The Association for the Development of Circus Arts in Israel
October 2004 Newsletter
by David Berry

Dear friends of I.C.S,

It has been a while since we last updated you on the activities here in the Circus School. The school year has begun in our newly renovated main hall with a new style program that includes many activities that we have not had before. We now offer two days a week of what we call Circus Program in the style of our workshops. This means that children of all ages (4 ½ to 17 years) come to the classes in the afternoons and after a warm up session together are divided to groups according to ability and then are rotated between the various activities that are on offer. Activities include Acrobatics, Juggling, Trampoline, Trapeze, Clown and Magic; however we are still giving training in stilt walking, rolla-bolla, rope walking, performance, make-up and what ever comes to mind that we feel is needed for individuals with special needs. This new approach appears much more satisfying for most of the students and their parents and allows for the various interests of the students to be balanced by what we feel is essential for students to learn. Other days in the week are dedicated to more serious students in special interest classes such as acrobatics, trapeze and trampoline. There is also an adult group that has started to meet and work on a regular basis once a week with Larisa, our acrobatics teacher.

The Children’s Circus, which consists of students from Circus Maghar and I.C.S, continue to work together twice a week and we are now in the beginning process of creating a new production of “Aladdin” due for completion by March 2005. More updates on that as we progress.

Besides teaching, maintenances, administration and general enquiries a core group of staff and students have been giving clowning performances, magic shows and juggling shows to the disabled, in community events, festivals and to other interested groups over the past three months of the summer. Our efforts to bring circus to the community and to raise general awareness of our work locally have taken on the importance of sharing very limited resources in very hard times. The public very generously gives what little they can afford along with encouragement for our sustained efforts to bring a little light into the ever growing economic gloom which affects us all in these times here in Israel. This year Israel Circus School has no special budget like the one we had last year with the European Union. However the local council has taken an interest in our work, as they see how we can fit in to their scheme of things, but another year may pass while we wait for the real benefits of their involvement with the School.

A film group called “July-August Productions” has taken up the story of the Children’s Circus and will be with us for the next six months documenting classes, performances, individual interviews and what ever other interesting things that might come up. I.C.S sees this as very good for public relations as the end result of the film is to produce a 1 hour professional documentary to be released locally and internationally. July-August Productions have exclusivity on our story and we will not be allowing other film groups to be here until the completion of their project.

The business of running a Circus School in Israel is certainly not an easy matter at the best of times; we mostly have to invent from thin air our way to survive and this takes a lot of energy. The team that has grown up around the Circus Center has many questions to face on a daily basis and quietly we do our best to answer. We also have some very good friends that believe in us enough to contribute support and when this comes it is like a shower of rain in the desert. With out doubt every one that comes in contact with us has mostly praise for what we manage to achieve and people are impressed by our relationships with our neighbors from Maghar and the community of Maghar are impressed by the circus work we do. We are building up a group of young men and women who already have a different out look on life. They have traveled and are influenced by other cultural perspectives and they can not turn back on the path they start to walk now. There have been moments of disappointment and moments of great joy, but these young people know that they are bringing something good into the world and they have the determination to continue growing and show by example a better way of co-existence. It is impressive to watch a group of young Circus people patiently work with other youngsters and share knowledge of skills. These teachers of the future need all the support we can give them, to encourage their efforts and strengthen their ongoing resolve to develop as young Artists and performers.

Benny, a young clown at I.C.S has returned from a very successful one month engagement with Interkunst, in Berlin. Instant Acts was a compilation of different performers from around the world that focused on anti-violence through their acting, singing, performing and was put together to give a total of 23 performances and workshops in schools, public events and prisons through out Germany. Benny not only represented I.C.S but was also the only participant from Israel and his special contribution was warmly received and much appreciated by the organizers and his fellow co-workers.

Our little Circus family made up of golden hearted odds and ends from many different walks of life starts to bloom and grow. We are very much like the desert Rose that lays dormant in the ground until a little rain comes along to give us life and then we sweetly bloom for a season and then wait for the next rains to come. Our waiting is not idle, we train and develop, we take care of our Circus Center and we make the things we need and we are very happy for our friends to know what we do and hope that all can learn by example that nothing is impossible with the right attitude.

All the best to all of you,

David Berry (Artistic Director of I.C.S)