Join us for an invigorating and fun-filled weekend of aerial, flow arts and movement in the stunning Devon countryside!
With a jam-packed schedule to choose from of aerial, flow, circus and movement workshops- plus plenty of time to relax and enjoy the beautiful venue and the sauna- this long-weekend is perfect for all abilities. As a collective (soon to be a CIC), our focus is on growth, play and connection, and we hope we have curated a space in which everyone feels welcome and heard. Each day includes time to get to know each other and the instructors, and we plan to open the retreat on the Friday evening with a shared Pot-luck style meal.
Equipment
Our big aerial rig tops out at a gigantic 7m and is perfect for getting to grips with some spectacular drops on the silks, and there's plenty of space to practice on one of our 3 smaller A-frames. We also now have use of another rig, adding in a 4.5m drop to the mix, and ensuring that everyone gets plenty of time on the equipment. We have all our aerial props, plus a whole circus' worth of other fun things to play with including flow and/or fire props, unicycles and stilts.
Workshops
Aerial Hoop and Trapeze 101
Dynamic Lyra
Doubles Lyra and Trapeze
Aerial Silks 101
Corde Lisse
Unusual Aerial
Creative Aerial Choreography
Silks drops and rolls
Dynamic Lyra
Hula hoop
Juggling
Full-body mobility and flexibility flow
Handstands and balances
Object manipulation- weird props
Fire-spinning
We have hand-picked some incredible instructors to lead these sessions, including the legendary Charlie Bicknell who will be heading down to teach Aerial Silks and Corde Lisse before travelling on to perform at the Big Top at Glastonbury Festival (again!)
Meet the instructors
Rosie:
Half of Unbroken Circus and our tutor for the more advanced aerial hoop and trapeze workshops this weekend. Rosie trained initially with Swamp Circus, before gaining various circus and fitness qualifications and starting her own CIC: The Rainbow Circus. She is immensely passionate about Aerial Circus, and about teaching it, and has many years of experience of differentiating her lessons with the goal of making circus accessible for everyone.
Ember:
The other half of Unbroken Circus, Ember will be teaching our 101 workshops, focusing on mastering the basics of each of the main aerial disciplines, plus playing with some hula hoops and other weird and wonderful flow arts props. Ember is also a Swamp Circus alumni, and a qualified Spin City instructor. After a spinal injury in 2018, her circus journey was nudged onto the path of flow arts, immersive theatre and cabaret while she recovered. She now runs cabarets and quizzes, makes weird art and costumes, and is back to teaching aerial :)
Charlie:
A highly talented multi-skilled artist, Charlie Bicknell has performed all over the world, from London, to Dubai, Hong Kong, Sydney and across Europe. Mixing wicked humour and eclectic jazz and cabaret, interspersed with jaw-dropping circus, she has wowed audiences internationally. From solo performances to ensemble creations, her shows have received critical acclaim and just as importantly, foot-stamping encores. As a tutor she brings her wealth of experience and knowledge, wrapped up with warmth, humour, creativity and a heavy dose of some serious aerial conditioning!
Felix:
Our juggling and flow arts instructor, Felix is a dedicated circus performer who lives and breathes the art, spending every day honing his skills and exploring new creative avenues to become the best he can be. Passionate about learning and constantly challenging himself, he strives to be as versatile as possible. With a background in Computer Science, he is quite technically minded and able to use his problem solving abilities to figure out new possibilities and translate knowlege and skills between a multitude of different props.
Venue
We have managed to secure an absolutely incredible venue for this retreat - a beautiful and stylish detached house in the Devon countryside which boasts it's own sauna and a massive studio space for the workshops. There's hard-standing space for multiple campervans right outside the studio, pitches for camping in the meadow, and an onsite changing room with showers. Only a short drive to the beach, or to Dartmoor, it's an oasis of peace and luxury in the rolling rural landscape.
Accommodation
Two bedrooms are available to hire for the weekend in the house, both sleeping two and offering a relaxing space to rejuvenate after a busy day of circus. They have a shared bathroom, a double bed and are close to the studio, sauna and changing rooms.
The venue also boasts a beautiful renovated gypsy wagon which is fully insulated and sleeps 2, which is available to hire for the retreat. Photos coming soon!
Campervans are welcome to pitch up on the level hard-standing surrounding the studio, and campers can enjoy the beautiful meadow just beyond the car park. A nominal charge of £10 per night for a pitch for either a tent or van makes this one of the most affordable options for accommodation in the area, but there's also a huge choice of hotels, campsites and Airbnb's in the area which you are welcome to stay at.
Day tickets will be available once the residential spaces have filled up, for those who live locally or can only attend for one of the days. These will be open to age 13+, all other tickets will be 18+ due to the fire, sauna and evening entertainments.
Bursary spaces
We really do believe that circus should be accessible for everyone, and so have included the option of a bursary space for those who are experiencing financial difficulties but would still like to attend. Priced at £85, which covers our running costs, these can be obtained by emailing us with a short description of why you feel you are eligible for one. As we only have a limited number of bursary places, priority will be given to applications from those who are unpaid carers, disabled, or single parents, and who would not be able to attend otherwise.
Also check out other Arts events in Stourbridge, Workshops in Stourbridge, Entertainment events in Stourbridge.
