North East Circus History

1994 – date Bravura was established in 1994 by Barbara Agar and husband Richard. Barbara, a trained teacher, started her artistic career as a result of a course with Welfare State International. Barbara is the artistic director of Bravura, which is based in a large agricultural shed in Stokesley, near Stockton. Bravura have been involved… [Read More]

1991 – date Bullock was made redundant from the Navy in 1985. He started juggling at “the Elephant Fair” in Cornwall. Attended Fool Time, Bristol and in 1987 he was their trapeze teacher. Bell, a Newcastle Polytechnic student started learning circus skills in 1990. She went on to perform with Chimaera in Teesside, and also… [Read More]

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]