do here at Skylight. Building confidence, bringing together community and celebrating creativity are at the heart of what we do and it means so much to hear how Skylight has been part of his journey.

How does support like this help?

Charlie raised a whopping £270.50, the money raised will go towards our classes, equipment and further opportunities to help us to continue to support more young people just like Charlie. Every mile he pedalled has a direct impact on helping others experience the happiness, belonging and purpose that circus brings.

Thank you!

From all of us at Skylight, an enormous thank you to Charlie for commitment, kindness and generosity. You’re an inspiration to us all. Not forgetting a big thank you to his parents, for always supporting and shouting about the work we do here at Skylight… and of course for helping us to pack up and carry all of our circus equipment after every workshop you find us at! You truly are a wonderful family with big hearts! Lastly, thank you to all that supported Charlie in raising funds for us here at Skylight.

Make A Difference Today

If you’ve been inspired by Charlie’s story and want to join him in creating pathways for future generations here at Skylight, please suppport us by sharing our work with your friends, families & networks.

Support Us

Why Arts and Culture should be at the heart of community events

Why Arts and Culture should be at the heart of community events

by | Aug 26, 2025 | News and Updates, Our Team & Community, Performances & Events

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.

Did you have a go?

We also ran circus and aerial workshops so everyone could have an opportunity to come together and experience the joys of circus. Our aerial workshops were that popular we added additional workshops just to try and squeeze everyone in! It was brilliant to see both the little kids and the big kids launching diabolos and spinning hula hoops together.

“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 flashmob you say?

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.

On the first day, there was a secret excitement in the air, as we gave little nods to our performers as they casually tidied equipment away.  Suddenly the music kicked in and one by one they started dancing, proudly and together. Youth circus, adult circus, our younger youth circus, even our Silver Circus all joined in, families in our circus workshop looked on, slightly confused, but smiling.

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.

As someone who came through Skylight’s youth circus, with very little confidence to perform, it was the encouragement, support and the feeling of belonging in our little circus community that helped me believe in myself. So really, that’s one of the big reasons why I’m so passionate about empowering and supporting our youth circus 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 

Women performing a trick on trapeze to an outdoor audience

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.

Spotlight Shine at Rochdale Town Hall for Generations to Come

Spotlight Shine at Rochdale Town Hall for Generations to Come

by | Jul 4, 2025 | News and Updates, Our Team & Community, Performances & Events, Project Updates

Spotlight Shine at Rochdale Town Hall for Generations to Come

Our youth circus performers recently had the chance to bring circus to one of Rochdale’s most iconic spaces, the Great Hall at Rochdale Town Hall. They were invited to perform at Generations to Come, a community celebration highlighting creativity across ages and cultures within Rochdale.
Our young performers shared excerpts from Sky Fi, Skylight’s recent original show exploring the vastness of space, time and the young people questioning our connection to the universe. The group took acrobalance and juggling pieces to share with an audience of over 200 people.
The young performers recreated their acts before their feature at the Town Hall, with the stage measuring one third the size of their initial performance space, the group showed resilience, flexibility and creative thinking.
Spotlight is our youth performance group for young people aged 12 to 20 who want to push their circus skills further and gain hands on experience in the creative industry. They train weekly at Skylight and take part in events like this to build experience, confidence, creativity and connections with the community.
Thank you

A massive thank you to the organisers of Generations to Come for inviting us and creating space for young, creative talent in the heart of the Rochdale community.

Coming soon

Keep an eye out for more Spotlight appearances across the borough as we continue sharing circus and building new connections through circus performance. Find us at Darnhill Festival & Rochdale Feel Good Family Picnics.

A Weekend of Inclusive Circus at CAFT Festival

A Weekend of Inclusive Circus at CAFT Festival

by | Jul 4, 2025 | News and Updates, Our Team & Community, Performances & Events

A Weekend of Inclusive Circus at CAFT Festival     

“It’s the most special place, I’ve got three children who all have different needs so it’s hard to find something for us all to do that we all enjoy but CAFT is just that. It’s magical!”

A young boy sits confidently on a low trapeze rig set up in a grassy field while a Skylight Circus Arts female staff member stands beside him smiling with encouragement and care.

On the last weekend of May we had the absolute joy of being part of the CAFT Festival, a brilliant event for families with children with SEND (Special Educational Needs and Disabilities). The Children’s Adventure Farm Trust created such a welcoming space and we were proud to bring Skylight Circus magic into it.

Inclusive Workshops

Across the weekend our team ran inclusive drop-in circus workshops where children and their families could explore and learn circus and aerial skills, including juggling, hula hoop, diabolo, flower stick and even trapeze.

Playing, creating and exploring in circus gives space for children with SEND to find what they love, feeling pride, achievement and build confidence. We also took to the stage throughout over the weekend, sharing short circus and aerial performances.

“One of the best things about circus is that it meets people where they’re at. You don’t need to be strong or bendy or loud to join in, you just need a bit of curiosity and we’ll meet you there.”

— Skylight Circus Arts Team

Circus for Everyone

We believe everybody and everyone should have opportunity to experience the joy and excitement of circus. Inclusive circus is what we do and who we are.

Sometimes, it’s not about the fancy tricks or costumes, its about the belonging, the pride, the creativity.

Circus offers something truly unique. It allows people to play, to express themselves and to explore what their bodies can do in a way that’s freeing and empowering.

For children with SEND, circus can open up a world of possibility. The combination of movement, rhythm, coordination and play can support emotional regulation, physical development and confidence, positive sensory experiences and social interaction.

We’re proud to work with partners who share our belief that circus belongs to everyone. Thank you CAFT for having us and to all the incredible families we met over the weekend, you were brilliant.

Youth Circus to Circus Tutor & now America!

Youth Circus to Circus Tutor & now America!

by | Jun 19, 2025 | News and Updates, Our Team & Community

She joined youth circus at four years old and hasn’t left since…

Until now, she’s heading off to America

Danni first joined Skylight at just four years old, her youth circus journey began at our old and well loved home, The Broadwater Centre. Following in the footsteps of her mum, Adele, who’d already caught the circus bug years prior.
Even then, she threw herself into every show from stilt walking to juggling, globe walking to trapeze, always with a big smile and clear love for circus and performing.

Developing Circus & Teaching

Danni began volunteering in Skylights youth circus sessions at a young age and developed her teaching skills through our Creative Employment Pathway. Moving from a dedicated youth volunteer, to paid staff member and now freelance teacher & performer.

young girl standing on walking globe supported by young boy in circus show
young female teaching young male spinning plate

In 2018, she joined the very first cohort of Spotlight, our youth performance troupe. The group co-created and performed circus acts events across the North West. The group were working towards their first solo show Mammoth, due to take place in March but unfortunately pandemic put plans to a halt.  Post covid many of the group moved onto university, meanwhile Danni stuck around to both juggle her studies while further developing both her own circus skills and teaching.

group of young people backstage before circus show with hands in centre together

Current Projects

Today, Danni is a skilled circus and aerial artist and a much-loved member of the team within the Skylight family. She works across a range of projects, from Side by Side, our  family circus sessions, right through to our big community circus performance projects, such as Sparrow Hill and most recently, Sky-Fi

With creativity, calm encouragement and a real understanding of both the art form and the young people she works with, she continues to inspire the next generation.

group of young female performers in circus show in a pyramid formation

Educational Psychology Studies & Circus

Outside of Skylight, Danni is studying Educational Psychology at the University of Leeds, blending her love of learning with her passion for understanding and helping people. She also teaches circus and aerial at a number of venues in the North West.

two young females sat on one aerial hoop together smiling and looking at eachother
a photo from behind of two females performing doubles aerial trapeze to a large crowd outdoors

Next stop, America

She’s about to take on a brand new adventure as she travels to America for the summer. She’ll be teaching circus and aerial at the wonderful Camp Lindenmere.

Danni is such valued member of the Skylight team, inspiring the next generation and beyond and we couldn’t be prouder!

We’ll all miss her over the busy summer period, but we’re super excited to hear all about her adventures when she returns.

two young females performing an acrobalance move outdoors

A chat with Danni

Last weekend, while Danni was busy inspiring families at the Children’s Adventure Farm Trust, we roped in another one of our amazing circus tutors (and women of many talents) Gil, to ask her some questions. From her favourite Skylight Circus shows to stories from youth circus. Grab a cuppa and have a listen!

Circus Journeys, from Youth Circus to Teacher

by Danni & Gil

Read Transcript

Transcription: Interview with Danni
Interviewer: Gil
Date: 14th June 2025

Gil: Gil interviewing Danni on the 14th of June 2025. Danni?

Danni: Hello.

Gil: Hello!

Danni: Hello.

Gil: Let me just slide the microphone in.

Danni: Oh, there’s a lot of questions…

Gil: You’re not supposed to see them!

Gil: Okay, first question: What is your favourite circus or aerial skill to teach or perform?

Danni: My favourite aerial skill to perform is aerial hoop.

Gil: Mhm.

Danni: And my favourite to teach, probably aerial wise is doubles, because it’s just cute and it’s nice to see people working together.

Gil: Nice, thank you. What was your favourite show and why?

Danni: I think my favourite show was Spark, because it felt serious, you know? But also really fun, all the bright colours, and the days we performed were sunny, on the big aerial rig, and then there was the parade we did. I feel like we got involved in lots of different things. It was nice working with everyone together and I liked doing doubles with Annette. That was fun we worked really hard on that.

Gil: Excellent. What’s something you’ve learned about yourself through circus?

Danni: I’ve learned that you’re not always the best at something and that doesn’t matter. As long as you’re enjoying it and getting something good out of it, it doesn’t matter what anyone else is doing. Circus has taught me not to compare myself to others. Everyone has different qualities and talents, and you have something special that belongs to you so does everyone else. So there’s no point in comparing.

Gil: Cool. I like that.

Danni: So basically, it’s believe in yourself because you have talent.

Gil: How do you think circus has helped shape who you are today?

Danni: It’s helped shape me because I’ve met so many good people through it. People who are always there to have fun whether training or working, even when I was younger. It was always a safe space for me. I guess it’s shaped me to always try to be kind, and if you can help someone help them.

Gil: I might cry! I’m really going to cry at this one… If you could tell your younger self one thing about being in Youth Circus, what would it be?

Danni: The same thing stop comparing yourself to everyone else. They’re probably focusing on themselves anyway, and comparing just makes you unconfident. I’d tell myself to believe in myself, go for it, and stop holding back just because I think I’m not going to be as good or whatever.

Gil: Mhm. What keeps you coming back to circus even when life gets busy?

Danni: Charma.

Gil: (laughs)

Danni: She drags me there. No, I’m joking! It’s like a little family, you know? Sometimes I really don’t want to get on the train from Leeds, especially when uni work’s heavy. But I know I’ll have a great time when I’m there around all my favourite people, doing the thing I love and I love doing it at Skylight. So that’s what keeps me going back. I’ve always come back to Skylight.

Gil: It’s like a family, isn’t it?

Danni: Yeah.

Gil: What do you love most about circus?

Danni: Did I already answer this one?

Gil: No.

Danni: Oh then I’d say: it’s that there’s something for everyone. Even if you’re just throwing one ball up and down, there’s something in it. Some people love performing and make a job out of it. Others come for confidence building. It’s not just about the skill, it’s everything that comes with it.

Gil: Yeah, makes sense. What’s one of your favourite or funniest Skylight memories?

Danni: One is when I was doing doubles with Neely I think that’s her name and everyone was watching us. We did that doubles move where you flick around, and I just flew off and landed on the mat. That was funny, and then the other day, Charma stood on my shoulders and I couldn’t stop laughing. Oh and when I nearly broke myself on the hoop, but Charma caught it on camera. My new favourite is when me and Gil were trying to go to bed because I was really tired, and we just couldn’t stop laughing for like 20 minutes! We don’t know why it was funny, but it was.

Gil: Tell people who haven’t been in Youth Circus what it’s like to grow up through Skylight Youth Circus.

Danni: It’s like a family. As soon as you walk in the door, you feel included. No one’s judging you everyone wants you to do well and teach you things and just be your friend. It’s really supportive. If you’re having a bad day, it’ll cheer you up. If you’re already having a good day, it makes it even better.

Gil: Now let’s talk about your future aspirations. What are you most excited or nervous about for your summer in America?

Danni: I’m most excited about learning new circus skills, I’m hoping to develop a lot and bring it back with me to teach and become a better teacher.

I’m most nervous about leaving home. I’ve never really moved far uni’s still close to home. And now I’m literally leaving everything I know behind for three months. Also, I know I won’t have my phone much, so it won’t be easy to just text people at home that’s probably what I’m most nervous about.

Gil: And what does the future hold for you, goals, dreams, ambitions?

Danni: I hope I’m always teaching circus. I hope I never stop. And I want to be an educational psychologist. So I hope the future holds that for me too.

Gil: Do you think that’ll feed into your circus work?

Danni: Yeah. I think there are a lot of benefits of circus for people with special educational needs, psychologically. People have this idea of what circus is, but they don’t have a clue. It’d be great to research how circus affects the brain, especially for SEN, and how it makes people feel good.

Gil: Don’t you think there should be a proper BBC documentary about circus and what it really is?

Danni: Yes let’s propose it!

Gil: Right, who do we talk to?

Danni: I don’t know, we’ll work it out.

Gil: What do you think makes a great circus tutor?

Danni: Someone who’s patient. Someone enthusiastic, so they can pass that energy on. Someone who understands it doesn’t matter whether they can do it or not, it’s about being supportive. Telling a child it’s fine if the plate drops, they’ll get it another day or in a month. Someone encouraging, supportive, and who makes the effort to know each young person, what they like, don’t like, or if they need anything extra.

Gil: What’s your favourite thing about teaching circus and aerial to young people?

Danni: Seeing people come in really nervous, not talking to anyone, lacking confidence, and then six weeks later they’re getting on a trapeze they struggled with before, smiling, chatting with new friends. Circus brings people together, especially those who feel unseen in other places. At Skylight, they’re seen. And they feel that, I hope.

Gil: Last question, Danni. What have the young people at Skylight taught you?

Danni: To always have a laugh. They’ve taught me to be… what’s the word?

Gil: Resilient?

Danni: Yeah, resilient! They’ve taught me to have fun, and that anything is possible. Some of them come in with no belief in themselves, and then they do the thing. Could be days later or the same day, but they do it. They’ve shown me that if you believe in yourself, anything is possible.

Gil: Yeah… yeah. Excellent. Thank you for talking to us today, Danni. We’ll leave it there for now. But if you want to hear more from Danni, tune in next time, same time next week!

Danni: Bye!