Advancing Circus Education Through Collaboration | News

At Galway Community Circus, we believe in the transformative power of circus to foster resilience, creativity, and inclusion. In 2024, we continued our commitment to advancing circus education through national and international collaborations to develop and professionalise the art form. These efforts reflect our vision of embedding circus into primary school curriculums and expanding circus pedagogy at third-level institutions in Ireland. Below are some of the projects that took place in this area in 2024.

YPCE Residency at University of Galway

As part of our second year of the YPCE Residency with the University of Galway, we again delivered a module called 'Fail Better: Taking Risks and Developing Resilience through Circus' for the Designing Futures programme. This module equipped students with essential life skills, including resilience, risk-taking, and the ability to embrace failure as part of personal and professional growth. Through weekly workshops, students practiced juggling, tightwire, and acrobatics while attending interdisciplinary lectures on resilience and risk. This innovative approach highlights the power of circus to inspire confidence and adaptability.

We also continued to deliver workshops as part of the Applied Theatre, Children and Creativity, Promoting Inclusion in Early Years Care and Education and Understanding Children’s Early Learning modules.

This year, circus trainer Pete Duncan also contributed as a guest lecturer for the Theatre for Children and Young People module at the University of Galway, working with a dynamic group of Early Years Childcare and Drama students. His lectures focused on the concept of "Play," drawing on the work of Jonathan Kay to examine its evolution from childhood activity to a tool for creating theatre and exploring life themes such as communication, conflict, love, and identity.

Pete also incorporated ideas from Lozanov on learning and engagement, using circus warm-up games as a hands-on method to explore these concepts. Students engaged in activities, reflected on their experiences, and received recommendations for further learning through TED Talks, books, and videos showcasing circus and early years play projects.

GCC tutor Davi teaching a workshop at University of Galway

Circus Transformation Advanced

Caravan's Circus's project Circus Transformation Advanced concluded in 2024. Circus Transformation Advanced was a research project that worked to develop, enhance and evaluate the Circus Transformation training programme for Social Circus teachers. The project aimed to strengthen the network with partners from social and youth work, disseminate the knowledge gained in previous training programmes and enable active communication between the fields of circus arts, social and youth work. The project also evaluates the CTF training programme, updates the CTF Guidebook and forms a peer network and follow-up strategy for CTF alumni.

As part of the project, CTF Advanced researchers Ilaria Bessone, Heta Mulari and Ian Walsh (Chair of GCC's Board) hosted “Performing Arts in Urban Space: Creative Methods in Social Research” in Tampere, Finland in December. This dynamic event explored the intersection of performance and social research in urban environments, bringing together a community passionate about creative methodologies.

Additionally, the final research report from the CTF Advanced project was published, offering in-depth insights into the transformative impact of social circus. The report highlights how social circus fosters inclusion and resilience, emphasizing its potential as a tool for community development worldwide.

9 Key Findings from Circus Transformation Advanced

Read the research report on the impact of circus training for trainers programme here

Curriculum Development at Galway Community Circus

Advancing circus education also means strengthening our internal frameworks. This year, Dr Ian Walsh, Chairperson of our Board, collaborated with our team on a vital curriculum development initiative. Ian dedicated time to guiding our tutors through the fundamentals of what a curriculum is and its purpose. Drawing on his academic experience, he introduced the processes used in universities to design and implement effective curricula. This collaboration has laid the groundwork for further developing a robust curriculum tailored to Galway Community Circus, strengthening the structure and delivery of our educational programmes.

Looking Ahead

As we reflect on 2024, our projects in circus education and research demonstrate the growing recognition of circus as a vital tool for learning and development. From fostering resilience in university students to advancing social circus research and developing innovative curriculums, we are proud to play a role in shaping the future of this dynamic art form.