CirQuest Circus looking to expand

NOW into its eighth month of residency at the Blue Gum Community Centre, WA’s premier social circus school is looking to expand.

CirQuest Circus places an emphasis on the process of learning and developing performance skills rather than the outcome, allowing the school to cater to the unique needs, strengths and interests of its individual students.

With classes for 5-12 year olds already established, the circus school is now gauging interest levels from teenagers and adults.

The school is the flagship program of Disco Cantito Association, a not-for-profit community arts organisation started by Isobell Lyall and Dawn Pascoe in 2007.

Disco Cantito is Latin for “learning and playing” and Ms Lyall, who is also the circus school’s principal teacher, said that creed exemplified what she aimed to deliver.

“Social circus training has a positive effect on the development of the whole person in terms of social communication, problem-solving, planning skills, self-esteem and confidence and a sense of belonging to a community,” she said.

“I’m also an occupational therapist and this additional skill set definitely informs how we teach circus at CirQuest.

“I conduct regular training sessions with all our teachers not just in how to teach circus, but also how to include children who experience barriers to participation.

“We’ve still got room in our 5-8 and 9-12-year-old classes but would also love to extend our program so that we can offer classes for teenagers and adults.”

The school has recently installed a trapeze and aerial silk, adding to the acrobatics, juggling, diabolo, flower sticks, hula-hoops, mini-trampoline, stilt walking and unicycle skills already on offer.

For more information visit cirquest.com.au, email disco.cantito@gmail.com or phone 0408 626 941.