Roll up for World Circus Day on Easter Saturday

World Circus Day comes to County Roscommon on Easter Saturday. Roscommon County Council’s Arts Office in collaboration with local circus residency Space Motion Chapel and Castlerea Rose Festival present the Circus Day at Somers Park, Castlerea on Saturday, April 19th from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m..

Enjoy walkabouts and performances from some of Ireland’s leading circus performers as they show off their acrobatics and aerial skills - with an opportunity to try your hand at circus skills workshops and tight rope walking. There will also be face painting, balloon sculptures, music by the Dukes of Uke from Boyle and great pizza, ice-cream and coffee.

Line up with Galway Community Circus to try out some exciting circus skills including juggling, hula hoop and tightwire. Tutors will help you to discover skills you never knew you had. This is suitable for all abilities and fitness levels and no experience necessary.

Circus acts will include the Crazy Circus Show high skill juggling tricks by Stephen McGinley. This is a fun family friendly show with audience participation and danger, but not at the same time.

Check out What’s Watt by Symmetry Circus. Aoife and Maria’s work is characterised by a blend of physical comedy and ground based circus skills to excite audiences young and old.

For World Circus Day they will bring audiences on a whimsical journey as two eccentric inventors as they unveil a new-fangled, obtuse-angled, slightly-mangled kinetic motion machine in a show featuring hula hooping, escapology, juggling and side-splitting comedy.

The afternoon will feature pop up performances of chair acrobatics, hula hooping and stilt walkers.

Aerial Acts include Jake Fairbrother’s rope act. Jake is an aerial dancer from Sligo. He began his aerial journey five years ago and has since performed both nationally and internationally, showcasing the artistry and grace of this unique art form.

Watch Isabella Washington, a trapeze act, in a performance which reconnects with the past whilst understanding the present, planting seeds for the future and dealing with fear, acceptance and openness to what life brings.

Volunteers will be on hand from Roscommon Arts Office and Roscommon Volunteer Centre to help everyone enjoy an entertaining afternoon – all free, funded by Roscommon County Council and the Arts Council of Ireland, supported by Castlerea Rose Festival.

“We are excited to bring our second annual World Circus Day to Somers Park – an event for all the family. The community of Castlerea and the entire county can enjoy the benefits of Roscommon County Council’s investment in Somers Park, with capital funding from the Department of Tourism Culture Arts Gaeltacht Sports and Media. For this event we are thinking big and thinking fun thanks to the support of Roscommon County Council, the Arts Council of Ireland and our partner,” said Rhona McGrath, Arts Officer.