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