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We once met a very intriguing man. He told us that, to his mind, people can be divided into two categories: those "with airplanes in their heads" and those "without airplanes in their heads" respectively. The first type has the ability to launch their fantasies into the air and as a result their fantasies turn into beautiful, tangible things. The second type at some stage lost their planes… Over our 10 wandering circus years we have been lucky to meet many people with airplanes in their heads. These are people who want to fly and do fly. From this came the idea to create the Flying Children Festival and to introduce you to some of them. We hold the Festival for young and old "Flying Children" every year since 2008. This is a new kind of festival, aimed at a family audience and combining circus, music, theatre and applied arts through the creation of a single art space which is open for people of different ages and abilities. Contemporary professional circus groups perform on one stage alongside community projects from Russia and Europe.
3rd International Festival for Young and Old "Flying Children" 2010
The 3rd International Festival for Young and Old "Flying Children" was held from 13-16 May 2010 in the Licedei Clown-Mime Theatre.
Leading community projects in circus, music and theatre took part, bringing together at risk children, teenagers and young people and people with disabilities as well as contemporary and professional circus performers from Russia, Germany, Switzerland and Finland.
During the course of the festival the floors of the Tolstoy Square centre were happy with noise. The sounds of music workshops for kids. A workshop of wonder from the Da Animation Studio. Making wings with the people from Podelka store. Yoyo masters classes and much, much more.
The opening of the festival on 13th of May at Licedei saw Circus Helsinki and the organisers of the festival, Upsala Circus perform. Circus Helsinki is a circus for children and teenagers in Finland that has won multiple awards at festivals in Finland and Europe with their show Acento. Acento is a dynamic production consisting of short contemporary circus acts: juggling rings, diablo and balls, strength and acrobatic routines, modern dance and clowning. The cheerful performance of the Finnish circus was enjoyed by even the youngest members of the audience and their parents.
Upsala Circus performed their show "A walk in a hat". Performers who have been training in the Upsala Circus Studio for more than 8 years took part in this show. The show tells the story of the great, romantic clown Leonid Yengibarov, a man who followed his dreams and who always remained a child at heart. Watching this show you are bound to experience strong emotions.
Spectators were treated to three projects on 14th May: Theatrical Studio "Prospects", Cabuwazi and Race Horse Company. The Theatrical Studio created by the NGO "Prospects" in St Petersburg has been working with people with disabilities since 1996. Their show "Dolls" was put together over the course of 2009 and was created entirely by its participants. The theme of the show is the thoughts of Shakespeare about the art of theatre, where life is reflected as in a mirror. The acting of the performers - all people with disabilities - moved every single spectator.
The Children and Youth Circus Cabuwazi was founded in 1994 in Germany and is one of the biggest children's circuses in Europe. Circus Cabuwazi hosts the Junger Zirkus Europa yearly circus festival. Their show "Among Angels" is an appeal to our heavenly messengers. Young angels hover above the earth's gravity asking the main question of the show "can you fly?" The show tells of falling down and being saved, being put down and defended, about the need for support and the desire to fly. A separate note is deserved for the beautiful costumes of the female performers and the excellent level of the aerial acrobatics on the trapeze.
Race Horse Company is a circus troupe from Finland. The trio of young circus performers showcase contemporary acrobatics. For them circus is a playground which allows them to use the most unique objects in their acrobatics. Their show Rusty Road Circus as been performed in Finland, Sweden, Latvia and Lithuania to great success. The Finnish acrobats showed short excerpts from their show on the Litsedei stage and received and ovation for their unusual acts with gymnastic balls, somersaults on planks and difficult tricks.
The 15th May was full of rich applause thanks to the State Children's Song & Dance Ensemble "Daymokhk" from Chechnya and the special guest of the festival Gardi Hutter. Daymokhk is well known in Europe. The young performers have won first place at international competitions and festivals more than once in Great Britain, France, Belgium, Germany, Norway, Austria, Denmark, Sweden and other countries as well as the Gold Prize winners at the VII All Russia Delfiyskie Games. This is the first time the Ensemble has performed in St Petersburg and the audience were so amazed with the skill of the dancing that for a long time they wouldn't let the young performers leave the stage. Gardi Hutter is a world famous clown from Switzerland who done more than 2700 performances in 22 countries from Andorra to Brazil, including a special performance in the Swiss parliament at the celebrations of the 700th anniversary of Switzerland. In her circus show Joanne d’ArPpo, Joanne, a washerwoman, dreams of heroic deeds and of being like her namesake Joan of Arc. Reality and fiction merge together: the trough for washing clothes becomes a war ship, the pile of sheets - a horse. The language of the clown is understood even without words across the world and for a full hour the St Petersburg audience of all ages laughed at the jokes and facial expressions of our guest from Switzerland.
The festival concluded on the 16th May with a gala concert from the participants dedicated to the 10th anniversary of Upsala Circus. As well as all the participants of the festival Upsala Circus also performed their "Special Child" and "Circus Behind Bars" projects. The "Special Child" project has been about since 2005 and is based at #25 Correctional School #25. Circus classes for children with multiple disabilities help the kids to open up emotionally and allow them to develop coordination and dexterity.
The "Circus Behind Bars" project is aimed at social adaptation for children of the #1 Special School where minors who have committed crimes live and study.
The actors of the Licedei Theatre gave a special present for the occasion - two beautiful pantomime acts lead by Anvar Libabov.
Our Sponsors: St Petersburg Government Committee for Culture Consulate General of Switzerland Finnish Institute in St Petersburg Media partners: Radio "Zenit" Radio "Echo Moscow in St Petersburg" Radio "Baltika" Almanac "Russian Patron" Where Magazine
Фотогалерея 2010.
2nd International Festival: Flying children crossing all borders 2009
With the help of sign language, English, Russian, Finish, French and German the children and adults from Russia, Belgium, Finland and Germany found a common language at the Second International Festival “Flying Children”. Groups with different skills and social backgrounds came together in Kirov Park for culture and relaxation (at the island of Jelagin in St. Petersburg) from the 2nd of June til the 7th, 2009. Besides the hosts, Upsala Circus also performed the theatre studio “Perspectives”, from Peterhof, and then the theatre for deaf mutes “Piano” from Nischni Novgorod and the “Circus Helsinki”. All types of professional guests joined such as: the twice break dance world champions “Top Nine“ from Petersburg, the quartet “Le Carré Curieux“, the duo “Cie Baladeu'x” from Belgium and the clownesse Antoshka from Dusseldorf (Germany). The shows offered much to discover. For two days “Le Carré Curieux” and Vladimir Chikishev from theatre “Piano”, made workshops for the artists and spectators of the festival. Furthermore the organization “Art Terra” organized offers for children to draw and do handicrafts, and during the week of the festival the Russian bands “Bjaki Band” and “Dobranotsch” played their songs. This festival is the only one of it’s kind in Russia: social circus and theatre projects come together with professional circuses, accompanied by workshops and cultural programs – which turns out to be unique and unconventional. And because of that this festival should become an annual event of the Upsala Circus. During the week there were many exciting performances, but the special part was the gala-concert, which took place at the end of the festival. Every single group had a part to perform from their program in the full circus tent. The midnight was a wonderful celebration of the exciting festival week with tears and laughter. The festival was supported by the Committee of Culture in St. Petersburg, the Parcour-Club “Igels”, Germanwings, the company “Lenmiks”, PriceWaterHouseCoopers and the Hotel Europe. And of course by many, many volunteers – without them it wouldn’t be possible!
1st International Festival “Flying Children” 2008
At the first of June – at the international day of children – the festival was opened in the Park ZPKiO at the Elagin-island. The square around the circus of the tent was created by artists. Within the last days before the festival the employees and performers from Circus Upsala also started to help and prepare the square. During the opening event and in all of the other shows it was really crowded and close-fitted in the audience tribunes. The spectators came in hordes, even in the many rainy days. During the whole week of the festival, the Circus Helsinki was a guest of Upsala in Petersburg, during where we made a show together a few times. The Finish and Russian performer’s cooperation was not interfered by the barriers of their languages. Instead of that they became good friends, walked through the city together and trained together. In the end a joint show was developed, in which all performers jumped at a big trampoline and flew in the cupola of the tent – as also the name of the festival said. |
We canceled our tour to Germany this year, because of a special turn of events. But it wasn’t at a complete loss: glowing banners in the whole of Petersburg had announced. The festival of …”Flying Children”.