Head, Heart, Balance: The Art of Funambulism Conference

Session 1: Research Launch: Neurological Impact of Funambulism Participation

Friday, 10 July, 10-11am IRL, 11am-12pm CET

Professor Axelle Leroy, Université Libre de Bruxelles (BE)
Professor Guy Cheron, Université Libre de Bruxelles (BE)
Moderator: Will Borrell, Caravan Network (BE)

Funambulism has many benefits for both physical and mental wellbeing. In this session, we heard from professors at Université Libre de Bruxelles about their scientific research into the neurological effects of funambulism practice on the brain.

Session 2: Wires Crossed: Legacy of Galway 2020 European Capital of Culture

Friday, 10 July, 3-4:30pm IRL, 4-5:30pm CET

Ulla Hokkanen, Galway Community Circus (IE)
Vincent Wauters, École de Cirque de Bruxelles (BE)
Marilyn Gaughan-Reddan, Galway 2020 European Capital of Culture (IE)
Moderator: Dr. Ian Walsh

Wires Crossed is a European-wide community participation project revolving around funambulism. As one of the first big circus projects for a European Capital of Culture, Wires Crossed has accomplished a great deal with legacy plans in tow. In this session, hear everything about the project from conception to impact to legacy, the partnerships, the capacity building that occurred and more. This session will conclude with the premiere of ‘Step Off’, a short film by young Galway Community Circus members commissioned by Galway 2020.

Session 3: My Life on the Wire

Saturday, 11 July, 10-11:30am IRL, 11am-12:30pm CET

Oliver Zimmermann, Funambule (DE)
Tatiana-Mosio Bongonga, Funambule (FR)
Jan Naets, Artistic Co-director and Technical Manager Cie Basinga (FR/BE)
Andrea Loreni, Funambule (IT)
Moderator: Ellis Grover, Funambule (UK)

Join professional highwire walkers for an exciting conversation about life as an artist of great heights. In this rare opportunity to hear from some of the top highwire artists around Europe, viewers will witness a deep conversation about the practical and philosophical aspects of funambulism and what it means to have a career where facing fears and taking risks is standard to everyday life.

Session 4: Learning the Ropes: The Journey from Training to Tutoring

Saturday, 11 July, 12:30-2pm IRL, 1:30-3pm CET

Raluca Ilas, Școala de Circ (RO)
Oskar Löfkvist, Cirkus Cirkor (SE)
Ronja Breuk, Circus Amersfoort (NL)
Mairead Dewar, Galway Community Circus (IE)
Moderator: Dr Stephen Cadwell, Educational Consultant (IE)

You don’t have to be great to start, but you have to start to be great. In the Wires Crossed project, the amateur practice of funambulism is just as important as the professional practice – but how do you teach funambulism to beginners? In this session, hear from participants and circus trainers about their personal journey through the Wires Crossed project, how they trained to teach this art form, and their experience in helping people find joy and confidence on a wire.

This session featured a special performance by Finnish artist Hanna Moisala supported by the Finnish Institute in the UK and Ireland.

Session 5: Highwire Crossing of Brussels Canal - 10th Anniversary of Centre Européen de Funambulisme

Saturday, 11 July, 3-4pm IRL, 4-5pm CET

Vincent Wauters, Centre Européen de Funambulisme (BE)
Bruno Frenette, Centre Européen de Funambulisme (FR/BE)
Moderator: Valetin Wauters, European Funambulism Network

In this exciting closing session, join us for a live stream highwire canal crossing in Brussels and interviews from trainers and artists from European Funambulism Network partners École de Cirque de Bruxelles as we celebrate the 10th anniversary of the European Centre of Funambulism.

Acknowledgements

We'd like to thank our amazing speakers and panelists for such an interesting, insightful and inspiring two days.

This conference wouldn’t have been possible without the amazing support of Creative Europe, the Arts Council Ireland, the Finnish Institute in the UK and Ireland, Galway 2020 European Capital of Culture and Erasmus+.

We'd like to say thank you and express our gratitude to Real Nation (shout out to Darragh and Gavin!) for digitally producing the event, to Morgan Creative for bringing our story to life in the ‘Step Off’ short film, and to Hanna Moisala for her beautiful performance. And we must of course thank our fantastic friends and Creative Europe partners Ecole de Cirque de Bruxelles, The Serious Road Trip Romania (Şcoala de Circ) and ULB - Université libre de Bruxelles. Last but by no means least, thank you to each of you for joining us to share our #WiresCrossed journey so far. We hope to see you on the wire soon.

The event was live tweeted on our Twitter account. Check out #wirescrossed on Twitter to see the live tweets from the event.

Continue following our Wires Crossed journey

Galway Community Circus, in partnership with nine European youth and social circus schools, trained thousands of people from 2016-2020 to walk the tightwire and experience funambulism's empowering, transformative effect. This ambitious and inclusive project was building towards a major funambulism event where 400 people from all around Europe would cross the River Corrib and the Claddagh Basin together during Galway 2020. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the crossing was not able to take place in 2020, but the Wires Crossed team is planning a scaled-down version of the original river crossing for July 2022. Keep an eye on our website and social media channels for updates on the 2022 crossing.

Galway Community Circus also runs balance camps and workshops throughout the summer for adults and young people at the Irish Centre for Funambulism. To learn more about participating in funambulism workshops or camps, click here.