BandBazi is an award-winning, multicultural performing arts company based in Brighton & Hove which works with schools, colleges and community groups to facilitate circus, theatre, creative writing and film workshops with an emphasis on youth-led devised work. They can link to the National Curriculum both in a subject-specific and a cross-curricular way and have experience teaching all ages – from primary school through to university level.

“BandBazi's trapeze workshops at our venue were delivered with professionalism and to high teaching standards.” Pippa Smith, Head of Learning Access and Participation, Brighton Dome and Festival

BandBazi is a professional circus theatre company and an associate company of Norden Farm Centre for the Arts in Maidenhead. They provide workshops for school/college groups in aerial circus (trapeze, silks, corde lisse, circeau) ground based circus skills (juggling, poi, unicycle etc), drama, creative writing and film, as well as running their own inclusive multicultural youth circus theatre. They offer students the opportunity to work with professional circus artists, theatre performers and filmmakers who are experienced workshop facilitators.

They can provide anything from 1 hour workshops to bespoke or long term projects leading to performances or films. They pride themselves on being an inclusive company who give voice to disenfranchised groups and challenge stereotypes. They use a supportive, dynamic and interactive approach incorporating aerial and circus skills, physical theatre, dialogue and music to create new and original plays and films that draw on real-life human dilemmas.

BandBazi are sensitive to a variety of young people’s needs and expectations, having worked extensively with primary, secondary & university classes; young people with special needs and excluded pupils. In 2010 they produced an educational film for Brighton and Hove Healthy Schools Department ‘See It! Say It! Stop It!’ aimed at combating religious and racial bullying.

They use professional certified rigging equipment; provide full risk assessments, health and safety and child protection policies and certificates of public liability insurance. They can usually find somewhere suitable to rig aerial equipment at most venues (school hall or gymnasium) but site visits can be made beforehand to ensure a minimum height of 4 metres for the aerial work or students can visit the company’s base in Brighton and work with them there.

Some satisfied clients: Eastbourne College, Bournemouth and Poole College, Brighton Dome and Festival, Blatchington Mill School and Sixth Form College Hove, Northbrook College Worthing, Worthing Pupil Referral Unit, NACRO, St. James CE Primary Portsmouth, Uckfield Community College, Varndean School Brighton, Firle CE Primary School, Easthampstead Park School Bracknell, Portsmouth High School for Girls.

Key information

• Work with professional performers
• Aerial or ground based circus skills
• Devised theatre, creative writing and film based on participants’ life experiences
• An exploration of circus theatre as a genre
• Compliment National Curriculum in a unique way