Written by Anne Wanyoike.
The Youth Acrobata World (YAW) is a project co-funded by Erasmus+ Program of the European Union and implemented by Circo e D’intorni, that presents a new idea of social circus and of the new professions of live performance. During the roll out of the project that involves artists from Italy, Kenya and Colombia, they have been participating in trainings that cover a wide range of topics from Circus History, Performance Law, Circus Data Analysis, Circus Types among others.
The project’s vision is to have 2 transnational mobilities, 2 workshops in Kenya and Colombia, 1 educational course in Italy, 1 international conference at IULM university, 1 conference at International Circus Festival at Monte-Carlo, and 1 documentary by its completion.
For the month of October 2021, Kenyan-bred Sarakasi Acrobat-dynamic group, the Italy-based Black Blues Brothers came back for their homecoming tour, as trainers to our performing artists at Sarakasi Trust, in Nairobi Kenya.
The two-week long training applied the format of combining theory and practical performance, in a complimentary way, in order to optimize our artists’ performance. During the workshop, creation and production, costume and set design, graphic design, we included some other elements to the curriculum such as financial management, handling contracts, branding, social media marketing for the artist, career management and leadership. Speaking to the artists at a session, trainer Bilal from the Black Blues Brothers submitted, “I think it is important to have this kind of training to our artists because knowledge and talent meets skill does create not only an optimized performer, but also a wholesome human being.”
Innovation of the arts and cultural space cannot be achieved, unless we are willing to invest in the artists’ journey, while catering to their individual needs as performers, but also ensuring that we prepare them for the local market place as well as the global market and audience.
“…I would like to thank Youth Acrobata World in conjunction with Circo e D’intorni for seeing a niche in the industry and creating this opportunity for our artists to benefit from. This is a step towards the right direction, and we are open and hopeful for more of such opportunities, as we open up the space for our artists not only in Kenya, but beyond…” Marion Op het Veld, Managing Director at Sarakasi Trust remarked at the closing of the workshop, that ended with a colorful Circus Show held on the 6th of November 2021 at Sarakasi Dome, where our artists got to present new ideas that they had been learning throughout the program.
“…We hope to have more partnerships that place our artists on the international landscape as we look on approaches of having more of these platforms on a rolling basis, to help produce the best performers in the business.” Coach Edu, the Creative Manager at Sarakasi Trust remarked.
Circo e D’intorni is a client and partner of Sarakasi Trust and the owner of the Black Blues Brother’s show.
First time here, haha