Lift UP
3 Weeks Contemporary Circus Performance & Outreach Project
Come with us on a journey of relationships clashing, (human) bridges and buildings breaking and falling. When the characters reach an exasperated low from competitive defeat against one another, their perspective change as they literally begin rebuilding human trust within the group.
Following the success of Brains fools’ arts council funded tour throughout the South of England, we are now looking to branch out and reach other areas in the community.
Join the cast as they perform daring aerials, acrobatic feats inspired by the writings of philosopher Martin Buber.
Adrian Berry, Jacksons Lane
“Brainfools presents an inventive, often funny ensemble work comprising skilled aerial work, clowning and acrobatics„
Timeline
The project is divided in 4 key milestones. Each lasting around a week. With 15 creatives involved at different stages. Overall this project will reach around 1000 local audience members.
Kickoff Week
We’ll start the project by kicking off the creatives and diving in to the research: around 3rd October
@Fish Island Circus
Youth Workshop & Research Weeks
We will host 2 parallel workshops for 2 different age groups in parallel, with a total of 10 workshop days mid October
@Hoxton Hall Theatre
R&D, Creation Workshop
We will start of the creation by a movement research and then heading towards the creation of the 30 minute piece.
@Hoxton Hall Theatre
Rehearsal + 3 Performances
The last week of the project is around rehearsing and doing tech for the 3 performances on 2 days.
@Hoxton Hall Theatre
Venue: Hoxton Hall Theatre
A XI Century Gem meets Contemporay Circus
Hoxton Hall was originally built in 1863 by James Mortimer, in the traditional music hall architecture style, with the intention to combine instruction with amusement. When the hall was first built it was named Mortimer Hall. The hall was bought by James McDonald in 1866 and renamed McDonald’s Music Hall, where it continued to be an affordable venue to entertain the working classes with acts including music, circus and even performing dogs!
What better place to let our brains fool around. In a custom staging set up designed by talented theatre designer Holly Miller.
Background
Let‘s dig a little deeper
Why is it important?
Most of the cast are living in London, where every day we witness some quite upsetting scenes dehumanizing marginalized groups such as migrants and people from low income housholds.
We feel the urge to produce work that works digs a little deeper into societal issues and sparks some thought and some change.
Who are we?
Finn & Toffy are the founders of Brainfools, a grassroot circus company that tells social stories. Toffy is responsible for the Brain as Producer and Finn adds a bit of foolishness as a creative director. Together with Jared Shanks as Director we started this amazing project to inspire change.
Together with a group or acrobats, dancers, puppeteers, musicians and artists we will be creating this performance collaberatively.
Most of us graduated from the National Centre for Circus in London together. Where we made the decision we want to create circus that has a bit of meaning but keeps a light hearted essence.
So our credo is:
„Soulful Stories - Silly Circus“
We call our selves Brainfools. We are currently 10 artists working together as a collective.
Ultimately, we explore new and innovative pathways to bring the thrills, spills, and chills of live performance to the worlds’ audiences.
Target Audience
We want to engage with young people (a) living in or around Hoxton and Shoreditch area and (b) who are interested in trying new activities, meeting new people and learning performing skills.
The showing it’self is a little more mature then our previous work so we have a slightly higher rating.
Age: 6+
Environmental Responsibility
A large focus for the tour is to reduce the carbon footprint to as little as possible. With e.g. using electric carsWe want to go further. We want to know the extent to which these measures reduce our CO2 emittance, if there are other things we could be doing and how to calculate and record this data so that we can scrutinise and better understand the tour’s environmental impact.
Technical Details
The itty gritty
Show Details
Show times
Show length: first showing 30min (flexible depending on format) full show will be 75 min
Get in 4h
Get out 1.5h
Availability starting end of may 2023
Footprint
Stage & Structur
Outdoor & Indoor version
Flexible audience: e.g. ‘end-on’, ‘in-the-round’, or ‘traverse’ room configuration depending on venue (flexible)
Height: min 4.8m height and max 7m
Floor space: 5m x 6m minimum
More Details
Find our more
Lighting – we provide our own lighting rig.
Sound – we provide our own sound system.
Power – all our equipment can run on battery power. Where possible, we may take advantage of charging points.
Dressing Room – Where possible, the use of a small room, other than the performance space, to change and store belongings in is desirable.
Workshops – The company will also offer workshops for the local community (e.g. „Social Circus“, „Screenprinting“ shirts, making soap“)
Get in: We arrive in an electric van and a car so ideally we would like to charge the car
Promo Photos (external website)
Find a selection of photos that can be used for promotional purposes (permission needs to be requested to info@brainfools.com)
Past work
Cast
Jenn
Chinese Pole & Wardrobe
Sophie
Aerial Rope & Props
Peter
Composer & Production
Finn
Tighwire/Juggling & Artistic Director
Brett
Cloud Swing & Associate Producer
Toffy
Aerial Rope & Producer
Edu
Handbalancer & Assitant Director
Tara
Hairhanging/Hoop & Choreography Consultant
Jared
Straps & Rigging Specialist
Holly
Costume & Set Design
Costumes & Set Design
Holly has worked with Stuff and Nonsense Theatre Company for 8 years and through them was mentored by Julian Crouch Director/ Designer (Shockheaded Peter, Improbable Theatre and Met Opera). In August 2021 she collaborated with Claire Benson on her solo show 'Plastic Paradiso' for Pavilion Dance South West. Now she is part of the brainfools creative team.
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