Flying Through Fear
In partnership with the Glasgow Science Festival and the University of Glasgow, we explored the mental health benefits of risk-taking through circus with young people from the local community. This built on a previous research project we did with the university, which looked at the benefit of flying trapeze for adults. We were really lucky to receive funding for the project from UKRI and fund coordinators UK Science Festivals Network.
In partnership with the Glasgow Science Festival and the University of Glasgow, we explored the mental health benefits of risk-taking through circus with young people from the local community. This built on a previous research project we did with the university, which looked at the benefit of flying trapeze for adults. We were really lucky to receive funding for the project from UKRI and fund coordinators UK Science Festivals Network.
Video by Vass Media
One in seven adolescents experience mental health issues (WHO, 2021) and the Scottish Schools Adolescent Lifestyle and Substance Use Survey (2015) highlighted that adolescents from the most deprived SIMD (Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation) report poorer mental wellbeing and more emotional and behavioural problems. Mental health promotion and prevention highlights the need to support young people’s emotion regulation, resilience, and positive social environments.
Recent research from the University of Glasgow has explored the mental health and wellbeing benefits of risk-taking through recreational circus. This research demonstrated that controlled experiences of positive types of stress (eustress) can benefit mental health, resilience, motivation, and community building for young people experiencing adversity.
Flying Through Fear brought together Glasgow Science Festival (project lead Dr Deborah McNeill), researchers from the University of Glasgow School of Psychology & Neuroscience (research lead Dr Chaira Horlin) and Community Circus Paisley (circus & performance lead Scott Craig) with young people from Renfrewshire. Over several months, 13 young people participated in a programme of workshops, culminating in a perfomance of their new found skills, enjoyed by friends, family and project partners.
Two areas of research were explored by final year students, the outcomes of which will form their final year reports.
Study 1- Sophia Ross: Exploring young people’s perspectives and experiences of recreational circus as a tool to build resilience and support wellbeing.
Explored how children perceive the development of their skills and the benefits this may have to their wider life. Young people completed a series of ‘write-and-draw’ style focus groups as part of their circus skill journal.
Study 2- Sophie Wilson: Coaches perspectives in recreational circus as a tool to support resilience and wellbeing in at-risk youth
Coaches and facilitators are fundamental to engaging young people in challenging activities and supporting the development of resilience in the face of risk and adversity. Sophie explored the experience of recreational circus coaches in supporting the practical skill development of young people from impoverished communities, but most importantly their psycho-social development.
Parents and caregivers of the young people involved were also asked to complete a pre- and post- project survey, asking whether they observed any changes in e.g. behaviours or attitudes.
Dynamic Hoop Workshop with Lauren Jamieson
Saturday 4th February 2-4pm
NEW CLASS
Preschool Circus 2yrs+
Sundays 12.30pm
A fun class for little ones and parents featuring a bit of everything at the circus
December Newsletter
The story so far…
What a year it’s been - technically only 8 months! As a social enterprise, we are passionate about bringing the benefits of circus to Scotland – from high-flying professionals to children and adults who just want to have fun while challenging themselves.
It’s that time of year again! The winter holidays are coming and Paisley is ready for them.
Check out our Advent Calendar on Instagram or Facebook – we’ll be posting a picture of our fabulous staff and students in all their festive glory on our social media for each day in December so you can have a peek the mischief that goes on here behind the scenes.
We have regular workshops with Kibble, Scotland’s charity for working with youth at risk. To watch a video of some of the amazing work Kibble do, check out their website.
We have piloted a pioneering research project, partnering with Glasgow Science Festival, British Science Festival Network, and Glasgow University with support from UKRI, exploring the mental health benefits of circus for children aged eleven to fourteen.
We’ve sponsored places in both our youth and adult classes for local residents with support from Renfrewshire Council’s Local Partnership Award
Countless workshops with community groups such as Young Carers, Scouts, Brownies, Girl Guides, nurseries, and theatre groups.
We partnered with All Or Nothing Aerial Dance to create a fabulous display for the Paisley Halloween Festival, featuring some of our students
We’re in the process of developing spaces and events for the local community as part of Renfrewshire Council’s Community Health and Wellbeing Fund
We work in partnership with Cumbernauld Theatre at Lanternhouse to offer subsidised classes each week.
Professional open training sessions for performers to train and develop work in a multi-functional, heated space (a rarity in Scotland!) for more information contact us here.
We also offer specialist one-to-one sessions and workshops with specially trained staff members for children and adults with additional support needs. For more info, click here.
New term dates and Winter showings!
Winter/Spring Youth Term
9th Jan - 2nd April
Next term is open for booking here:
This is our last week of classes for the year
The last fifteen minutes of all classes this week will be open to friends and family– want to show off the latest trick you’ve learned or get a photo of your mum sitting on an aerial hoop? This is your chance!
For our kids and teens classes, the last 15 minutes will be a more structured showing, so they can really wow you with what they’ve learned.
Fight, Flight, Freeze, Fawn Photo by Brian Hutchison (who was also the lighting designer!)
Behind the scenes
Ever wondered what goes on here during the daytime outside of classes? Community Circus Paisley is a social enterprise, a rehearsal space for shows and a hub for circus professionals in Scotland to do the rigorous training for all those cool tricks, drops and dangles.
Some of the shows that have been rehearsed and developed here over the last few months are:
Stuntman by Superfan
Egg by Paper Doll Milita
Selkie Soul by Sonder Circus
Fight, Flight, Freeze, Fawn directed by Melanie Jordan and Alice Langley
If you are interesting in hiring the hall for rehearsal space, feel free to get in touch!
Venue Development
We’ve already hosted some phenomenal shows in our beautiful space and there’s so much potential to keep developing into a top-notch, accessible venue. We’ve been fortunate to receive blackout drapes donated by Platform and Scottish Opera and one of the next jobs is to install LED show lighting (as well as replacing our current lights in the main hall - if you or anyone you know is able to help out, please get in touch.
Some other things we’re on the lookout for:
Foam jigsaw mats
Secure garden shed/lockbox
Dancefloor (marley/vinyl)
Mirrors
Lighting desk
Sound equipment
What’s to come in 2023?
Flying Trapeze - once planning permission is granted, we’ll be installing Scotland’s only full-size flying rig and one of only two indoor rigs in the UK. We’ve been really fortunate to receive support for the project from The Hugh Fraser Foundation
Renfrewshire Council’s Community Organisation Development Fund will be helping us to reorganise all of our admin processes. Currently, the ever-growing mountain of admin tasks is done by volunteers and we have a long-term goal of creating sustainable jobs to carry us forward.
New Adult classes, including Aerial Dance, Acrobatics and Trampoline. You can have your say about what classes you’d like to see and help shape our timetable here (anonymous survey)
Workshop Weekends featuring skills that don’t typically appear in our regular timetable - we’re always up for requests!
Preschool classes - we’ll be trialing a class on Sundays 12.30pm BOOK HERE
