Autumn at the Eden Project

Corporate event for BT

Katie recently travelled to the Eden Project in Cornwall for three different events, where Swamp Circus provided circus artists to entertain guests in the unique corporate party setting. Swamp Circus has three stilt trees which lurk in the shadows and blend with the foliage, surprising guests when they move as they blend with the surroundings so well.

Katie’s performance is much less subtle, performing up to 10m high, rigged from the biome arches. She takes on different characters and costumes depending on the theme or style of the event, and even dressed as Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz for the leaving party of Executive Director Gaynor Coley, who has now moved to Kew Gardens.

Wizard of Oz silks act

Katie usually performs an ambient set as guests arrive, followed by a feature act either before or after speeches or dinner. For the Wizard of Oz theme, this was to a medley of the film’s soundtrack.

Dorothy costume by Rachel Caulfield

Dorothy with human stilt trees

 

Improvising silks with Little Sister Blue

Preparing for splits balance

Katie‘s favourite event of the International Youth Arts Festival is the annual ceilidh at Folk’n’Roll, hosted by Our Friends Records. She was going to have a night off, but heard that Little Sister Blue were going to play the pre-show set in the Rose Theatre Culture Cafe and wanted to perform silks to their beautiful music.

Photography by Charlotte Levy

The performances by Circus Suburbia aerialists are always lots of fun during IYAF. The rig being next to the stairs in the theatre means that performers have an audience on multiple levels, and the narrow width of the space is a challenge which makes them think of moves they wouldn’t usually perform during an ambient set. That and not knowing what the band will play keeps you thinking and it’s a real thrill reacting to what the bands play as well as the mood of the audience.

Preparing for prep drop

Katie had fun wearing her leopard print catsuit and improvising for a few songs.

Photography by Charlotte Levy