2025 at Galway Community Circus: A Year of Connection, Creativity & Growth
In 2025, Galway Community Circus continued to create spaces where people of all ages and abilities could connect, grow and express themselves through circus. Read about our 2025 programme highlights here.
From weekly classes and youth performances to inclusive community partnerships, international collaborations and professional development, this year was defined by connection, creativity and growth. Together with our participants, partners, artists and supporters, we brought circus into schools, community spaces and international networks - strengthening wellbeing, building confidence and opening pathways for learning, belonging and artistic excellence across Galway and beyond.
2025 Year in Review
- 1012 Youth Circus Festival Engagements
- 600 Weekly members
- 5748 People engaged
- 23 Community programmes
- 1294 Community programme participants
- 287 Days of professional development
- 13 Performances
- 8 European projects (CTF 8/9, NICE, Circus for All, Caravan, EYCO, Seriously LOL, ESC)
- 4 Youth Exchanges (Mayhem, Irish Aerial CC, Italy, Slovenia)
Youth Circus: A Year of Joy, Skill & Creativity
2025 was another fantastic year for our Youth Circus Programme, which remains at the heart of everything we do. Our Youth Circus programme continued to support young people’s physical, mental and social wellbeing through play, performance and creative exploration. This year we welcomed 600 weekly members and engaged 5748 people across our programmes.
From weekly classes and summer camps across Galway and Tuam to performances and international youth exchanges, our young circus-makers shone brighter than ever.
Highlights from 2025:
- One of our biggest Mayhem Youth Circus Festivals yet in terms of programme, filled with workshops, performances and visiting artists
- New performance work from the Galway Young Artists Collective (formerly Youth Ensemble)
- Four transformative youth exchanges
- Inspiring youth-led performances at Scratch Nights, the St. Patrick’s Day Parade and our annual Christmas Cabaret
Galway Young Artists Collective: Emerging Artists, Big Ambitions
This year, 6 exceptional young performers formed the Galway Young Artists Collective (GYAC), our advanced training programme for young people who are interested in training and performing at a higher lever or aspire to professional careers in circus and performing arts.
Across weekly trainings from February to April, they developed new skills, explored creative performance-making, and worked with national and international mentors. Their hard work culminated in a powerful new performance that premiered at the Mayhem Youth Circus Festival.
Community Partnership Programmes: Stronger Together Through Circus
In 2025, our Community Partnership Programme delivered 23 projects across schools, youth groups and local organisations, helping young people develop confidence, social skills and a sense of belonging. Through workshops, performances and collaborative projects, participants explored creativity, took safe risks and connected with their communities in meaningful ways.
Highlights from 2025:
- Summer Circus in Athlone with New Horizon Refugee and Asylum Seeker Support, culminating in a colourful public performance
- Circus workshops for Tuam schools with the School Completion Programme, funded by Creative Places Tuam, empowering children facing educational disadvantage
- Employed our first dedicated Community Partnership Programme Manager, Hazar Azzeh, expanding outreach and accessibility
- New van and minibus purchased with support from Pobal and the Dormant Accounts Fund, enabling more inclusive programmes and easier transport of participants and equipment
Equality, Diversity & Inclusion: Circus is for Every Body - Inclusion in Action
This year, our Circus is for Every Body project brought inclusive circus workshops to D/deaf, disabled, and neurodivergent young people in Galway thanks to support from Rethink Ireland, RTÉ Toy Show Appeal and Galway City Council. Weekly sessions with Enable Ireland and Galway Autism Partnership, combined with three collaborative workshop days with UK company Extraordinary Bodies, gave participants the opportunity to develop skills, confidence and creative expression in a fully accessible environment.
Galway Community Circus has also recently begun weekly workshops with young people from Scoil Chaitríona, further expanding access and inclusion within the programme. The project will continue into 2026 with ongoing weekly workshops for each group, alongside the development of a new collaborative work-in-progress performance. This piece will be created with local artists, Extraordinary Bodies and young people from all three groups, and will premiere in February 2026.
National Lottery Good Causes Awards
In 2025, Galway Community Circus was proud to be named a National Finalist in the Arts & Culture category of the National Lottery Good Causes Awards for our funambulism project 'LifeLine' - a huge honour that recognises the impact of our work on community, creativity, and resilience. Being shortlisted among Ireland’s standout community initiatives highlights the strength of our programmes and the support of our community.
Professional Development & International Collaboration
In 2025, Galway Community Circus continued to strengthen the circus sector by providing learning, mentoring and international collaboration opportunities for artists, trainers and practitioners. From Erasmus+ clowning exchanges in Belgium to local workshops with professional performers, we offered 287 days of professional development, empowering circus artists and staff to expand their skills and share knowledge across the sector.
Highlights from 2025:
- Weekly paid skill-sharing sessions led by Peter Duncan for skill development
- Weekly ASK (Assistant Trainers Sharing Knowledge) sessions led by Peter Duncan providing a dedicated curriculum for assistant trainers and equipping them with pedagogical skills
- Two artists took part in Seriously LOL, an Erasmus+ clowning exchange in Ghent, including workshops, performances, and a clown parade at Ghent University Hospital
- Workshops with visiting artists from No Fit State Circus during Galway International Arts Festival
- Two weeks of induction and intensive training for all GCC staff, trainers and volunteers
International Partnerships: Connecting Circus Across Borders
In 2025, Galway Community Circus strengthened global connections, bringing new ideas, expertise and opportunities to our local community while contributing to the international circus sector. From hosting Ireland’s first NICE (Network of International Circus Exchange) Meeting to participating in Circus Transformation 8 & 9, our team shared knowledge, learned from peers and helped shape the future of youth and social circus worldwide.
Highlights from 2025:
- Hosted 70 international circus professionals from 17 countries for the NICE meeting in Galway
- Participated in Circus Transformation 8 & 9, a European social circus training programme across four countries
- Welcomed 8 European Solidarity Corps volunteers from Italy, France, Belgium, Spain, Germany and the USA
Circus in Education
In 2025, Galway Community Circus continued to explore the powerful role of circus in education, working in collaboration with the University of Galway to embed creative, inclusive learning approaches. Through the Children and Young People's Arts Residency funded by Arts Council Ireland, circus was used as a tool for curiosity, engagement and deeper learning.