About the Circus Arts Forum
The Circus Arts Forum has been set up by a group of people with a professional involvement in circus. The group includes representatives from both the traditional and contemporary circus community; the major UK promoters and circus training centres; touring circus companies and community circus schools; venue-based circuses and other circus arts projects.
The aims of Circus Arts Forum
- To raise the profile of circus as a cultural activity
- To ensure that circus is a viable industry offering secure and worthwhile employment
- To promote training and sharing of skills
- To provide a forum between the different facets of the industry
The ways in which we are currently working include -
- Advocacy - giving a positive image of circus to the outside world; correcting misapprehensions about circus as an art form and as a commercially viable entertainment; encouraging dialogue within the community so that a united front can be presented when needed.
- Research - finding out more about circus in the UK today: who is doing what - where, when and how!
The Circus Arts Forum employs
Ali Williams as Co-ordinator
and Toby Philpott as content manager and moderator for the Forum.
For Further Info please contact ali@circusarts.org.uk
For updates or corrections to website toby@circusarts.org.uk
The Circus Arts Forum is funded by Arts Council of England
Members of the Board
Circus Skills Tutor (1) Mike Wright
Compliance (H & S, Licenses etc) (1) Malcolm Clay
Emerging Circus (2) Tina Carter, Marcello de Ramos
Financial management & income generation (1) Caroline Veal (treasurer)
Independent circus producer (1) Billy Alwen
International (touring/ policy etc) (1) Carol Gandey (vice-chair)
New Technology (1) Robert Davies
Membership Ellie Gabbay
PR / Marketing (1) Chris Barltrop
Practitioners (2 Board members) Brett Jackson;1 to be recruited
Tented Touring Circus (2) Martin Burton; Nell Gifford
Strategic Policy & Advocacy (1) Verena Cornwall (chair)
Touring Circus to Venues (1) John Haze
Training - non accredited inc vocational (1) Jackie Welbourne
Training - accredited inc vocational (1) Charlie Holland
Youth & Social Circus (2) Jim Riley; Gerry Cottle
& Michael Day from Equity
The Board meets four times a year to discuss circus-related issues, and to prioritise work that needs to be done on behalf of the Arts Forum. There are also sub-groups for:
- Emerging/ Contemporary Circus
- Tented Touring Circus
- Youth Circus/ Circus Training
- CAF Business Planning.
If you are interested in joining a sub-group please contact the co-ordinator.
The Circus Arts Forum Limited is a Company Limited by Guarantee
Company number: 6051030
Registered at Companies House, Cardiff