Circus Eruption is the UK's first integrated youth circus. Using the medium of circus skills we tackle social exclusion and promote integration with young people in Swansea. We have 50 young members (11-19 years old) of whom around 1/3 having the label 'special needs'. We hold workshops every Monday during school term where we practice our skills and play trust, cooperative and inclusive games with the support of a team of volunteers. We also go away for weekends, hold cabaret evenings, take part the city parade and put on a BIG show every year. Everyone is treated equally and everyone gets a say in how Circus Eruption is run, this is because the organisation is run for young people by young people. The service we provide on Monday evenings is free to young people.

Our Vision-

Circus Eruption was set up to provide a safe and supportive environment for an integrated group of young people between 11 and 19 years of age to practice circus skills, make friends and have FUN. We use the medium of circus as a way of improving the coordination, confidence and social skills of the group. In Circus everybody is treated as equals, we celebrate peoples abilities not disabilities.

We recruit members every September, and every year more and more have to go on a waiting list because demand for places is so high, as we are only able to take on 50 young people per session.

Over the course of the Circus Eruption year (Sept - July) we learn new skills and learn how to pas them on to others, we also play lots of games that involve, trust, cooperation and communication that are also inclusive. All of these skills come into play for the annual show, which is written, designed and performed by all the young members, it's a lot of hard work but it's loads of fun.

By the end of the year everybody has not only learnt new skills, but has learnt a lot about themselves and each other as well as more confidence in our own abilities.

Programmes and Activities-

Weekly workshops are held in a local school on Monday evenings for 2 hours. During this time the Project Coordinator runs a few warm up and inclusive games before getting down to the circus skills.

All our skill are adaptable, we don't believe in the word 'can't' on Monday evenings so with the help of our volunteers we can adapt a skill to a persons abilities. It may mean encouragement, adapted equipment or physical support, but our volunteers receive all the training they need to be the best they can.

Over the course of the year we try to secure funding for residential trips away (so we can spend a whole weekend practising skills and getting to know each other much better), the annual show (so we show the public our fantabulous skills as well as trying out acting and prop making) as equipment and running costs.

During the 'quite' period between July and September we take part in the Swansea City Carnival which is great fun and very energetic and colourful.