Pic: Ryoko Uyama

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Highlights of the festival include the masters of cabaret, The Double R Club, creators of dark and edgy burlesque-inspired performances, Piff The Magic Dragon, renowned juggler Matt Ricardo – half comedian, half circus performer and all showman, and the (literally) unbelievable Cluen Family Dynasty – a completely fictional family of circus performers brought to life by London based artist Flora Bradwell.

However, this isn’t a festival that’s all about big names. Jackson Lane keeps true to its passion for supporting emerging artists, with Postcards including up-and-coming artists such as contemporary circus acts Inverted and Bike & Rabbits, whose double-billed performances will shatter your conceptions of what ‘circus’ truly means.

This year’s Postcards Festival is a more condensed version of its predecessors. But while the programme may be shorter, there is by no means any shortage of talent on display. As artistic director Adrian Berry says, the festival matches the name ‘Postcards’, “short, international, summery, colourful… even a little bit saucy.”

Whether or not circus and cabaret is “your thing”, I challenge anyone to say that the Postcards Festival is anything less than a luminous display of the surreal, innovative and completely unique. (Words: Conori Bell-Bhuiyan)

For more info visit: www.jacksonslane.org.uk/whats-on/festival/postcards-2013

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So given the chance to learn how the pros do it best, I recently visited Aircraft Circus in Southeast London as part of the Acer U-Experience  to get a taster of basic skills. Along with Circus Space in Hoxton and Gorilla Circus in Regent’s Park,  they’re one of a few organisations in the capital enabling the general public to experience the circus world by trying it out themselves.

Technical director Nick Ditton, who’s been with the company  since it started five years ago, says it’s a sport that’s becoming increasingly accessible thanks to centres like Aircraft – and what’s more, it takes the monotony out of everyday exercise, engaging the mind and body. “You can’t do these things in your average sports centre,” he adds.

Our session starts off with a lesson in the  three ball juggling cascade – a technique which Nick says is a great  warm-up for the more physical skills we’d be learning later. We start by practicing how to catch two balls, throwing them in the direction of the “infinity” symbol (∞).

The challenge was getting that extra ball in the mix – and confidently throwing it  to catch it with the alternative hand. My left hand just didn’t want to let that third ball go!

We then went on to learn flying trapeze on a petit volant – a smaller version of the grand set-ups you’d find at a circus show.  We were taught the beats of a normal swing, which involved knowing when to kick your legs back to build up momentum, not hit the platform and fly higher which each swing.

My few attempts  were tragic.  I couldn’t quite get a rhythm going, plus I nearly buckled mid-swing because I lacked the upper-body strength needed to hold myself up for long period of time – but I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t fun!

Finally, my favourite skill of the day was acro-balance (and maybe because I was the one being lifted, rather than doing all the lifting). That said, you still need to be coordinated and trusting of your fellow acro-balancers to pull off something like the thigh-stand pyramid (see below) – but it makes for a triumphant finish!

If you’d like to give circus skills a go, sunday taster classes take place at Aircraft Circus, starting  from £35 for Adult Trapeze.  They also offer private classes, intensive courses and classes for kids.  For more info, visit http://aircraftcircus.myshopify.com.

This experience comes courtesy of Acer UK. Check out the Acer Intel U-Experience team on our journey and discover more about the challenges at: https://www.facebook.com/AcerUK/app_329103610497351

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GC  provides flying trapeze classes to the general public and you can sign up for just a taster lesson or even a full course if you really want to learn the basic moves and get the chance to progress further. The class begins on the ground where you can practice the simple trick on a low bar, before it’s time to climb the ladder and get ready to fly! As a total beginner I hoped my yoga practice would help me out but all thoughts go out of your head when you’re actually swinging through the air attached to a few ropes. Despite my  lack of ability (I blame my family – none of us are sporty) if you are able to grasp the basic moves you can move on to letting one of the instructors catch you, which the majority of my class were able to do.  It all provides for a great atmosphere to see people progress so quickly in a 2 hour class (maximum 10 people) and able to leave performing these fantastic stunts.

Despite my lack of skills, Gorilla Circus offers a great time, allowing you to try something most people have always wanted to try when they were first taken to the circus as a little kid and never thought they would get the chance to do. And to really get that ‘I’m a bird’ feeling, the circus operates outside in locations such as Regents Park but they use venues all over London such as Greenwich and Camden from  May until September. Prices are £22.50 for a taster and £24 for a 2 class.

Visit gorillacircus.com for more information and to book a class. (Words: Lucy Palmer, Extra editing: Matilda Egere-Cooper) 

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