Invisible Circus announces summer series: Weekends of Wonder

In summer 2023, the Invisible Circus will be hosting Weekends of Wonder!, a free street theatre and circus festival spanning four consecutive weekends in May and June.

Also known as WOW! Bristol, the project will coincide with the opening of the temporary artists’ and sustainability hub, Sparks Bristol – under the custodianship of Artspace Lifespace, in the building formerly occupied by M&S in Broadmead.

The event has been funded by Bristol City Council and the West of England Combined Authority’s ‘Love our High Streets’ project, and is being delivered as one of the activities under the City Centre and High Streets Recovery and Renewal programme.

Photo: Invisible Circus

The Invisible Circus is a collective of performers and creatives who have been based in the UK for over two decades; together they have played a core part in Bristol’s flourishing arts and circus scene since that time.

They run their own dedicated training and creation space at Unit 15 in St Philips, but it is undoubtedly their site-specific work for which they are most known and loved, transforming spaces through playful, electrifying performance and installation.

Set in the heart of Broadmead, WOW! Bristol has inclusivity at its heart – free, outdoor, relaxed, and open to everyone. Bringing together veteran street performers with dazzling new talent, ‘Covent Garden style’ circle shows and interactive walkabout acts, the event will centre on themes of “connection, creativity, playfulness, sustainability and inclusivity; sparking imagination for positive futures and re-igniting hope”.

Audience members do not need to have any understanding of the particular disciplines being performed to appreciate them, or participate in them (although plenty of opportunities to interact are promised).

Merlin at Invisible Circus, WOW Plymouth – photo: Dom Moore

The performances have been designed to be either language free or understandable with minimal language required, welcoming non-English and D/deaf audience members on an equal basis.

Kathryn Chiswell Jones, company manager for Artspace Lifespace, believes that planning the series of weekend events to coincide with Sparks’ opening will have a tangible positive impact for the innovative new venue, which will be run in accordance with the Sustainable Development Goals.

“Experiences are increasingly important for the High Street while the cost of living increases,” she notes, “and resilient high streets will need to be experiential destinations offering users experiences that go beyond purely retail or functional.

“We are excited to work with The Invisible Circus and Global Goals Centre on this pilot project, which we hope will become a blueprint for communities nationally on reimagining and repurposing our high streets creatively and sustainably.”

https://www.instagram.com/p/CoY_5VFN_sJ/

WOW! Bristol will take place on the weekends of 13-14, 20-21 and 27-28 May, and 3-4 June. All events will be free and open to all. For more information, visit www.unit15bristol.com/wow-bristol or follow @invisible.circus on Insta.

Main photo: Dom Moore

Read more: Cross-form circus-theatre piece ‘The Wasteground Circus’ makes Bristol debut

Listen to the latest Bristol24/7  Behind the Headlines podcast: