How do you become a circus performer? Back in the day, ‘running away to join the circus’ seemed to be a pretty viable career option for many a young person if children’s books were to go by. Enid Blyton wrote a whole series of books on the idea and the circus segment in Big Fish is certainly one of the most memorable. But what if you want to join a circus now? What if you want to recreate The Greatest Showman in real life? How on earth do you go about joining a circus and becoming an acrobat or unicyclist or something else entirely? How do you do that? Well, you’ll have to learn and we know a brilliant place for that!
The National Centre for Circus Arts is one of the leading European providers of circus education. What’s more, it’s based in London! Hooray! You don’t even have to go abroad to enjoy its facilities. A registered charity, the Centre is housed in a fabulous Victorian power station meaning no matter how high-flying you want your act to be, you’ll definitely be able to learn it! From aerial silk to hoop and perhaps even walking a tight rope, you’ll be able to become a circus performer with the help of numerous teachers and students alike.
Depending on your age, there’s a whole host of options to consider as well. If you’re looking to attain a degree in Circus Arts, then the Centre offers a BA Hons degree in the subject. You’re also able to learn as part of a training programme if you’re under 18 whilst there are many development opportunities for those just starting out right through to those who simply want to enhance their already established circus careers. That’s right! As someone looking to become a circus performer, you’ll be able to rub shoulders with those who have already experienced the excitement of wowing a crowd at events up and down the country!
You might be thinking that signing up for an entire course isn’t really your thing. You might be unsure if the circus is truly for you. I mean sure you’ve thought about joining the circus for a while but the real thing might be completely different to how you’ve imagined it. Can’t you just dip your toe in? Have a bit of taster session? Of course you can! There are a range of recreational classes available for both adults and children alike, whilst the National Centre for Circus Arts also provides workshops and away days for corporate clients. Still unsure? Well why not pop along to one of their regular open days? The next one is on Thursday 7th February and is ideal for those pondering a diploma, foundation or BA Hons degree.
Running away to the circus might not really be a viable way to become a circus performer in the UK these days (though who knows, around the world it might still be a possibility…), so the National Centre for Circus Arts provides that opportunity for those looking to give circus a go. Work on all things equilibristic (that’s tight wire, unicycle and globe walking to you and me), acrobatic and aerial and we suspect you’ll become a circus performer in no time. Many of our circus acts trained in London so we know just how good they are! So what are you waiting for? Get down to Hoxton as soon as possible and see just how you can accomplish your dream of joining the circus, impressing at the Olympics (that really happened!) and performing at parties all over the world!