“Green Fools is a Calgary-based nonprofit involved in creating theatre, producing shows, touring, providing animation at festivals, and running a social circus program. I recently met up with with Co-Artistic Director Dean Bareham to learn more about Green Fools and their involvement in social circus. -Skye Louis, ArtBridges Info Resource Developer

How is Green Fools involved in social circus?

The social circus program was inspired by the work of Neal Rempel, who is involved with the Children’s Festival in Winnipeg. The Social Circus program at Green Fools started out with visits to communities in rural Alberta and BC, and now it is growing within the city. Green Fools now runs about 14 circus camps, in partnership with a number of community organizations across Calgary. Partners and/or funders include Calgary Foundation, Canada Council, Cirque de Soleil, Calgary Catholic Immigration Society, Calgary Police Service, and others. Cirque de
Soleil has been a great support, offering advice and acting as a fundraising partner.

What is Social Circus All About at Green Fools?

Social circus builds group dynamics, being a team player in a noncompetitive way – the sports model doesn’t work for all everyone. Circus is physically good for them, mentally good for them – it’s about meeting expectations, challenging themselves, exceeding expectations. And then it allows the kids to create friendships and that kind of dynamic. We bring in Augusto Boal’s Theatre of the Oppressed, forum theatre. We did a show up in the arctic about bullying – breaking down what it is, its causes and effects – and then we worked that into a circus show.”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AFplnvGXruI
(View video)

“We work with performers from all over. We focus on notions of group dynamic, mutual respect. Always starting and ending in a circle. Inclusion – everyone is included – find a style for every kid. Trapeze might not be for everyone but we have other options. There are aspects of clown, miming. We incorporate elements of hip hop, lyricism, dance, expression. Then we start to do more discussion-based group dynamic work to build more material. Circus skills are a vehicle for dealing with more important kinds of discussion.

Social Circus is a way of approaching these topics. What we do is a fusion of circus arts and social intervention. Has to be instilled with the notion of fun. there’s inherent learning in the process that they don’t even know is happening: respect for each other, safety, supporting each other. There’s room for creative expression. Developing self-esteem and social skills through circus. We’re not trying to create a professional circus show – this is a process that leads us to a shared experience. The final presentation is the icing on the cake. The outcome tends to be something they’re not aware of throughout the process – oh, I’ve made friends, I’ve challenged myself, I have motivation to do something. Allowing for own personal growth, establish the niche that works for them – magic, circus, etc.

What’s coming up for Green Fools?

Currently we are up in northern BC teaching Social Circus in several communities. We are in production for our upcoming production of Peep, an all family puppet show premiering in Calgary in September. We are presenting international puppeteer, Bernd Ogrodnik from Iceland from May 27-29. He will be offering workshops in Zen and the Art of Puppetry, a screening and lecture of the film “Strings” in which he designed, built and performed in, and a presentation of his puppet show “Metamorphosis”. We are also running a professional development physical theatre workshop from June 8 – 12 from 6 to 10pm at the West Village Theatre.

To find out about what Green Fools is up to and to connect, visit their website at www.greenfools.com or their Facebook page.”

–Dean Bareham, Co-Artistic Director, Green Fools Theatre
Read Green Fool Theatre’s profile in ArtBridges Community-Engaged Arts Directory and Map