The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
Parade set to be a highlight as jugglers return to Fair City
EVENT: Perth becomes second city in the UK to have staged festival three times
Hundreds of juggling fans are to return to Perth next year for a major event.
The British Juggling Convention (BJC) has announced it will hold its 2020 gathering in the Fair City.
It was last held in Perth in 2016, and prior to that it was staged there in 2005.
The news means Perth will be only the second city in the UK to have held the convention three times, drawing it level with Nottingham.
However organisers have made the decision to hold the event in the summer rather than their traditional Easter slot to ensure they could book Bell’s Sports Centre.
The centre has high ceilings which has been described as “perfect” for the event.
Jugglers from across the country take part in the convention, which usually features a series of “juggling games” held in public over the weekend.
The games see contestants compete in a number of events, including the “blue ribbon” contest – the five-ball endurance, which sees jugglers keep five balls in the air for the longest period.
Other crowd-pleasers include the hula hoop gladiators, which sees competitors try to dislodge their opponents’ hoops, and the diabolo high toss, where players are eliminated for failing to catch the fast-spinning device after launching it into the sky.
The event traditionally ends with the “toss up”, where participants simultaneously throw their balls, clubs and diabolos several metres into the air.
Organisers say they are excited to be returning to Perth, especially as the 2019 event was cancelled due to a clash with the European Juggling Convention.
Avril Smart, of the BJC, said: “The space in Perth is really good – the Bell’s Sports Centre is perfect. There’s a great big hall and a good area to camp on.
“It’s a well-loved venue and I think people are really excited to be coming to Perth. Last time we had about 450 people, so we are hoping for about the same again.
“The plan is to have another parade into town – it’s quite a thing to see, you don’t often see that sort of thing.”
The British Juggling Convention will take place from July 28 to August 2.
The space in Perth is really good – the Bell’s Sports Centre is perfect. AVRIL SMART, BRITISH JUGGLING CONVENTION