Circus in a Suitcase
During November we visited different places around Pernik, such as children ́s homes and hospitals, where kids, for various reasons; either social or health problems, are somehow "forgotten" by society. Every week we painted our faces, put on a hat and grabbed our suitcase to bring some joy into these places, with what we believe to be a cure for social exclusion - The Circus.
"Social Circus and Circus Pedagogy is a movement pointing toward the use of circus arts as a medium for social justice and social good. It uses alternative pedagogical tools to work with youth who are marginalized or socially endangered."
We approach the building, three women dressed in blue hospital-like medical aprons sit in front of of the building, smoking.
Here it is. Just put shoe covers. We step in.
They are nice.
Not so many of them. Oh more come. Okay, there are around fifteen kids, just one girl.
They are small, and big, some back off immediately, some are friendly right away.
Just one boy looks like he has hardly any contact.
Uh, Joni introduces us.
Remember the plan!
AZ SM KUBA, OT POLSHA. KAK KARZETE ZDRASTI NA POLSKI? Cześć!! czesć.!! cześc, szesc, cesc...sesc...
Wow, they are really amazed, at least some of them, when we pull the colorful Klanza sheet out of our mysterious case.
The first ball drops inside. What a joy. And another.
Even more laughter. That’s not much to make someone so honestly happy.
We hide Klanza.
What’s that??? It’s round and makes sound when you shake it.
Well it’s not edible. And you don’t see through it.
How can I use it?
Wow, one kid just started throwing it up and down.
That might be it. Andrzej tries to learn the same. He manages after some time.
They really believe us. They wanna touch and throw as well.
Sure.
Joni enters. Oh, so colorful tissues can be so interesting for someone.
Uh, I wanna be so naive and pure as well, at least for an hour. Let’s try.
Anyway. Anna enters!
Ok. What can it be??? We play the same game third time. It’s still funny.
Well, juggling with clubs is really something for the kids.
The interest is slightly fading.
It means it’s my time to go with diabolo.
I roll it. Whoa! It must be a bug of some kind.
Kids are so much braver than me. No fear to touch the bug.
Time to catch it. So it jumps.
......ooooo000000000OOOOOOOOOOOO OPAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
It’s in the air.
...oooo000OOOOO OPA
and again.
and again.
One more time cus it looks it’s doing its job.
As soon as it lands kids start with ooooo0000OOO!
So i have to let it jump. Now they are controlling the show.
Maybe someone wants to roll it (with my “small” help). Of course!
It’s obvious that he needs to make it jump.
So ...ooo0000OOOOPA. It flies. Kinda low, but well...
OPA makes everything bigger.
Next brave one. Damn, this one is bit bigger. Now it’s harder “to help to control” the sticks.
OPA
Small one again.
OPA again.
Well, eventually after so many OPA’s kids kind of loose their interest. But we are just about to show our final weapon.
The plates. On a stick. Rotating. Endlessly. That’s a true killer.
I approach the girl with a spinning plate, but she sits with face in her hands, hidden. I’ll let her be.
The boy sitting next is avoiding eye contact, but the third one grabs it immediately.
So we spin and they spin. We are just there and spin plates.
We take the Klanza again.
Who wanna go inside? Most of the kids.
He enters, we rise it, like hammock. He closes his eyes, someone starts to intonate a lullaby. Anna sings in german, me and Andrzej in Polish. Swing it more and finally put the kid on a ground. He is very happy, judging by his face.
Next one comes in. We sing, we swing.
Big one comes, We sing, we swing.
And again and again until every one who wanted was swang.
UPPPP. And we go inside. We all smile and laugh while we move back, all bent. Some kids are still grabbing Klanza. We hide it quickly to the case.
And we are no longer clowns. We make high-fives with some. Some we just hug. They thank us.
And we leave.
