Choose to Live

When it comes to sporting pastimes, circus skills do not immediately spring to mind.

But Perth’s Adventure Circus is challenging the norm and, in doing so, has passed their PACES accreditation with a bronze level award.

Director and founder of Adventure Circus Gemma Simpson (pictured right with Stephen Armour) explains why having a sports club accreditation matters.

“I think being associated with Live Active Sport helps more people realise what an important contribution Adventure Circus is making to the physical activity offering in Perthshire,” she said.

“As a PACES registered club, we’ve been taken more seriously and it has opened doors to allow us to work with organisations such as Active Schools. We really want to grow that school-to-club link moving forward – once the schools have re-opened that is.”

Based in Perth, Adventure Circus started in January 2015. With a background in gymnastics and equestrian vaulting, Gemma grew up with physical activity .

But then in 2012 she tried out an aerial acrobatic bootcamp in Amsterdam.

Gemma commented: “When I walked in on the first day and saw all the colourful silks hanging, it was like I’d found my calling in life. It was such a beautiful playground.

“It turned out the group running the boot camp was from Glasgow and, when I got home, I signed up for more classes where I learned silks, trapeze, hoop and rope.

“From there I began teaching skills in the beginners classes. I was about two years in when I started to think ‘wouldn’t it be great to have something like this closer to home’”.

In the five years since they launched, the group’s popularity has grown and they are often the star act at many of the area’s leading events.

Alongside this, the demand for their classes has also increased and they now teach aerial disciplines including silks, rope, hoop and trapeze.

They have also introduced acrobalance, juggling and hula hoop.

“We started with one class a week in 2015 and classes became so popular we had to move into new premises - a converted warehouse in Kilda Place, North Muirton - a year later to keep up with demand,” Gemma said.

“We now have 17 scheduled sessions, offering classes or training every day of the week.

“My second home is our circus space.

“In the beginning I was putting in full-time hours on a voluntary basis along with a dedicated group of instructors.

“Now, due to growth, all of our instructors are paid contractors and I work part-time for Adventure Circus, managing the business alongside teaching and performing.

“Everyone puts in lots of volunteer hours over and above their teaching time. It’s the only way we could do things like our twice annual kit checks and organising shows.”

Over and above this, Gemma needs to remain at the peak of fitness in order to carry out the performances that keep the business going.

She trains most days and can often be found at Bell’s Sports Centre gym, where she is based for her second job as a parttime Community Sport Hub Development Officer.

Gemma said: “We train in much the same way as other sports, with specific body weight conditioning and flexibility exercises. Then it’s skill repetition.

“Although we’re not a traditional sport it does take strength, stamina, flexibility and fitness to present a performance. Acrobatics will improve your physical and mental wellbeing in many, many different ways.

“What we do is hard and the people who stick at it are extremely determined individuals who have all decided not to let gravity beat them.

“It’s a quality I really admire and knowing I am helping them to achieve a skill that initially scared them, or required a lot of tries to get right, makes me really happy.”

Like all small businesses going into week seven of lockdown, Adventure Circus has faced a new set of challenges.

“I’m not going to lie, lockdown has been terrible for us,” Gemma admitted. “We’re closed and because we’re not grant funded, we can’t generate any income.

“However, because we already had an online community group set-up, we have used that to keep everyone motivated with challenges and training tips.

“We had filmed a series of at-home workouts before lockdown so that people could keep up their strength and flexibility at home and so we launched those to great success.

“In fact, students were so grateful that they’ve donated over £1300 towards paying our rent once the reserves run out.”