Hello Simon Thompson or Clown Noir here; earlier this year I think it was April. I facilitated a Master-class in Belfast, the response was fabulous and we had a great turn out, a mix of members and non-members. To be honest I was pleasantly surprised at the level of skill and talent that was in the room, everyone got stuck in and gave 100% and during the breaks and lunches we shared, laughed and bonded. It was a joy!
Shortly after the Master-class I was approached to produce an open-air circus show for Foynes International Air Show, this was a large-scale event and they wanted two, 1hr long circus performances. Their expected audience capacity was approximately 10,000 people of all ages, so no pressure at all.
This is where the networking comes in, I knew from what I had seen in Belfast that I would love to have some of these artists collaborating with me to produce an exciting circus show that also showcased the talents of a number of clowns from different performance backgrounds.
I made the phone calls, did a little bit of admin and woo-hoo it happened and yes everyone got paid a fee for their participation. The customer was delighted with the spectacle of the event and the professionalism of all the artists and want’s to develop the show for 2019. What a great result for clowning.
To give you an idea of the show, it was outdoors in a designated pitch next to the main viewing area, we laid down some Marley flooring, installed a P.A. along with a trapeze rig and an aerial hoop rig. Then to complement our aerialists we had a clown strongman, a hula-hooper, a contortionist, a comedy hand balancer, jugglers, traditional clowns a ringmaster and some excellent walk about clowns. You may recognise some of them in the images attached.
It just goes to show you never know what may happen at, or after a C.I. event.
Thanks Simon.