Glasgow's circus school
Youth Circus Performance Programme
Performing is more than an aerial or acrobatic sequence, and this is where you’ll learn about it, by doing it with mentors. With two ensemble shows a year, you’ll be developing the concept and creating your characters while gaining circus skills that make you shine.
Youth Circus Performance Programme
Your Programme
Learn more with a focus on creating a show
This course adds more excitement to your circus classes. You still have all the fun of exploring your movements on the apparatus with friends, just like in a regular Youth Circus class – the bonus is that you progress more. Not because you’re working harder, simply because you are focused on creating the show.
You’ll collaborate with instructors, a director and other students to come up with characters for solo or duo acts within the show’s theme, in ways that allow your individual traits to shine through.
You don’t need to come with any pre-made routines, you just need an excitement to perform, play and explore circus equipment.
You’ll be guided and supported as a group to create acts that come from within yourself and that you are proud to share in the final show.
You’ll be guided and supported as a group by the directors to create acts that come from within yourself and that you are proud to share in the final show.
And along the way, you’ll find people that you spark off creatively, people that make you laugh, and people who support you through challenges.
What could you learn on the course?
- Static Trapeze
- Rope
- Silks
- Aerial hoop
- Straps
- Acrobatics
- Acrobatic balancing
- Handstands
- Dance Acro
- Flow arts
- Flexibility
- Performative skills
- Act Creation
- Choreography
- Character creation
- Show story development
Your Progress
This is a course with a specific goal so it has a more structured approach than turning up for regular Youth Circus classes. You’ll still learn in your own way, at your own pace.
The prospect of the show makes you naturally want to improve in technique, and over time you make your acts more complex and challenging.
As you collaborate on the process of creating characters and developing the narrative of the show, you will progress artistically, expressively and performatively.
Aerial Edge Youth Circus students have previously performed in big events like Merchant City Festival and big top circus tents, which is a hugely exciting experience.
Photo credit: Max Crawford
Who is this course for?
It’s for you if you’re aged 10-18 and enjoy aerial, acrobatics, dance, gymnastics, physical theatre or other physical arts, and can train for 90 minutes on Wednesdays.
It’s ideal if you want to take your circus skills into a more professional setting one day, if you’re considering a career in circus, or you just want the experience of performing in a directed show.
We’d also welcome additional input from young people who have an interest in rigging, staging, lighting, audio, costume making and other skills associated with show production.
How does it work?
You’ll explore your movement style and get technique instruction in a range of aerial and acrobatic arts with some flow and object manipulation.
Your focus will develop more towards the art that you will perform in the show, and you’ll build your understanding of choreography, characterisation, and what it takes to produce a compelling performance.
Everyone arrives with different skill levels – no one is good at everything, everyone has their strengths and challenges. We start with where you are at, and work with you to build towards your personal goals, finding out how you learn best as an individual.
Performance Programme runs on Wednesdays from 5.30pm until 7pm, with shows in December and in June.
If you also want to attend the regular Wednesday Youth Circus class from 4.30pm til 6pm, email info@aerialedge.co.uk and we’ll set up a discounted price.
Why Aerial Edge
We are the largest circus school in Scotland, established in 2007. As a non-profit Community Interest Company, our core principle is: circus for all regardless of age, size, shape, ability and other factors.
If you’re just starting your circus journey, or if you’ve already got years of aerial or acrobatics behind you, we’ll make sure you see great progress, and you’ll gain strong foundational abilities in other arts too.
You’ll discover how our passion and speciality is developing people through circus – your gains go deeper than learning the arts. We’ll nurture you not just through the physical challenges as you grapple with the techniques, but other pieces of your progression puzzle that arise along the way.
We have specialist knowledge to support you to make breakthroughs which have a positive impact on other aspects of your life.
Our Facilities
Aerial Edge has its own warehouse building for training and performance. We’re well known for our flying trapeze and cradle rig, but there are other dedicated areas for ground-based and aerial disciplines. Our space is highly adaptable and able to accommodate nearly any circus discipline, and convert to a fantastic performance stage with a superb sound and lighting set-up.
You can discover, learn and hone just about any aerial discipline on our rig, and we have safety lines for acrobatic training, teeterboard and tightwire.
As well as trampoline which can be used for anything from warm-up to wall-running, there’s an act creation and rehearsal space which can be rigged in multiple ways.
And as if all of that isn’t enough, there’s a café reception area, we’re big into coffee at Aerial Edge so we take great delight in choosing speciality roasts for that fresh bean-to-cup buzz!
There are also numerous cafés, restaurants and shops within just a few minutes’ walk.
What does it cost?
As a non-profit organisation, we price everything as low as possible. Great care and expertise has gone into our course planning, to ensure you get the best personalised experience and outcomes.
Course Fees
The Performance Programme monthly membership is the same price as the regular Youth Circus monthly membership – £48. That’s the heavily discounted compared to the drop-in price. There are no drop-ins on Performance Programme, because everything is geared towards producing the show, and everyone will be rehearsing to perform specific roles. However, you could set up a membership and try it for a month to see if it’s for you.
Entry Requirements
You must be aged 10-18 and be available for classes on Wednesdays from 5.30pm-7pm. Some experience of circus arts, dance, gymnastics, cheerleading, etc can set you up well, as would physical theatre or other types of performance. However, if you join early in the show production cycle, previous experience isn’t necessary.
As soon as one show has been performed, the production process for the next one begins. If you join closer to the show date, we’d try to find ways to involve you in the show at whatever level you’re at, if at all possible.