About the Circus Development Agency

The Circus Development Agency 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.

Circomedia, photo: Andre Pattenden
Circomedia, photo: Andre Pattenden

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

Kate Hartoch as Project manager
and Toby Philpott as content manager and moderator for the Forum.
For Further Info please contact info@circusarts.org.uk
For updates or corrections to website toby@circusarts.org.uk


The Circus Development Agency 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 Development Agency. 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 Project Manager.

The Circus Arts Forum Limited is a Company Limited by Guarantee

Company number: 6051030

Registered at Companies House, Cardiff

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