Circus school is coming to Bow Island this August

Commentator/Courier Photo Courtesy of Green Fools

By Nerissa McNaughton
Southern Alberta Newspapers

Get ready, Bow Island. The circus is coming to town, and this time your kids get to be the stars.

This August, Green Fools, a circus, arts, theatre, and puppetry company, will roll into the Town of Bow Island for a week-long children’s circus camp, giving local youngsters the chance to juggle, balance, fly, and discover skills they never knew they had. The camp runs August 17–21, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the St. Michael’s Gym, and it is organized through Family and Community Support Services (FCSS).

A Company Built on Play

Green Fools began in Calgary in 1991, when artists Dean Bareham and Xstine Cook returned home fresh from their training at the Dell’Arte International School of Physical Theatre. Armed with a passion for clowning, puppetry, mask, and physical theatre, they set out to build something rare and wondrous.

Dean, a proud Métis artist, quickly became known around the city for bringing something entirely new to the streets. Back in 1991, the pair were among the very first to go stilt walking in Calgary — long before circus arts became the mainstream spectacle they are today.

Dean’s creativity carried him far beyond Alberta. His beloved character, Gustavo the Impossibilist, was born partly out of necessity. While in Europe, Dean found himself stranded and began busking to get home, developing the unpredictable, darkly humorous clown. Around the year 2000, Green Fools shifted its focus toward family-friendly programming, and circus became the heart of everything the company does. For nearly three decades, its travelling circus camps have journeyed from Manitoba to Alberta to British Columbia, returning to communities like Dawson Creek year after year since 1998.

Something for Every Kid

Executive Director Shelley Bareham says the appeal of circus is wide open — and that it often reaches the children who need it most.

“Circus appeals to every kid,” Shelley says, “but the kids that really thrive are the ones that maybe are not your typical sports-minded kid. In circus, they can find a skill that they can really go along with.”

During the week, campers will get a taste of every discipline Green Fools offers, such as juggling, unicycle, stilt walking, aerial arts, acrobatics, and partner balancing. Once they find the skills that spark their imagination, instructors help them focus on what they love most. The week finishes with a community show, where families get to see just how far their kids have come.

And they come far, fast.

“They get so far in a week that you’re actually amazed,” Shelley says. “I’ve asked parents, and they’re just like, how did that happen?”

Confidence That Lasts

The magic, according to Shelley, is in the way kids stretch themselves.

“They build confidence because they set their own boundaries, and then they break their own boundaries, and they set another one, and then they exceed it,” she explains. “They do amazing things in that one week, and they build relationships with people. They get confidence in themselves.”

That impact tends to stay with a community long after the circus has left town.

“It’s got such a ripple effect in their lives,” Shelley says. “Usually, they come out of their shells a little bit and they find something that they connect with. It’s a very special program.”

What to Bring

Because the camp is hands-on and physical, Shelley has a few tips for campers. The program is very physical, so comfortable, fitted clothing is a must.

“Not a loose top, because they’re going to be upside down,” she says. “We want them to be covered, but we want them to be comfortable.”

Beyond that, the most important thing is attitude. As Shelley puts it, campers should arrive “with an open mind, and ready to play.”

Ready to Register?

Space is limited. Families interested in signing up should register children ages 8-16 through FCSS. There is a fee ($25) for children not already enrolled in the FCSS Summer Fun Program, and subsidies are available upon request.

For more information, call Dyllan in Bow Island at 403-545-6222, or email bisumfun@gmail.com; or, Abby in Foremost at 403-867-3077 or email 4mostsumfun@gmail.com.