The Spark Within
Building Confidence Through Fire Skills
The Spark Within gave 40 local young people the chance to try something bold, creative and completely new fire spinning.
The project was supported by Action Together, through the Rochdale Communities Fund and Live Well Thriving Young People, helping Skylight Circus Arts create more safe, exciting opportunities for young people across Rochdale.
Working with groups from Darnhill Youth Group, Falinge Park High School, Army of Kindness and Deeplish Community Centre, Skylight delivered a series of fire skills workshops for young people aged 14–25.
The aim was simple, to create a safe, supportive space where young people could challenge themselves, build confidence and discover what they are capable of.
The workshops began with games, movement and group warm-ups before introducing unlit fire torches, safety skills and simple choreography. Step by step, participants moved towards working with real fire, learning how to spin safely, perform together, follow instructions, communicate clearly and support each other.
“At the start I was a bit anxious but when I held the fire I felt powerful.”
Every young person who took part said they enjoyed the workshops. Confidence also grew significantly, with the average confidence score for trying something new rising from 3 out of 5 at the beginning to 4 out of 5 by the end. Around 35 out of 40 young people recorded that their confidence had improved.
For many participants, the project was about more than learning fire skills. It was about overcoming nerves, taking safe risks and realising they could do something they never imagined.
“I felt really nervous at the start but as I did it, it was getting fun.”
Group leaders also saw the impact and shared with us that their young people were focused, responsible, creative and supportive of each other, even when tired arms and rainy weather made things harder.
“I learnt to not be afraid and be yourself.”
One youth worker shared:
“The young people absolutely loved the fire workshop, many had never done anything like this before, and it really opened their eyes to new possibilities. They learned new skills, pushed themselves in ways they didn’t expect, and grew in confidence with every step.”
The Spark Within showed how circus can help young people build confidence, resilience, communication and self-belief, all through creativity, challenge and a lot of trust.
A huge well done to every young person who took part, and thank you to Action Together, the Rochdale Communities Fund, Live Well Thriving Young People, our partner groups, youth leaders and all the young people who helped bring The Spark Within to life.
