Articulation will be sharing regular updates from our members to shine a spotlight on the amazing work emerging from our sector. Today, we’re featuring Moray Flying Circus, who offer circus training in a welcoming and inclusive environment. and work with schools, youth groups and communities across Moray.
My name is Rachael Macintyre, co-founder of Moray Flying Circus, based in Forres, Moray. We run regular aerial and circus classes in a local village hall, as well as offering outreach programmes connected with schools, youth groups and communities across Moray. We aim to, wherever possible, specifically reach marginalised groups, offering circus in a welcoming and inclusive environment.
Moray Flying Circus came into being in 2019 as a co-venture between me and Ruaraidh Milne, who had already been working in circus in the area for over a decade. We started with a few classes and over the years were joined by Emma Robbie as we grew in ambitions to offer aerial and circus as a means of improving mental and physical health and wellbeing to those of all ages and backgrounds. We became a charity in May 2024, and we have been really lucky that in our first year we have already delivered a few funded projects for children, teens and adults across the region.
We approach circus with a performance background and love to offer all the joy of creativity, in addition to the physical skills of the artform. One of our regular shows comes at the end of our annual summer circus camp for kids during the day, with our act creation course running for adults in the evening. These are normally paid for by the participants, but this year we received funding from the BBC Children in Need Big Sky fund allowing us to give all 18 kids a free place, plus free training for our teen and adult students in the evening. The week ended in a spooky themed performance for friends and family and lots of enthusiastic new sign-ups at the beginning of our next term. We are building up a specific legacy pot which allows us to offer subsidised places for kids and adults to attend our regular aerial classes. Circus, in particular aerial, is such an expensive activity to run and to attend, and the positive changes we’ve seen (and been told about) in so many of our students have only fuelled us with more determination to make it the most accessible possible for a rural community.
Visit Moray Flying Circus for more information.
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