Get to know our ESC volunteers - Laura

Where are you from?

I am from Corvallis, Oregon, United States.

What is your training or background in circus or the arts?

I started unicycle when I was seven years old because a lady in my hometown had a unicycle group for kids. I would unicycle in parades or at county fairs. Then, I had a hiatus until I was twenty years old and moved to Mexico, where my mother is from. There, I started juggling and I co-founded a group called CircoDelico.

After that, I studied contemporary dance and dance improvisation for two years and partook in some performances, but I always felt like I needed to reconnect with circus.

That led me to finding cyr wheel during the pandemic. I took online classes, which then led me to join my first circus school in the US. After that, I did two years of circus school in Portugal.

I worked for a year as a professional before joining GCC, first as a street performer and at a few venues in Berlin, most notably Zirkus Mond. After, I went on tour with a small traditional circus company in the Netherlands for around five months. I arrived here in Galway right after.

What made you want to volunteer at Galway Community Circus? 

I wanted to be part of a circus community, and I felt like it was time for me to settle down after moving around Europe for a couple of years. Teaching circus feels like a positive contribution to society, and it really ticked all my boxes in terms of security, community, doing nice things and having a space to continue to grow as an artist.

Who is your sending organisation? Tell us about them. 

My sending organisation is SIW International Volunteer Projects. They are all about trying new things, stepping outside your comfort zone, and working with people from everywhere on real projects — whether that’s helping rebuild communities, supporting kids, or caring for nature.

What do you love about working with Galway Community Circus? 

My favourite thing about GCC is that I have not been bored since I got here. It’s really fun, I get to do my favourite activity all the time, and it keeps me active in a really nice way.

What project or projects are you working on at the Circus and what results do you hope to achieve?

Other than my position as a trainer assistant, I have been part of a collaborative outreach project with HerMoves. We teach circus to teenage girls, the goal being to encourage athleticism.

Something cool about it was that a lot of them got super excited and motivated by handstands, which is my current circus hobby. It was awesome sharing that with them and learning that they are practicing at home and continueing to develop their skills.

I wasn't hoping for any specific result, but organically we have all had a great time and it's been good for the girls to get out of class and hang out with some goofy circus people.

What do you love about Ireland? 

I've had a lot of great conversations with strangers. People are super friendly anywhere I go. I love living in a place where I get to jump in the ocean and go on nature walks whenever I can. I also love the tea culture, tea is a solution to everything, and it honestly works for me!

What are a few important things you have learned or are learning while volunteering with Galway Community Circus?

I have expanded my skills as an artist, stilts, walking globe, silks, etc. It was unexpected to come into the oppotunity to develop such a variety of skills. This environment gives you many opportunities to learn new things and expand your skills all the time.

What is one thing you love about circus in general?

I feel like I can find these flow moments in training when I feel present and fully in my body in a way that is hard to access outside of circus. It can be meditative.

Sometimes with the kids you feel these moments too, where they are totally focused and concentrated. We live in a very stimulant world, so it’s kind of nice that we can exercise our concentration skills here in this space.

Why do you think a programme like European Solidarity Corps is important? 

It's a great way to expand your skills in whatever sector you're interested in and explore the work culture in a different country that you are interested in.

Would you recommend that other people apply to volunteer at organisations through the European Solidarity Corps programme? Why

If there is a programme that catches your interest, I say go for it, because you get to experience life in a different country and that can be really exciting and fun. It's also a great opportunity to meet and get to know people of different backgrounds and cultures.

Learn more about the European Solidarity Corps and discover more about the ESC programme at GCC.

Galway Community Circus's European Solidary Corps programme is supported by Erasmus+ and Léargas.