Cirque Bijou Presents - EDF Energy Bristol Harbour Festival 2008

Cirque Bijou - Circus and Street Theatre Programme EDF Energy Bristol Harbour Festival 2005

Through funding from Arts Council England South West and in partnership with Bristol City Council, Cirque Bijou have awarded several outdoor performance and youth circus awards to established and emerging artists. Allocated by a panel of highly regarded local circus practitioners, tutors and agencies as well as a representative from Bristol City Council Arts, Festivals and Events team, we are proud to announce the winners for 2008 as follows:

Outdoor Performance Award 1

Tanya Scully and
Helen von der Waydbrink

Tanya and Helen have worked and trained together over the past eight years and were given an outdoor performance award to develop their piece The Space In2. The Space In2 is a fusion of physical theatre, aerial and dance which portrays the complex and intimate relationship of two women who share space and time together. The world they inhabit, the furniture, what separates them and brings them together, mealtimes, windows, doorways, are all drawn by the use of a metal frame. Operating on the floor, in the air, hoisted mechanically, moved manually, they use the frame to bring a relationship to life, and examine the slow ways in which it might die. Tanya and Helen will use the award to work with director Brenda Waite to bring out changes in mood, subtleties in the story and to develop the piece so that it can be performed outdoors. They envisage touring the work at outdoor theatre festivals in the UK & Europe. Helen and Tanya would like to thank Circomedia for their support during the rehearsal of this piece.
Tanya Scully and Helen von der Waydbrink



Outdoor Performance Award 2
Rimski’s Flaming Bicycle Piano This act began life in a small circus with a musician/clown and strict ringmistress. Growing wheels they took to the streets creating an improvisational walkabout piece. The creators Oli and Miranda were awarded an outdoor performance award to take the ideas and characters further and to devise a street show around the piano. Taking inspiration from Dadaism, silent movie and caberet, the characters are surreal travellers on a journey of discovery aboard their piano, poking a bit of fun at our culture’s current obsessions along the way. The show will include original songs and music, comic characters, puppets, audience interaction and unique stunts. Oli and Miranda will use the award for an intensive rehearsal period, developing the piano and for sound equipment, props, costumes and puppets. Then would then like to tour the finished show. www.lamutanta.com/pianocycle/pianocycle.htm www.myspace.com/rimskisbicyclepiano



Outdoor Performance Award 3
Sarah Ruff 'Clown Tank' is a development of an enquiry into how clowning technique can be exploited for contempory site work. This project was carried out by theatre practitioner Sarah Ruff during her training at Escola de Clown de Barcelona. This enquiry has now been expanded to include a collaboration between Edward Currie, Martin O'Brien and Sarah Ruff who have worked and performed together in contemporary theatre company, Anthrapoid. In this collaboration, Anthropoid theatre is interested in developing performance that is highly accessible and family friendly. 'Clown Tank' is a cross disciplinary installation which merges clowning technique, physical theatre and visual performance based on the theme of dinner parties. A clown inside a plastic tank with no escape but maintaining his dignity. A highly interactive, wet, fun performance. Come into the clown's world, be part of the performance and thwart him in his tasks, or enjoy the commentated action from the outside world. The award will be used for an intense development period, set, props and costume.



Youth Circus Award 1
Gabrielle Parker and James Hollingshead Gabbi and James are second year students on the BTEC course at Circomedia. The award will allow them to develop their doubles acrobalance routine. The act is based around the idea of men moulding women to their fantasies or ideas. Gabbi and James will use the award to pay for dance lessons and to work with a choreographer.



Youth Circus Award 2
Maddy Hardwick Maddy is a second year student on the BTEC course at Circomedia. Maddy will use the award to develop her swinging trapeze act that evokes the feel of a storm into a static trapeze act. The award will go towards a costume, working with a director and hiring training space.



Youth Circus Award 3
Steven Allen Steven is currently on the Circomedia two year BTEC course. The act he will be developing with the help of the award will be a corde lisse act based on "frustration". This dynamic act will use the rope to portray how people cope, or in the case of this act, how people don't cope with the frustrations of everyday life. Steven will use the award to work with a choreographer and for a new costume.