Swamp
Circus Trust – South Yorkshire
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- Background
Information -
Community
Circus Projects - Partnership
Background Information 
The Swamp Circus Trust provides training facilities,
classes and shows in physical performance for community access. The
project originated in Sheffield in 1986 and continues to work with a
wide range of inner city projects, focussing in particular with young
people subject to disadvantage and special needs groups. Our work promotes
physical fitness, encourages group participation and cooperation, raises
confidence and encourages the development of ommunication through sharing
and learning comedy, movement, motor and balance skills. ‘Circus’
is a term used to describe performance that includes comedy, dance,
mime, theatre, mask-work, puppetry, dance, acrobatics, costume and prop
making, circus skills (stilts, juggling, clown, balancing) and music.
Why we exist:
The work of Swamp Circus Trust is striving to benefit communities
through circus and theatre activities.
Aims:
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To
provide training facilities and classes in new (non-animal) circus
and physical theatre (these include juggling, mime, acrobatics, aerial,
balance, dance, movement and other activities related to new circus
and physical theatre and expression and are hereafter referred to
as ‘new circus’).
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To
develop training courses in new circus to be recognised and accredited
by training agencies and educational bodies
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To
enable the development of co-ordination and motor skills amongst people
who would not normally develop their full potential through conventional
games and sports
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To promote and develop the therapeutic and educational qualities of
new circus amongst the disadvantaged of all abilities and disabilities.
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To work for the benefit of the community by encouraging and providing
opportunities for learning and participating in new circus regardless
of age, sex, ability and origins
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To work towards animal welfare and communicate all positive steps
for the preservation of our natural environment
How
our work benefits South Yorkshire:
The work of Swamp Circus Trust is aimed at the social regeneration of
South Yorkshire. These projects can contribute towards addressing crime,
unemployment and disillusionment.
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Personal
Development - Through developing personal development skills
such as confidence, team working and teaching the processes of learning
our community circus projects contribute to developing the employment
and educational prospects.
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Social
issues - These projects can also effective deeper social problems
such as crime through engaging and distracting young people who might
otherwise be engaged in destructive tendencies.
The perceived danger of circus skills make our activities very effective
at reaching young people who are disinterested in many activities
and disengaged with school.
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Education
- Our workshops can help young people develop their understanding
of the processes of learning. For example through breaking down seemingly
impossible or difficult tasks such as juggling into small achievable
steps young people begin to realise how to learn more complex tasks.
This process can then be applied to other areas of learning. Through
developing participants confidence about their ability to learn and
achieve, they are more likely to access other forms of learning later
on. Performances can raise awareness over issues that concern the
world today and make these easier to comprehend. For example our ‘My
green House’ TIE show teaches about environmental issues linked
to national curriculum areas in science and geography.
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Regeneration
– The arts in general are a very powerful tool in regeneration.
Through developing the image of a locality and the pride of residents
the arts bring massive social and economic benefits. It is claimed
that for every £1 invested in the arts an additional £9
of additional revenue is generated to the surrounding area through
related business activity. We believe that due to the highly visible
nature of our work and the specific focus of our activities that every
£1 invested in our work by our clients and funders bring considerably
more.
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Fun
- this isn’t just a service for select people though, every one
can benefit from the teaching and social values that come out of having
fun and meeting new people, if it’s used for keeping pupils minds
off school, a day out with a youth club or just for a communal fun
day, this proves to be an enjoyable and beneficial experience.
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OVERVIEW