And Circus teaches circus skills and so much more
And Circus is proud to be following in the footsteps of Albert & Friends Instant Circus, West London's pioneering youth circus, who have been giving young people the opportunity to experience and achieve the extraordinary for 36 years.
We feel privileged to continue the legacy of inspiring young people through circus and are proud to specialise in teaching a wide range of circus skills to the youth of West London in a fun and safe environment.
And Circus has been working alongside AllChild for six years, mostly providing after-school clubs with some in-school sessions as well. And Circus aims to challenge young people to step outside of their comfort zone, to gain confidence, working both as an individual and as part of a group. The confidence that is built is transferable to the classroom, the workplace and in helping to build bonds with others.
As an organisation that works with young people, we see a lot of connections between what we aim to achieve and what AllChild has been achieving with the young people of West London.
Our core aims are to:
- Raise the physicality of young people in a fun and non-competitive environment.
- Increase children’s physical and overall confidence.
- Celebrate the joy of learning a new skill, no matter how big or small.
- Give young people the chance to build on past achievements and skills to overcome challenges or attain goals.
It is easy to dismiss what we do as teaching children pointless skills, but we have seen first-hand that teaching a child to ride a unicycle, for example, gives them the courage to try things outside of their comfort zone and helps them believe that with practice, dedication and commitment you can achieve the ‘impossible’. Furthermore, sessions give children a safe environment that helps them understand their weaknesses and strengths and how to work with them.
This is something I, as the founder of And Circus, have personally gained from: as a young person I attended classes with Albert & Friends Instant Circus. When they asked me to help out in the classes, they gave me the chance to discover that not only do I enjoy teaching but it is something I am capable of doing. Having ‘failed’ my GCSEs & dropped out of college, I could not see a future where I would set up my own business (And Circus Ltd.), let alone have a meaningful career. Alongside the friends & family helped along the way, this give me the opportunity to discover who I am.
This is one of the core successes we have seen over and over again in the work that AllChild delivers to the young people of West London (and soon, beyond), through its myriad of delivery partners and its approach to the individual. We are very proud to be part of its mission to give all children the tools they need to flourish into amazing people of the future.
