Meet our youth performance troupe, Spotlight and hear about our upcoming space themed circus and aerial show, Sky-Fi!
Spotlight
Originally formed in 2019, made up of a group of young performers from Skylight Circus Arts’ youth circus and aerial classes. They inspired the community and showcased their talent at community events such as Rochdale Feel Good Festival, Middleton Sports and Culture Awards and Darnhill Festival. They were set to debut their first solo show ‘Mammoth’ at Gracie Fields Theatre in March 2020, but the pandemic halted those plans.
While most of the original Spotlight members have moved on to university, one now works with us as a freelance circus and aerial tutor and performer, both here at Skylight and other venues in the North West. She has also worked on the Sky-Fi project and will be performing in the show!
A New Generation
Thanks to funding from Arts Council England, we have been able to reignite Spotlight with a brand new cohort of young circus performers and creatives to create a new circus show Sky-Fi.
The new Spotlight group, formed in January 2025, is made up of 14 young performers aged 12-20 all from the Rochdale and the surrounding areas. They’ve trained with us in Skylight’s regular youth circus classes and have shown a strong interest in developing their performance skills and working within the arts.
“My favourite part of being in Spotlight and creating Sky-Fi has been creating the show with everyone else. Some of us didn’t really know each other that well before January but we’re like a big team now.”
– Spotlight Member
Spotlight’s Upcoming Circus Show: Sky-Fi
Since January, Skylight have been creating, training and rehearsing with Spotlight to create Sky Fi, an circus show that will take audiences on a journey to explore the curiosity of the vastness of space, the movement of zero gravity, and our connection to the universe.
Expect to step into the abyss with a mesmerising tight wire performance, orbiting unicyclists and aerial acts questioning time and space.
One of the initial sparks of inspiration from the group was the idea of how enormous the universe is, and how tiny we really are here on earth.
“I like to think about how tiny we are, compared to everything else. Like when you think about life and your problems, but then you zoom out and take step back and think about how big the universe is, it’s actually kind of nice because it makes your problems feel smaller.”
– Spotlight Member
Creative Employment Pathways
Skylight Circus Arts is working hard to provide opportunities for our young people in creative employment pathways. With two Spotlight members already working with us, Spotlight’s journey is a testament to that vision.
By giving these talented young performers the opportunity to develop their skills in circus, performance and other areas within the creative industry we hope to inspire and provide more opportunities to the next generation of circus artists and young creatives.
Support Spotlight
Come and witness the magic of Sky-Fi and support the next generation of circus artists! Whether you’re a fan of circus, space, or simply love a good show, this is an event not to be missed.
Date: Saturday 15th March 3pm & 7pm and Sunday 16th March 11am & 3pm
Location: Skylight Circus Arts, St Chads Fold, Sparrow Hill, Rochdale, OL16 1QT
Tickets: £5 per person (must book in advance)
Help Shape Spotlights Future
Contact us to find out more about our classes and our wonderful Skylight community.
