A UK circus based in Bristol is hoping to overcome the derogatory ‘freak show’ label by featuring disabled artists in its show.
Positive spin
In Victorian times circuses were more commonly referred to as ‘freak shows’, where people with ‘unusual’ or ‘different’ bodies would be shown off and exploited for the benefit of an audience. But Cirque Bijou is hoping to reclaim the term and put a more positive spin on it.
Cirque Bijou includes disabled and non-disabled artists, and their current project Extraordinary Bodies invites the audience to think about different kinds of bodies and how they look.
Perfect setting
Performer Jamie Beddall says live music and a large aerial set provide the perfect setting for people with disabilities to express themselves.
He says: “Circus can be done by anybody and interesting bodies make more interesting circus.”
“Circus can be done by anybody and interesting bodies make more interesting circus.”
The performers describe circus as a rich and culturally diverse community and so believe that it’s only natural for it to be integrated with different ability levels. They also say the sense of community is what makes it more open and draws people with disability in.
A bit controversial
John Kelly, one of the group’s musicians, says: “I think there’s a certain element which is about us reclaiming stuff, actually. There’s always a lot of negative stuff around and actually as disabled people move forward, it’s a bit like us reclaiming something that, back in the day, was seen as a bit controversial.”
You can watch a video of Cirque Bijou at the BBC website, and can find out more about the group at the Extraordinary Bodies website.
