CRAIC IN THE GRANITE
MUSIC & ARTS FESTIVAL
Circus Workshops on Saturday 29 June 2024
10am-11am
Human Sculptures
Foresters’ Hall
For children aged 3-6yrs accompanied by an adult
Workshop duration 60 minutes
This is a physical workshop, using acrolifting and duo-acrobatics. It requires a lot of trust between participants, and therefore begins with social circus techniques to build this confidence, trust, and communication. Using falling and catching, blind running and other games, participants are inadvertently developing their own confidence, as well as their courage to trust each other! This workshop goes on to include designing and drawing your sculpture, bringing it to life with your partner, and creating our very own human sculpture exhibition altogether. Please wear comfortable clothing.
11:30am-12:30pm
Introduction to Circus
Foresters’ Hall
For children aged 7-10yrs
Workshop duration 60 minutes
This workshop includes skills such as diablo, poi, juggling balls, clubs, rings, scarves, flower sticks, spinning plates, preparation for stilts, preparation for unicycle etc. Duration 60 mins.Try your hand at flowersticks, diablo, poi, unicycle, stilt-walking, juggling rings, scarves, balls, clubs and much more in this jam-packed workshop filled with varied introductions to circus techniques. Participants will play social circus games designed to develop confidence, coordination, group trust, communication, cooperation, physical preparation and equality, and go on to explore some of the many possibilities that the diverse world of circus provides! Please wear comfortable clothing.
1pm-2:15pm
Recycled Juggling
Foresters’ Hall
For children aged 9-12yrs
Workshop duration 75 minutes
Participants are introduced to the concept of circus as an artform by way of experience. They will experience the concept of the equality provided by the circle, the activation of their muscles and right-side left-side coordination, learn how to make juggling balls and pois out of plastic bottles, lentils, balloons and old tights. They will then use these newly created objects to learn the basics of juggling. Through techniques of social circus, the participants, in partnership with the workshop leaders, will create an atmosphere of cooperation, trust, and concentration. Finally, the children will create their own sequence of movement with the object, combining balancing, throwing and catching, and offer this sequence back to the circle. Participants are invited to bring an old pair of tights and a plastic bottle! Please wear comfortable clothing.
3:30pm-5pm
Circus Play Session
Aughrim Pavilion
Open to all
About the Facilitators:
Doulab for Circus and Dance is an organisation dedicated to equal access to high quality contemporary circus and dance. Our ethos is based on our core founding values of equal rights to opportunity, inclusion, and artistic and technical excellence. Founded in 2017 in Palestine by Fadi and Juliet Zmorrod, Doulab acts as an umbrella for creating, performing, and engaging with different communities through performance, festival curation and through workshop facilitation. We are passionate about enabling all, including marginalised, communities to access and experience high quality contemporary circus and dance. Our projects crossed borders and involved numerous sectors of society in Palestine, working with local and international organisations to deliver high quality experiences in circus and dance for participants and audiences in high risk areas. Here in Ireland since 2021, Doulab has built strong relationships with communities throughout Dublin and the South East of Ireland, using social circus as a tool to engage with different parts of society, such as the refugee community, the travelling community, as well as in mainstream and special education schools.
Fadi Zmorrod was born in Jerusalem, Palestine. He discovered his passion for contemporary circus and later its crossover with movement and dance when he co-founded the Palestinian Circus School in 2006. He was also the Artistic Director of the Palestinian National Circus Festival, and as an artist is specialised in the Chinese pole, floor acrobatics, and chair balance, and has recently taken a deeper interest in the Cyr wheel. Fadi has taught in numerous capacities for over 15 years in very different locations; at the National Academy of Dance in Rome, Italy, in Oslo for the Baltic Circus Network, Cirko Vertigo, Italy, Cirkus Zonder Hander, Belgium, Ludic House, Germany, Ramallah Drama Academy, Palestine, and in tens of other dance and circus schools across Palestine. He co-founded Doulab for Circus and Dance in 2017, under which umbrella he worked on various youth projects with Walk Tanz Theater, Austria, Willy Brandt Center, Palestine and others. Fadi moved to Ireland in 2021 and has recently relocated from Dublin to Wexford, where he is the 2023/24 recipient of the South East Venue Network Bursary Award.
Juliet Zmorrod is an Irish dance artist. She runs the administration side of Doulab for Circus and Dance’s projects and circus clubs since its formation in 2017. She is also a classically trained dancer and facilitator, graduated from Northern Ballet School in England, but has transitioned since to contemporary movement practice. She has recently moved back to Ireland from Palestine, where her main focus was on teaching dance and facilitating creative movement workshops for young people and children in at-risk areas, such as refugee camps and areas under threat. She is also qualified in Rambert’s Creative Dance for Early Years programme, as well as holding a qualification in babywearing, and is currently a babywearing dance facilitator, as well as being the current Chairperson of Babywearing Ireland.
This new commission is produced by Kunstverein Aughrim in collaboration with the Courthouse Arts Centre, Tinahely, and supported by Wicklow County Council Arts Festival Award Scheme and The Arts Council / An Chomhairle Ealaíon, as part of the Craic in the Granite Music & Arts Festival 2024.