Pontio set for 9-day festival of contemporary circus fun
PONTIO have announced the full programme for the third ‘Gwledd Syrcas Feast,’ a nine-day event dedicated to contemporary circus, which will take place between Thursday 18 and Saturday 27 July.
This year’s theme will be ‘The World At Our Feet’ and the nine-day event will showcase work from several different countries as well as providing a flavour of local Welsh musical and circus talent.
Headlining the festival this year will be Circus Abyssinia, a contemporary circus company from Ethiopia that has performed all over the world and won over the critics and crowds at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, the Royal Variety Performance and on Blue Peter.
The Circus Feast will be kicked off on Thursday July 18 at 1pm with a fun procession through Bangor High Street by local schools Glancegin, Glanadda, Hirael and Faenol.
Also performing will be members of Circus Abyssinia, local circus performers and young musicians from Sistema Cymru – Codi’r To and Band Jazz Tryfan, all led by Pontio’s youth participation programme, BLAS.
Headline show Ethiopian Dreams, inspired by the real-life story of brothers Bibi and Bichu Tesfamariam who founded Circus Abyssinia, tells the tale of two little Ethiopian brothers whose dream of joining the circus is made real by the Man in the Moon.
The adventure truly begins when the brothers realise their dream is a shared one, and are joined by a host of high-flying, contorting figures – some enchanting, others menacing,
and at least one ridiculous – but all of them circus dreamers, whose feats of acrobatic daring call up a world of adventure that awakens the possibility of a bona fide Ethiopian circus. The show delves into the rhythms and roots of Ethiopia’s rich musical and artistic traditions to weave its story through death-defying tricks and feats of juggling, clowning and contortion, all performed to the irresistible beats of Ethiopian song.
For three of the nights (21, 22 and 23 July), the Circus Feast will also feature a giant colourful projection on the outside of the Pontio building following the main show once dark, bringing together Welsh culture and heritage and the culture of Ethiopia in a specially-commissioned piece, Abyssinia.
Cimera première their new production Drudwen, a dark modern fairytale with stunning aerial circus, physical comedy and captivating live music on Tuesday 23 and Wednesday 24 July, and there will also be plenty of opportunity for the public to have a go at circus skills through a variety of workshops, as well as free performances from Articulture, Cymru:Brasil, Inverted Joan Català in Pontio’s indoor and outdoor public spaces, lots of live music from Banda Bacana, Elidyr Glyn, Gwilym Bowen Rhys, Gwenan Gibbard and folk music collectives Tant Canol and Avanc and Ethiopia-inspired daily specials and event menus throughout the circus feast.
Elen ap Robert, Pontio’s artistic director said: “We’ve been lucky enough to attract contemporary circus companies of the highest quality to Bangor over the last five years or so, and many will recall the stunning Bianco by NoFitState, Flown by Pirates of the Carabina and the amazing Circolombia and their show Acelere two years ago. Circus Abyssinia is another great headliner to add to the list, and we hope audiences will flock to Bangor to enjoy what we’ve put together for our Circus Feast this year!”
View the Gwledd Syrcas Feast Guide and learn more about events at www.pontio.co.uk or phone 01248 38 28 28