A. Extended School Programme

Workshops for Primary Schools:

Due to the new market opening in the UK with Extended School Hours, we want to engage London schools to take on our workshops.

New Circus reaches out to and empowers young people, creating change, generating confidence and giving opportunity for them to work within a broad range of community-based groups in one production, free from social preconceptions.

The aim of our company's educational contribution is to offer young people increased confidence and self-esteem, to assist with the development of higher levels of ability in key education and communication skills, for example, self-expression, problem solving and self-discipline, in addition to taking responsibility for the pace and depth of their own learning.

These workshops can help young people develop their understanding of the learning process; for example, through breaking down seemingly difficult tasks - such as juggling - into small achievable steps, the students being to realise how to learn more complex tasks. This process can be successfully applied to other areas of learning, developing the participants' confidence about their ability to learn and achieve, for which they are more likely to go on to access other forms of education and training.

Many young adults are not motivated by the "physical education" that they receive, as they find it too competitive and regimented. The circus arts bring to these young people the opportunity to be physical whilst learning skills that contribute to enhancing their interpersonal skills, team working, self expressions and communication, thereby forming and building relationships without direct competitiveness.

It contributes to the new government aim to help people get some exercise to lower the levels of Obesity without competitiveness whilst making physical activity fun for young people in London.

• Acrobatics: (very physical) taught by our African artist and bringing awareness of the body's capabilities and abilities - for example learning about turning in the air, supporting other people on one's shoulders, tumbling on mattresses and so on. In addition this work enhances relationships and trust-building skills.
• Aerial: (very physical) rope climbing, standing on a trapeze, hanging upside down on a trapeze or being held by someone. These are some of the challenging physical movements that we deliver in full safety, with security belts and mattresses on the floor bellow, supervised and taught by our aerialist (who is also a teacher at Circomedia, the Bristol-based circus school).
• African Dance: a full aerobic based "work-out" also looking at the origins of the diverse movements and rhythms within this art form.
• Drama: working on improvisation and role play in every day circumstances.
• Kathak & Bollywood Dance: an introduction to South Asian music and dance, from the old religious rituals to the evolution of Bollywood movies.

Juggling: skills that will show the young people how much control they have over the independent use of their limbs, dexterity and speed.