A Weekend of Inclusive Circus at CAFT Festival

by Charma Force | Jul 4, 2025 | Circus Workshops and Training, Inclusive Circus, News and Updates, 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.

Enhancing Our Performance Space at Skylight Circus Arts

by Charma Force | Mar 9, 2025 | News and Updates, Performances & Events, Supporters

We’re excited to share that we’ve received funding to further enhance our performance space and provide more creative opportunities for the Rochdale community.

Exciting Venue Upgrades

Thanks to funding from the Rochdale Visitor Attraction and Venue Improvement Scheme with Rochdale Development Agency, we have made some exciting upgrades to our venue at Skylight Circus Arts.

Investing in New Equipment

This funding has enabled us to invest in much-needed specialist circus and performance equipment. Our new black stage mats and stage lighting will enhance our performances, creating a more immersive and professional experience for our audiences. Be the first to see it all in action at our upcoming show, Sky Fi, happening in mid-March!

Expert Training for Our Youth Circus

In addition to equipment upgrades, the funding has also allowed us to bring in Cath, a local creative professional with skills in aerial and circus to work with our Spotlight performance troupe and youth circus.

Working with new creative professionals not only gives our young people new circus skills but it also provides us with new and exciting ideas, inspiration and helps to develop their resilience and team work.

The training is focused in acrobalance and will further develop their skills, ready for our upcoming show, Sky-Fi.

photograph of three people, two younger boys and one women practising acrobalance. One boy is balancing on the women and the other boy is spotting him.

Sky-Fi

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)

Contact us for more information

Tickets

Thank You

A huge thank you to Rochdale Visitor Attraction and Venue Improvement Scheme and Rochdale Development Agency to supporting us to further develop our training space and performance venue here in Rochdale.

Support Skylight Circus Arts

We are working hard to continue to develop our venue, upgrade our equipment and create high-quality performances for Rochdale audiences.

If you’d like to help us and are able to, please consider donating or sharing our stories with your families, friends and networks. Your kindness and support makes a huge difference!

Donate

Contact us to find out more about our projects, join one of our classes and our wonderful Skylight community.

Spotlight Presents: Sky-Fi Circus Show

by Charma Force | Mar 9, 2025 | News and Updates, Our Team & Community, Performances & Events, Projects, Spotlight Youth Performing Troupe

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.

Skylight Circus Manchester NW Aerial Silk Performers

Skylight Circus Youth Circus Theatre Performance

Skylight Circus Youth Circus Acro Training

Skylight Circus backstage at Middleton Arena

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)

Tickets

Help Shape Spotlights Future

We are working hard to secure funding to keep our Spotlight performance troupe thriving. If you’d like to help us provide opportunities for young Rochdale creatives, please consider donating. Your support makes a difference!

Donate

Contact us to find out more about our classes and our wonderful Skylight community.

Silver Circus: Bringing Joy to Care Homes

by Charma Force | Mar 7, 2025 | News and Updates, Projects, Silver Circus Community Outreach

As we get older, play and social connections often diminish. Skylight Circus Arts aims to uplift and spark creativity once again in local care homes for the elderly in Rochdale.

Skylight’s current project, Silver Circus works with older people, who often don’t have opportunities to engage in the arts. By using circus skills as a tool to help people relax, achieve and work together, the project brings back smiles, self-belief, and a sense of playfulness and reconnection. Thanks to funding from the National Lottery Community Fund we’ve extended some of our work into local Rochdale care homes for the elderly.

Beechwood Lodge & Belvoir Care Home

Over the past eight weeks our circus tutors, Mick and Martine have been welcomed with open arms at Beechwood Lodge Care Home and Belvoir Care Home, both located in Rochdale. These homes support the elderly with dementia who are in residential care. Through our Silver Circus project, Skylight has been bringing circus skills into the homes, creating opportunities for residents to play, inspire creativity, and develop connections with their fellow residents.

Engaging and Inclusive Activities

People naturally seek comfort in familiarity, and we recognise that having two new faces enter the homes of those with dementia can sometimes feel confusing, overwhelming, and uncomfortable. Our work is thoughtfully planned to help people relax, feel achievement, and build relationships. Each session began with everyone sitting together in a circle and passing around our colourful circus bunting to create a big circus ring!

Over the weeks, this developed into a belly giggling and childhood favourite for both the residents and staff, rowing back and forth while singing (and giggling) Row, Row Your Boat. Starting each week with the same predictable and accessible activity meant everyone was put at ease, knowing what to expect.

“Each week the residents have improved as they know what to do from previous sessions, this has helped with the residents that can be quite anxious. Throughout the sessions, the residents have been ‘belly laughing’ and making jokes with the Skylight staff.”

– Care Home Staff

Adapted Circus Skills

As we get older, our grip, movement and strength can decrease, making it tricky for some people to access some physical activities.

During our sessions, residents sat together in a circle to have a go a plate spinning. Using our colourful spinning plates balanced on chunky gripped sticks to support those that need it. The groups had a great time passing the plates to one another around the circle.

Juggling was a firm favourite for some of the residents. We broke down the cascade juggling pattern to roll balls to one another across a long narrow table, building up to a juggling pattern. Some of the residents enjoyed playing and experimenting rolling the balls and loved to see how the order in which they rolled the balls created the same pattern when our circus staff then demonstrated the juggling!

“How wonderful. I do enjoy throwing and catching those juggling balls… Wahoo”

– Belvoir Care Home Resident

Fostering Social Connection

Social interaction was at the heart of these sessions. Staff at both care homes shared that residents don’t often have the opportunity to interact with everyone in the building.

Our Silver Circus Sessions bring everyone together, creating moments of laughter, encouragement, and support. The Hoopla game was another firm favourite! Playing together in a circle, tossing juggling rings onto metal shaker cups in the centre of the room. It was lovely to hear the residents cheering one another on!

“We at Breechwood have thoroughly enjoyed the workshops and are a bit sad its come to an end! The workshop was at an excellent pace for the residence and families. The families have mentioned how great the workshop has been for their loved ones.”

– Care Home Staff

Thank You

A huge thank you to the National Lottery Community Fund and all National Lottery players for making this project possible!

More about Silver Circus

Dementia – Reduce risk and improve health at Skylight Circus Rochdale

Silver Circus Classes here at Skylight

Contact us to find out more about our classes and our wonderful Skylight community.

Side by Side Circus: Bringing Families Together Through Circus Arts

by Charma Force | Mar 5, 2025 | News and Updates, Projects

At Skylight Circus Arts, we believe in the power of circus to bring people together, build confidence, and create unforgettable memories. One of our most cherished projects, Side by Side Circus, is doing exactly that for families across Rochdale. Supported by the Greater Manchester Integrated Care Board, these Saturday sessions offer families a unique opportunity to learn, play, and grow together in a safe, inclusive, and creative space.

A Safe Space to Play and Learn

For many families, finding activities where everyone can participate and feel welcome can be a challenge. Side by Side Circus provides a supportive environment where parents, carers, and children can explore circus skills at their own pace. From juggling and balancing to aerial cocoon swings, every session is designed to be fun, engaging, and accessible to all.

One parent shared how much their child has grown in confidence since joining the sessions:

“He has got a lot more confident. He wouldn’t normally do things even in a circle where he’d have to stand in front of others. But here, he plays the games, he tells you what he’s enjoyed from the session. All those little things he wouldn’t have done before he started coming.”

These sessions are not just about learning circus skills; they’re about fostering confidence, teamwork, and self-expression. Families get to spend quality time together, working through challenges, celebrating achievements, and supporting one another every step of the way.

A Unique Experience for the Community

Families who attend Side by Side Circus often express how difficult it is to find anything similar in the local area. The inclusive nature of these sessions means that children and parents alike can participate, regardless of experience or ability. The sense of belonging and community that forms is what makes this project so special.

“We’ve not found anything like this around here, have we? Coming here on a Saturday gives us all something to look forward to all week. She can just be herself here. She absolutely loves the cocoon, especially when me or her Dad spin her around.” – Parent

These words highlight the importance of providing creative and engaging activities for families in Rochdale. Side by Side Circus is more than just a weekend activity, it’s a space where families can reconnect, relax, and experience the joy of movement and creativity together.

Thank You for Your Support

We are incredibly grateful to the Greater Manchester Integrated Care Board for funding this project and making these sessions possible. Their support ensures that families in Rochdale can continue to benefit from the power of circus arts for well-being, confidence-building, and social connection.

If you’re looking for a fun, supportive, and unique way to spend time with your family, why not get in touch and join the list of our next block of Side by Side Circus. We welcome families of all shapes and sizes to come along and experience the magic of circus for themselves.

Stay connected with Skylight Circus Arts by following us on social media and keeping up with our latest projects and events. Let’s continue to build a stronger, more connected community, one circus skill at a time!

Contact us to find out more about our classes and our wonderful Skylight community.