Galway Community Circus to Host Ireland’s First Nice Meeting

Galway Community Circus is thrilled to host Ireland’s first-ever NICE (Network of International Circus Exchange) meeting this May – a major event bringing together 70 youth circus professionals from 14 EU countries, as well as from Palestine, Lebanon, and Canada. Organised by the European Youth Circus Organisation (EYCO), NICE has been a key forum for youth circus exchange since 2005, creating space to share ideas, learn new approaches, and raise standards across the sector.

Funded by Erasmus+ and Leargas, this three-day meeting will take place in Galway under the theme “Designing Circus Futures”. With this theme, participants will explore the question: “What’s next for youth circus?” – considering the challenges of the past decade and the potential for circus to be a powerful, responsive force in today’s changing world.

The meeting will open with a welcome session and interactive debate led by Pete Duncan, sparking conversations around the key issues facing circus and education today. From there, the programme unfolds into a mix of expert talks, hands-on workshops, and creative exchanges designed to explore circus as both an artform and a tool for social change.

Keynote speaker Dr. Dean Kriellaars, a physical literacy expert from the National Circus School in Montreal and Senior Researcher with Cirque du Soleil, will lead several sessions. His workshops will cover how circus can foster confidence, inclusion, and holistic development through quality movement experiences. He’ll also present innovative approaches to risk management and inclusion in circus education, including insights from Canadian school programmes and SENSE-ational Schools, a model for inclusive movement.

Digital expert Dr. Jayne Rodgers will lead a session on navigating the complexities of social media and how youth circus practitioners can support young people in online spaces. Activist clown Robyn Hambrook will invite participants to explore the rebellious and regenerative potential of clowning through a playful, political lens.

From Lebanon and Palestine, practitioners from Cirquenciel, the Palestinian Circus School, and Nablus Circus School will present moving testimonies on the power of circus in crisis – sharing how circus fosters hope and resilience in contexts of war, displacement and occupation.

Another highlight of the programme is a conversation between representatives of EYCO, FEDEC, Caravan, and ISACS – four of Europe’s key circus networks – discussing how collaboration strengthens the sector across borders. Participants will also have the opportunity to lead their own conversations through Open Space Technology, a participatory method that lets attendees set the agenda and dig into the issues that matter most to them.

Workshops will explore everything from youth accreditation and Erasmus+ funding opportunities to school-based circus models in the UK, Germany and Canada. Galway-based contributions include “Failing Better”, a collaborative workshop developed with University of Galway, and a discussion on the impact of rising right-wing politics on young people, led by GCC board member Cameron Keighron.

The conference will close with a dynamic evaluation session led by Pete Duncan, offering tools for individual, organisational and sector-wide reflection. Throughout the three days, participants will not only gain new insights and tools – they’ll build connections, challenge assumptions, and co-create the future of youth circus.

The NICE Meeting will take place 16-18 May at the O’Donoghue Centre at University of Galway.