Circus250 is a Community Interest Company based in both Britain and Ireland. The company was born in 2018 to bring together the circus community, highlight circus as a significant part of our culture and celebrate 250 years of the modern circus, founded in 1768.
Since then, Circus250 has evolved into a creation and production company, successfully touring Ireland, UK and beyond. We have focussed on creating new work in collaboration, alongside developing audiences for the arts through taking that work beyond arts venues to unusual spaces and rural audiences. We make urgent, excellent circus work of meaning and relevance to our own experiences, those of our collaborators, audiences and participants.
OUR VISION is of a society where all can equally access circus arts to tell new stories from fresh perspectives, raise issues of concern and be empowered to make positive change.
OUR MISSION is to create, tour and support ‘Circus with Purpose’ that makes and helps audiences, participants, artistes and us as a company think. In this process, we seek to stimulate debate, surprise and bring joy. We see circus as an instrument of radical change both for individuals and our communities.
OUR STRATEGY to deliver this mission is underpinned by six main areas of work:
- Create shows and performance that work to our mission, often in co-creation and collaboration
- Develop emerging artistes, producers and crew through inclusion in the creation our work
- Tour our work to new audiences in unusual places
- Make festivals focussed on current challenges and issues of concern to our audiences and partners
- Provide high quality circus events to commercial and other partners to bring opportunities to artistes and ensure Circus250’s sustainability
- Work at and maintain meaningful relationships with those outside the circus sector, including the arts, environment and sciences, to help us realise our mission.
Circus250 is the award-winning, not-for-profit organisation, led by Dea Birkett, a charity director, journalist and former circus artiste.
Full of colour and laughter and drama.
I’ve never forgotten the thrill and magic of that first experience.
To this day I’ve retained a child’s love of circus.
Gabriel Byrne
Contact details:
Contact email: bigtop@circus250.org
UK: 07771 994496
Ireland: 0862 432107
UK
PO Box 20479
London
SE17 3WF
UK
Ireland
WellHaggard
Dookinella
Achill Island
Co Mayo
F28 T635
Ireland
Circus250 is a Community Interest Company.
PRIVACY POLICY available here.
Image credit: Houghton Library [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons
