1980s – 2006/8 Newcastle has a convoluted Juggling history, with people flowing in and out of it. In 1987/8 Carolyn Mendelsohn and Sian Phillips rehearsed their cabaret act at Newcastle Polytechnic as “Bizzy & Dill” and tight rope walked between 2 chairs. Alex Marshall (from Australia) took over from Carolyn, performing with Sian. Others who… [Read More]

1944 – date Allan Robinson was born in Newcastle and lives in Heaton. Performing as ‘Clogs the Clown’“I am magic-al and have oil in my blood”. After a 30 year career as a haulier he became a professional entertainer and Clown. He joined the Circus because Koppo the Clown (who’s father was a tumbler in… [Read More]

1988 – date For the last 26 years, Stockton has played host to Stockton International Riverside Festival (SIRF). Attracting a range of local and International acts to it’s streets, Circus & Street performers have wowed and bemused audiences. We can thank Frank Wilson the main producer and founder and the local council for organising such… [Read More]

1996 – date Durham City Jugglers, founded in 1996 when “Scott” posted a Who’s interested?” note at the Ugly Jugglers stall at the indoor Market in Durham. They still meet on a tuesday night at the Durham Community Association, North Road. The club established the Durham Juggling Convention in 2000, in Wolsingham School. It is… [Read More]

Late 1980s – date There were a cluster of Circus and Juggler’s based in the greater Tees area in the 1980s/early 1990s, including Cleveland Community Circus which was started by Lynn Caroll and Cathie Sprague, and was taken over in 1991 by Bub Bacon, who had learned to juggle and stilt walk there. Panemaniacs (the… [Read More]

2000 – date Helen Averley was born in Edinburgh in 1965, lived in Kenya as a child, moved to Oxford when she was nine, and Northern Ireland in 1978. She studied to become an illustrator and Graphics Designer at Kingston and did Anthropology of Art at the University of East Anglia. She ran away to… [Read More]

c.2000 – date Derek Carpenter is Bo The Clown. Derek moved to Newcastle in 2000, he is a street entertainer and clown with 40 years experience. He has a traditional Clown car called “Fut 1” and a multi-bike, suitable for 5 people which he uses for Parades. He also has various Punch & Judy shows, one… [Read More]

2004 – date Hang, founded in 2004 by Helen Averley, Jo Templey, Rachel Kurtz & Lynn Campbell, is an aerial dance company that has created many performances like Sirens & Sailors in 2005, Get Knotted in 2007, and Buzz Off in 2008. These were performed on a mobile tri-lite aerial rig. They also made site-specific… [Read More]

2006 – date Steve Cousins, Steve Mischief, Toothbrush Man or better known as the Balloonatic, was born in Wangi Wangi in 1978, near Newcastle, Australia. He became a fire performer and stiltwalker in 2001with an Edinburgh company called te POOKa. He then moved to Newcastle in 2006 where a year later he came up with… [Read More]

2007 – date Let’s Circus “The Circus that runs away to join you!”   Let’s Circus was founded in 2007 by Helen Averley and Steve Cousins and is based in Newcastle upon Tyne. Helen’s daughter Freya makes up the third member of this small family circus. She has been performing since she was 10 months… [Read More]