Category: Circus Geeks Blog

The CircusGeek blog, from kitten juggling to plasticine tight-wire. Circus and other odd things.

101

arronsparksLeave a comment

IMG_6804.JPG

I just got back from 5 days at 101 Outdoor Arts near Newbury (England). Matt and myself have been working on our new outdoor show, Project_Vee. The days were spent practacing technique, creating segments of the shows, making some set and going for runs by the old nuclear bunkers and abandoned military landing-strip that nature has reclaimed, two minutes away from 101.

View this post on Instagram

#ProjectVee

A post shared by Lauren Hendry (@lauren_joy_tis) on

It only really occurred to me how lucky I am to have access to such an amazing resource when talking to Matt and Lauren. I was of course grateful to be able to have had time in residency there, but I didn’t appreciate quite how unusual a space like 101 is.

Other art forms have creative spaces, destinationas for artists to arrive and fill their time in the studio, spaces suitable for their medium. Outdoor arts and circus have very particular issues- they need space, lots of it- regularly working on a scale that the fine art world doesn’t have to deal with too often. For the outdoor arts creative spaces need to be large, felixible and have the ability to deal with lots of people.

View this post on Instagram

Building stuff for #ProjectVee

A post shared by Arron Sparks (@arronsparks) on

101 is an all too rare occurance in the UK. It offers accomodation for visiting artists, a working kitchen, office, even a workshop kitted out in which to build props or set and most imporantly, space. Focused, warm and welcoming space. The number of companies and shows that travel through 101 inspiring. The only down side to 101 is that it’s so unique.

 

THE NEED TO REDEFINE

arronsparks3 Comments

An essay by Bauke Livens covers some interesting points about circus history. I can’t say I agree with all of it and the use of launguage seems unnecessarily academic but I did like this quote…

…in the nouveau cirque, circus acts always interrupt the narrative. It is simply not possible to combine the two in one smooth whole. At the moment of physical danger (of presence), the story (the re-presentation) simply stops.

Read the essay here:

http://www.e-tcetera.be/first-open-letter-circus-“-need-redefine”

Remarkable List 2

arronsparksLeave a comment

Here’s my second list on stuff I really enjoy, with new additions from 2015. I hope there’s something new and interesting in there for you. Let me know what you discover.

Watch:

Read:

Listen:

Sit in:

Drink:

Eat:

Use:

Work with

Lab:Time Constrained

arronsparksLeave a comment

I received Lab:Time funding to research constrained writing techniques with the ‘cuphead‘ juggling prop.

I wrote out a bunch of rules to explore and spent 3 days on my own in the Creation Studio investigating. Some ideas led to some interesting things, lots of which require further development. It also let to plenty of dead ends and brick walls.

There’s a few of videos up on my Instagram account, this one being a favourite:

Unfortunately the cupheads didn’t turn out to be the strongest of props. I killed two of them in 3 days, pretty surprising for a juggling prop.

I’d love to see a one piece version that resisted splitting and didn’t require glue to keep it together because as a prop it’s really fun and has lots of areas of development still untapped.

I really enjoyed my time in the studio and hope to continue to develop some of the ideas I discovered in future projects.

Day in the life of a Variety Artist

arronsparksLeave a comment

Ever wondered what it’s like to work in a german varieté?

Arron Sparks takes you through a typical working day as a performer in the Krystallpalast Varieté in Leipzig, Germany.

Thanks to the Krystallpalast Varieté for being such a nice place to work and the cast of Delirio for being so open to filming.

Aaron | Stage hypnosis
Vladik | Acro-juggling
Spicy Circus | Trampoline-Wall
Fréderique | Aerial Net
Arron Spark | Yo-Yo
Nathalie Enterline | Hat & cane dance
Duo Azelle | Double hoop

15 – 12

arronsparksLeave a comment

15 – 12 = 3

I had to do the maths.

Another year on and this time it’s particularly poignant to me. I’m currently working in the marvellous Krystallpalast Variete which was like a second home to Luke at times. I had the pleasure/challenge to work and live along side Luke and other friends in a show for 3 months over the winter of 2009.

Whilst in Leipzig I’ve taken the opportunity to reread all the articles Luke wrote about circus. He really was an articluate and thoughtful man. We need more minds to step up and fill the void of knowledge, thoughtfulness and excitment that Luke brought to our immature, underdeveloped and ultimatly young art form.

Contained in Luke’s writing are a couple of paragraphs that stand out. Still holding the same value and truth as they did on the day of publication. If anything they apply now more than ever to my own work and thinking.

I’ve pulled out a few of my favourite paragraphs and linked up the articles, I would strongly urge any circus artists to read and reread Luke’s words of wisdom….

“There was a major disconnect between the technique and the theatrical setting. It was to me a clear example of the wrong way to make modern circus. It was “I do this technique set, what theatrical story can I drop on top of that to make it more interesting?” Rather than making some kind of statement using circus technique, here was someone using the circus technique purely as punctuation. It was something in parentheses, something which was referred to rather than being the main event.”

Creative Technique 

“There are three elements to any play. The play, the actors, and the audience. And the responsibility for success lies with them all. Does that mean we should patronise our audience to the point of stupefaction, reduce them to unknowing vessels, undeserving of our attention and edification? As long as my audience has given me the respect to come and sit in a theatre and watch me perform, then I shall give them respect and, hopefully, provide them with entertainment that also has the possibility to challenge and evoke them.”

Too Complicated

“If we are using the circus arts (circus techniques, as in skills and tricks) to express ourselves, then we owe it to them, and to ourselves, to show them some respect and to create and show work where that technique set is needed. Needed means not added on as a bonus but rather integral to, and defining of, the work. The technique should be a necessity of the performance (and perhaps also the other way round, but that is perhaps a topic for another time).”

  • Technique is the major tool that we have to communicate our intent.
  • “Innovate your technique: create the right trick for the right moment.
  • Trust in your tools: and let an audience share that trust.
  • And always remember: the technique IS the character.

The Technique IS the Character