Newsletter - November 2002

If you've managed to make it through the wind and rain you'll have noticed we've had lots of new people recently – sometimes Sunday's workshop has felt very busy! Also, thanks to everyone who has signed up to our Yahoogroups email list – it really does make it a lot easier to contact everyone about special events, venue changes and the like. If you're not a member and have access to email please join – details in the 'Contact us' section of the website

Workshop update

We're still in the Drama Centre until Christmas (the last workshop is likely to be on either Sunday 15th or 22nd December, we'll keep you posted.

If you normally come to the main workshop, please remember that the hour between 5 and 6 p.m. on a Sunday is for beginners only – unless you're doing trapeze which runs from 5 – 6.30p.m. I know it's tempting to come along a little earlier than 6 p.m. because there is a bit more space, but it's a little unfair to beginners who are working on three balls to be faced with a five club cascade at the other end of the room.

Charlie will be running a special workshop on Sunday 24th November titled 'Learn to teach circus skills', from 3-5p.m. at the Drama Centre. If you're interested in learning how to teach circus skills to anyone from children to adults, Charlie will be passing on some of his experience, tricks of the trade and information about insurance, safety etc. If you're interested please sign up on the notice board or contact Charlie. Cost will probably be around £3-5 per person.

News, rumours and gossip

Congratulations to Chloe Milburn and Simon Carter who have recently announced that they're engaged! … Andy 'Shorts' Fraser is apparently holding a New Year's party at his palatial home, we had a dry run this last Saturday and yes, it is possible to (briefly) ride a spacehopper in his swimming pool….Keep an eye out for 'Kwabana' Lindsey, a street performer who has been spotted in Cambridge recently, playing a fiddle on a slack rope – he was last seen at the town end of the Grafton Centre.

Dates for your diary

Circus Shows
  • The Chinese State Circus are coming to the Cambridge Corn Exchange from February 4th-8th 2003 – tickets are not cheap – ranging from £10 - £20, but Charlie will be trying to negotiate a special deal for the Community Circus. They're well worth seeing with a skill level that is still streets ahead of most European circus. We will also try and organize a workshop with some of the performers. More news about all this soon…

    • Juggling Conventions

    It's well worth going to a Juggling Convention, no matter what your skill level – it's a chance to get inspired, swap tricks and buy new toys. There is a list of future conventions at http://www.jugglingdb.com/events - here are some we recommend:

  • 9th-10th November – London - held at The Circus Space, the biggest UK circus school, and thus lots of workshops in aerial and acrobatic skills as well as the usual juggling stuff. Usually a very high quality show as well. Several people have already told me they're going to this one – it's £12.50 / £8 concessions. Circus Space is very near Old Street tube station – more details at http://www.jugglingdb.com/events/?id=155
  • 7th December - Bristol University (known as Bristol's Other Bristol, or Bob, because there's another convention in Bristol...) . Some crash space should be available.
  • 10th- 13th April 2003 – British Juggling Convention 2003 – The big one, with up to 1000 people attending – four days of juggling, workshops, shows and general mayhem. Be there! Basic details at www.bjc2003.co.uk.

    Reviews

    Kicking the Moon in 'Tea for Two' at the Mumford Theatre

    Eighteen of the Cambridge jugglers came along to this show, which went down very well – performed by three ex-students from Circus Space in London, it seemed to me like a combination of the Gandini's beautiful movement-based juggling and a Wallace and Gromit cartoon. Although there were a few mistakes and drops (I don't think their teapot was actually meant to break!) the show was great fun and featured a high skill level. With a little more work and experience, Kicking the Moon should develop into a highly professional company.

    Ideas and plans

  • We will shortly be holding a meeting to elect a new management committee for the Community Circus – details to follow soon. This is your chance to help influence how the Community Circus is run.
  • Should we do a major show next year? This would involve devising and rehearsing a circus-themed show on weekends over two or three months, to culminate in a performance open to the public. If you're interested in performing or even just in helping out with costumes, prop-making, transport etc. let me know.
  • Unicycle hockey - would anyone like to organise a team? We seem to have lots of good unicyclists, and we all know they like to find new creative ways of hurting themselves….
  • Juggling Music – Please bring down any music you would like to juggle to – we can make a copy for the workshop box so you don't have to bring it down every week.
  • Christmas Party - I suggest we arrange to meet in a pub after the last workshop before Christmas (probably the 22nd December) and try and get some food, mince pies etc. laid on..
  • If you'd like to write anything for the newsletter please get in touch – articles about juggling, cartoons, stories about your experiences while learning, anything really!

    Fact of the month

    Albert Lucas, a well known American juggler, has recently proved he's really rather good by 'flashing' 13 rings and catching them again – whether you agree this is real juggling is up to you, but it's still pretty clever!

    Take care and happy juggling!

     

     

    Charlie