About

Mark is the Managing Director of Aerial Edge and has specialised for the last 20 years in education for both technical, physical and artistic disciplines. Mark has many years in education and has both worked for and provided consultancy on education solutions for many large international corporations. In 2000 Mark began training in static trapeze and has since been performing with both solo and doubles aerial acts for the last thirteen years. Amongst other places, Mark studied at The Circus Space, London for 8 years; but also attended intensive courses at The Circus Warehouse, New York, ARCAA, Sydney, The Circus Centre, San Francisco and Circocan in Brazil. He has been teaching aerial disciplines since 2007. Mark has an extensive background in Chinese Martial Arts and Tai Chi; he is an international gold medal winner and has been training and teaching for the last 28 years. Mark is also the Head of eLearning and Innovation for a large International telecommunications manufacturer and manages large scale global education projects in telecommunications technology. One of his key responsibilities has been to create education curricula and to roll-out certification programmes across international telecommunication organisations. He now builds and runs virtual teams providing global education solutions and education applications Mark has used his education management skills in areas other than telecommunications including one of the UK’s largest Tai Chi and Martial Arts organisations and being a previous Chairman of the UK Tai Chi Association. Teaching teachers and creating quality education systems in one form or another has been Mark’s responsibility for the last 20 years. Mark is the Managing Director of Aerial Edge and the Chairman of the Edinburgh Aerial and Acrobatic Convention.

Jamie-Lee began training in solo, static trapeze and rope early in 2007 and took up silks and doubles trapeze shortly after. She is currently an Aerial Edge instructor, teaching solo static trapeze, silks, rope and bungee trapeze along with basic acrobalance and aerial hoop techniques. Jamie-Lee has performed aerial acts at corporate events, festivals and Aerial Edge productions across Scotland. She regularly performs at the stylish 1920’s cocktail bar ‘Swing’ in the city centre of Glasgow. She is passionate about teaching and providing community groups with aerial workshops due to her community arts background. She has a BA Community Arts degree with principle arts disciplines in dance and visual art and has taken part in a number of master-classes focussing on physical theatre and community circus. Jamie-Lee was the aerial choreographer with Scottish Opera’s Education Department for their ‘Aerial 2013' project – a multi-disciplinary, integrated project working with adults and young people and providing community groups with aerial workshops due to her community arts background. She has a BA Community Arts degree with principle arts disciplines in dance and visual art and has taken part in a number of master-classes focussing on physical theatre and community circus. She is also part of Loop Theatre - a Glasgow based integrated theatre company - working as a facilitator of counterweight and aerial harness based movement and also as a performer.

Stewart first discovered circus while studying towards a PhD in pharmaceutical science at the University of Strathclyde (as you do!). He tried aerial acrobatics for the first time in February 2012 and gave his first public performance in winter that year. Although experienced in many aerial disciplines, Stewart has principally focused his training in Aerial Silks and Rope (Corde Lisse). In 2013, he became a member of the Commonwealth Youth Circus, a project put together for the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games, and performed all over Scotland with the Queens Baton Relay tour. He continues to perform regularly at a number of cabaret venues around Glasgow. Out with his aerial career, Stewart also works as a massage therapist. Stewart is one of the lead instructors of Youth Circus classes and also teaches regular classes in Aerial Silks, Hoop, Static Trapeze and Circus Fitness for adults.

Relatively new to the world of circus but with a background in free running, acrobatics and extreme sports Sam is no stranger to flipping around and being upside down. In addition to having his ADAPT Level 1 parkour coaching qualification Sam is also an experienced gymnastics and trampoline coach.  Driven by his passion to learn he is constantly striving both to increase his own skill range and to share that knowledge with his students. As well as coaching Sam is also passionate about performing and has been involved in a number of projects including music videos, stage shows and wide range of photo shoots. Career highlights include performances for Mercedes Benz and touring with the Commonwealth Youth Circus.

Scott started his life in the circus as a child over 20 years ago in Australia after a chance meeting with the legendary Reg Bolton. Since then he has performed, rigged and coached with the biggest names in the industry including: Cirque du Soleil, Cirque Éloize, Dragone, Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey. He has also taught and trained at The National Circus School in Montréal where he was apprenticed to another legend: Victor Fomine. Scott was also a member of the famous Flying Ashtons and a founder of Fliptease.

Seamus Clancy has been practicing circus since the age of eight, trying his hand at most circus disciplines. In 2011 Seamus attended Circomeda Bristol, British academy of contemporary circus and physical performance. Specializing in duo trapeze, Seamus has also developed his skills catching on both the Grand Volant and the Petit Volant, the cradle, solo trapeze, acro balance and juggling.  Since leaving Circomedia Seamus has worked for Above and Beyond aerial display team, performing at Glastonbury Festival 2013 amongst other events, Gorilla circus in Regent's park, London, teaching flying trapeze, the flying Souza in Madrid and Charles Chipperfield Circus touring England. Seamus is currently away on tour as a catcher with The Flying Aces.

Nicola joined the Aerial Edge team in 2015 as Artist, Production and Project Manager. In her role she manages many Aerial Edge events from student shows to corporate performances to international projects such as Mirabilia’s Scotland Focus and the Edinburgh Aerial and Acro Convention. Over the years Nicola has been involved in running large scale events like The Glasgow Cabaret Festival, The Cabaret Tent at T in the Park and Cabaret-Circus Club Night Flash/Bang which was showcased at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in 2014. She is also involved in running smaller scale, monthly events on the cabaret circuit in Glasgow. Nicola has a wealth of experience in performance with a background in amateur theatre, cabaret, burlesque and fire performance. In her spare time Nicola enjoys static trapeze, aerial hoop and flying trapeze and has been training regularly with Aerial Edge since 2009.

Amy discovered circus in 2008 when she was travelling in Australia and fell in love with flying trapeze. She found Aerial Edge in 2014 where she began training in static and flying trapeze before joining the team as a part time marketing assistant in December 2014.

Since then, Amy’s role with Aerial Edge has grown and she is now the full-time Head of Customer Service and Marketing for Aerial Edge as well as being an assistant in Beginners and Youth Flying Trapeze classes. She is the in-house photographer, and designer for Aerial Edge and co-produces the Aerial Edge TV podcasts with Mark Gibson.

In December 2015 Amy travelled to Brazil for 3 months of training at Circocan in Florianopolis, where she returned in February 2017, leading the Aerial Edge Circus Holiday there.

Outside of the circus life, Amy has a degree in Scottish Literature and Language and spends her time doing photography learning Portuguese.

Paul teaches the Junior and Youth Parkour Classes at Aerial Edge, with joggers as bright as his personality! He also runs his own Parkour company: West Coast Shift, a coaching organisation that has reached out to communities that have very limited outreach to them, bringing parkour workshops and local classes running consistently. Paul Lagah started up West Coast Shift as a way to give something back to the community that helped him get into the sport that he loves to train. West Coast Shift has been running for over a year and a half now, and have worked with many groups across the west coast, coaching in Dunoon, Ayrshire, Stevenson, Greenock, Glasgow, Garelochhead and even as far as Campbeltown!

A native of Glasgow, Freya started learning static trapeze in 2006.  After a break of two years to work in Japan, Freya went to Spain where she attended classes in trapeze and acrobatics at the Escola de Circ Rogelio Rivel, in Barcelona. She went on to complete a full-time circus course in Granada at Animasur Escuela Internacional de Circo y Teatro, studying subjects such as trapeze, aerial silks, clowning and contemporary dance. After returning to the UK in 2010, Freya taught for Aerial Edge in Glasgow and All or Nothing in Edinburgh. She now divides her time between circus and working as a massage therapist.

Charmaine has trained in static trapeze for the last 15 years and has taught for 14 of those! She first trained, and taught at Aerialize in Sydney before teaching in Glasgow and The Hangar, London. She met Mark Gibson whilst training at The Circus Space (now National Centre for Circus Arts) and they set up Aerial Edge in London in 2007 before moving the school to Glasgow where it has been based for the last 8 years. Charmaine has an encyclopedic knowledge of static trapeze techniques and is passionate about the need for a high standard of tuition in circus work, and conditioning, there’s always time for conditioning! Charmaine began veterinary nursing at the same time that she discovered trapeze. She has worked in both vocations simultaneously for the last 15 years and they both share equal importance in her life. She is currently training and teaching at Aerialize and for Suzie Q pole studio (teaching aerials) in Sydney. She is also responsible for programming all workshops and managing the teachers at EAAC.

Lauren is a graduate of the National Centre for Circus Arts, specialising in acrobalance.

Originally from a gymnastics background, Lauren created and toured acrobatic theatre with So and So Circus Theatre until 2013. She now works with companies including Circus Geeks to make and tour new cidrcus work. Lauren has recently moved to Glasgow from London, where she taught at the National Centre and Jacksons Lane. 

Lauren has a wide knowledge of partner acrobatics, with particular interests in risley and dynamic acrobalance. 

Adam has just returned to Glasgow after graduating from the National Centre for Circus Arts.

He has performed throughout the UK and Europe and as a multi-disiplinary performer he is adept at many aerial and ground based arts. His one love will forever be Rope.