Hello everybody friends of the Circus in Israel. ICS as a member of the Israel circus community is happy to share their facilities for circus enthusiasts. We welcome beginners from the age of 4 and we encourage their families to be a part of the community of creation and dreams come true. Youth of all ages can find a place to grow their skills and confidence with friendly atmosphere and skilled staff and senior students. Young adults also find a community of friends to work out and release the stress of working for the man.
Internationally circus has deep roots in the social fabric today. It is a powerful tool for self empowerment at every level of social strategy, equalizing the humanness of our interactions with each other. Our sensitivities and our strengths. Finding a workable balance between the two. Everyone on this planet needs attention and appreciation and circus is the art where this demand is met. This soul of the circus is seen by the clown and the clown encourages appreciation from us all by laughing at our weaknesses and wounds, and teasing our strengths to come forth. Challenged, encouraged, appreciated and self empowered are qualities encouraged in the circus and being childish for a moment in time we glimpse the eternity of the” child like.” That which is innocent and beautiful in itself, the Art itself in each of us and the ability to create brilliance of presence in our lives.
So come along every day to the circus and grow your wings!
For all you Artists in the heart who want to run away to the circus remember we have our Foundation Year Adult Training starting in the beginning of November 2011.
If you are interested we are interested in hearing from you. Our fees are modest and we defiantly have the best training space in Israel and great further connections to our International Circus friends here and in Europe.
For contact: ilcircus@gmail.com & ask for Hanita, the Directoress of the Circus School.
What ever you decide to do, Do it with all your heart!
What a roller coaster of summer activity,the highs of the CLIMBING WALLS (now to be an annual event, so don’t miss out if you want to participate next summer in the WALLS OF AKKO. July 15th 2012) & here we are in Berlin doing the second of our Comedy Shake workshop/performance/gala evening finish of two weeks with over 15 countries represented. WOW! We are rock and rolling folks and getting better all the time.
There is not one moment when humor does not present it self to the situation you may find yourself in. When laughter prevails then we are speaking from the heart. For good or bad. The very high sensitivity of the body registers every action of movement feeling and thought and is the great art to be studied. The AT _ ONENESS of our communication with the world is seen when there is genuine good will towards all. Humor and action take us to the place where community can be the WORD! for a short moment in our daily humdrum. I hear all aroud the voices saying “REALITY CHECK”> so there is definatly some energetic effect of this intense study in COMEDY SHAKE.
Come for the Exponential Experience of “CLIMBING WALLS”:
Contact: ilcircus@gmail.com for registration details-
HELLO! students of circus, performers of Circus and teachers of circus from Israel and around the World.
Welcome to the very first International Youth Circus Festival to be held in Akko Old City on the 19th, 20th and 21st of July 2011.
The theme of our action is many fold as we endeavor to embrace the total spectrum of human potential. We mean to be “CLIMBING WALLS” for three days and nights in the 5,000 year old port city. Showing that Circus people have the vision to see beyond the “CLIMBING WALLS” that separate us from a more enlightened and egalitarian society as a whole.
We choose ART to express the deep and rich emotional experience of existence. With this tool we encounter friendships of the most profound sort and dissolve the “CLIMBING WALLS” of fear and anger with the power of finding our LOVING HUMANITY with all, the place with out “CLIMBING WALLS” in our hearts.
Come and join us for the laughter and admiration as we join our community in Old Akko and do it right when working and playing together. The new Circus in Israel with and for the people….
Only the self transforming experience of “CLIMBING WALLS” can change the condition of our perception and just actions to one based on love…
so come one and all and join this experience with us
WORKSHOPS & PERFORMANCES:
We are gifted with an amazing array of assistance from every possible cultural direction. Every one involved to make this event happen believe strongly in the need to see creative community response to finding solutions and forgiving mistakes of growing understanding.
Performances will be given for free from Artists in order to ignite a significant impulse in action of the heart. There is an emergence to address in finding perfect moments that nourish and sustain our intent of good will with each other. Our effort to do this is group based where all bring their best to the city to be shared by all. Performances will be both in the Old City garden and on the sea front at the port of Akko old city.
Workshops are given at various levels of ability to personally integrate. Sessions are for beginners in the ART, people who are studying the ART and those who are practicing the ART and those who understand the use of the ART. Workshops take place in the magnificent “Knights Halls”, newly renovated from Crusade times and will present an interesting additive for tourists when they pass the activity.
Street theater is an important element in our 3 days where we will be in the market showing our wares like all the other vendors in form of workshop – performance.Youth and adult performers go to the Market and create an atmosphere with street life, children and their family’s, tourists and the market people in a synergy experience of lifting the spirit.
Followed by…..
Special Over Seas guest Artists:
We are privileged to receive the professional circus artists that have given their time to this festival. With them we will be inspired and magically transported to a place with in ourselves that is free to move and express like true ARTISTS of the craft. The apparent ease of doing the impossible shows that we can aspire, nobly to our limits and beyond. Evening shows highlight circus reaching its best potential and showing the way for young Israeli artists to seek the dedication to perfect their own talent.
The street artists Market group will lead the people of Akko to the water front where our professional guests both from abroad and in Israel will open the spectacular of the Old Akko Artists Party on the 20th of July from 17.00 hrs.
Israel youth groups, artists, teachers and vendors…
We are inviting all youth groups from around Israel to come join the three days as workshop participants, street performers, spectators and community of friends in the art. Professional Israeli Artists are invited to come and offer your assistance and performance to Akko old city, teachers from around the country are invited to come to meet with your colleagues and gift youth with your circus knowledge, and vendors are invited to add your assistance by bringing your stuff to play with and offer to the public.
The Workshops & Accommodation & Meals..
The outline for workshops is based on experience level. Three groups are distinctly recognized for the intention of the “CLIMBING WALLS”morning and afternoon sessions. Beginners are people with a year or less training, students of Circus Arts with up to 4 years experience fall into the next group, and then Master classes are offered to senior students and professionals. 9 teachers will guide 9 groups in the morning and afternoon, covering the pillars of circus, Clown, Acrobat, Juggler and Dancer. At our morning Circle on the lawn of the garden students go with their trainers to the working area in the Knights Halls and around the garden. Each group will be no more than 15 participants and the Council of Circus Elderswill look for balance in the groups. In the afternoon after lunch a shorter meeting on the lawn will decide afternoon activity in the same way.
Food will be provided by the local community & as such we must pay the cost of eating.
We are camping in a secure area inside the the garden complex so this will mean we must bring there, tents and sleeping bags and mats.
time-table:
Arrive 18th July at 18.00 hrs for registration and accomadation
Daily: Breakfast from 7.30 to 8.45 hrs
Daily Circle: 9.00 to 10.00 hrs (announcements, warmup and break into groups for morning session)
Morning Class: 10.15 to 12.45 hrs in the designated areas (visitors may pass and watch the activity)
Lunch Break: 13.00 to 14.45 hrs (eat and rest)
Afternoon Meeting for all: 14.45 to 15.00 hrs ( select groups and go with trainer and short announcements)
Afternoon Class: 15.00 to 17.00 hrs (In the Knights Halls)
Happy Hour: (New Circus style) 17.30 to 18.30 (Social games to meet the participants of the Festival and create new friendships)
Dinner: 18.45 to 20.00 hrs
EVENING ACTION..
Every night from 20.00 to 23.00 hrs the Circus Party will be full with high level performance for participant involvement and the people of Akko and beyond. Full details of this will be given in the Festival….but to show you some of the Artists from over seas it is possible to follow the links below and see their style….
Hello to all our colleagues working with youth circus groups!
“Climbing Walls”
Youth circus for brighter future
19/20/21 of July 2011
In the old town of Akko
Youth circus convention
Invitation for youth circus groups to take part in a unique convention
The Association for Circus Arts in kfar Yehoshua, Israel, is launching the
“Circus arts for social change”, project.
For the length of three days we shall create a mini picture of society at large. At the same abode youths from different circus groups and circus projects shall gather: Arab, Jews, Ethiopians, Russian, Druze, Christians, youth at risk, Israeli groups and overseas will meet and interact through the medium of circus arts.
We shall work together for three days in breaking down the walls imposed by culture, social circumstances, religion and faith, which separate us from open friendly relationships. All this will take place, at the historical surroundings of the magnificent ancient town of Akko . It will occur at the same abode where the traditional Akko festival for fringe theatre is reoccurring every year. This will be the first yearly “youth circus convention” in Israel.
We wish to invite you together with your youth groups, to be part of this unique experience. We are offering great workshops with leading local and international instructors. We are offering a great opportunity to explore the wider spectrum of circus arts. Workshops include: acrobatics, aerial, acrobalance, eccentric acrobatics, juggling and manipulation, unicycle, equilibrium, clowning, movement- rhythm- dance, drumming, theatre and improvisation.
We shall work in about 10 parallel workshops to be taking place in 10 separate spaces.
The different acrobatics areas and the juggling, manipulation, equilibrium themes shall be divided into two working levels. It is highly advised for all to try areas that they are not exposed to in their regular practice.
We cannot offer to sponsor the costs of flights and transportation but we shall try to come up with sponsoring your stay at the convention- food and accommodation. If in some way you could contribute towards it, we shall be very grateful. All artists work and many other things are given to us as a donation/contribution but still there are many costs that are not covered at this time.
We have highly qualified artists/teachers coming from Norway, France, America, Germany and England. Information about the details of all instructors/performers will be passed on within the next couple of weeks. Information about participating groups shall also be sent then.
We can extend hospitality and the groups could be hosted by Israeli participating youth. I do need to get from you, as soon as possible, expectations for the time before/after, duration, wishes and budget possibilities/impossibilities. Accommodation at the time of the convention will be in a boarding school for navy officers, located 5 min. walk from the convention venue. There will be rooms available for 2 people to share.
Groups of 10 participants require a minimum of two stuff members. It is of importance that at least one will be a circus trainer/artist.
We shall hold an instructor/group leader/artist general meeting in Akko on the previous day to the convention meeting. The meeting shall be held on the Mon.July the 18th. at 18.00 for about 2 hrs. The purpose of the meeting is to acquaint ourselves with our colleagues and set the focus for the convention/workshops/ performances. As well as that we shall hold a conclusion staff meeting on the Fri. the 22nd of July at 10.00- 13.00 with the aim of review/feedback/thoughts/future networking and further action possibilities.
General Day Schedule
7.30-9.00 breakfasts
8.30 – 9.30 Leaders meeting
9.30-10.30 General warm-ups
11.00 13.00 Morning session
13.30- 14.30 lunch break
15.00-17.00 Afternoon sessions
17.30-18.30 social/game groups activities
19.00-20.00 dinners
20.30-22.30 artistic presentation and performances- open to the public.
We are greatly looking forward to your participation and response!!!
We can extend hospitality and the groups could be hosted by Israeli participating youth. I do need to get from you, as soon as possible, expectations for the time before/after, duration, wishes and budget possibilities/impossibilities. Accommodation at the time of the convention will be in a boarding school for navy officers, located 5 min. walk from the convention venue. There will be rooms available for 2 people to share.
With thanks for your attention
Hanita-Caroline Hendelman- (Directress ICS)
The Association for the Promotion of Circus Arts in Israel
Stories about a struggling world caught up in outdated ethics of the “Gaming Complex”, win or loose, make an enemy out of me and you: VERSUS- self guided complex community intra-relationships, strategies-engagement creation.
The level of complexity a person can see is limited relative to the proximity of life’s unique change of experiences.
In youth we boast about our physical Prowers and with the experience of years we boast about our Knowledge.
The youth of Galilee circus are in the middle of a big story which started long before most of you where born…
So let me tell you a story about how a small idea grew up into a magnificent vision.
25 years ago one or two artists used circus arts and street theater to express something that was right out there, (Right out on the fringe). One in particular called the Pompony family circus, criss-crossed the country working with Jewish and Arab families and giving workshops and performances; lit a flame of hope for a nation that had all but forgotten how to laugh at themselves. You see Israel suffers from post traumatic stress syndrome as a result of incurable wars and the only thing that wars do for us is to kill our laughter. It is the mass conscience suicide mantra of E A O U followed by a big I; the gamming conflict of the tam, tam, tam, of a war drum.
In Pompony family days a new generation of inspired youth took up circus culture and went out of the country for advanced art training; coming back some years later to form the back bone of circus in Israel today.
Inside Israel for 10 years the small flame of circus arts for youth started to evolve. Scratching out a plot for the Art to grow has been no easy thing in the political game which directs public funds. But slowly, skilled people have grown and found each other and started the steps to grow to meet the mainstream with enthusiastic reception. 20 years of youth have been growing up on Circus and what were just one or two places then has become over 50 now in 2011.
Circus has filled a vacuum created by education policy which exchanged doing, for virtual reality. The very nature of the complex organic life form we call human is with all bio-nurtured beings in a state of constant change and movement. The very earth, wind, sea and sun are moving all over this planet pulsing with life. At the same time emotional energy which is part of every human and dog pulsates into life shifting and shaping the physical elements.
Twenty virtual years later without good physical work strategies and the youth in education are getting Ritalin for nervous disorders which could be simply remedied in some cases with a good workout once a day.
Youth want to do something that uses all their physical prowess, full of heart and with personal meaning.
Physical education is a top priority in this Art. Technique is the essential first step. Each step in training leads to greater levels of self mastery. When the human body is well disciplined it becomes the most beautiful tool for expressing emotional creativity. The Art is then born, a thing of great influence in the community.
Every step of mastery brings the youth to experience majesty, a position closer to the heart to express true feelings of Joy and Satisfaction in personal and group dynamics.
A harmonious song emerges in the depth of each youth. This song then resonates with those around us and a harmonious group song emerges. Ugly and Beautiful merge together; a marriage of the soul in the community in festive events generates the feeling that was almost lost and yet remained deep with in; “healthy laughter” that has emerged in the youth circus international of today. The tuning folk effect is passing beyond our borders and resonating all around the world and to the stars.
Circus as an “Art Form” we play with requires all the skill of playing a good competitive game, with out the conflict of competitors’.
Each person in the club concentrates on being responsive to what art is being practiced, bestowing confidence on their circus team to make the healing moment and harmonize. This dynamic Art has reached mainstream attention and for this reason the past twenty five years have been ensuring that the more recent circus groups need not worry in finding the way to achieve success. Remember always that you are part of a much bigger story and your personal effort contributes to the success of this amazing education tool for all youth.
Youth Circus is the bridge builder gaining popular mainstream support.
Thursday the 10th of Feb 2011 marked a point in the growth of youth circus in Israel. The occasion was the final basket-ball match in the Nokia stadium in Tel-Aviv. 3 weeks earlier ICS received an invitation to put on circus during the match as part of the crowd entertainment and in line with the basketball promoting physical education for youth. It was the very first time that youth from the circus had been invited to such a prestigious mainstream event and there was considerable nervousness from the circus and the organizers of the event as to how this would play out. High risk can mean big letdown! But from the managers of the circus this was the moment to let the public know what we’ve got….the students have been getting ready for several years to work under such high pressure conditions. The day arrived after intense weeks of preparation and it seemed that things where not going to be as easy as we had hoped. Our safety mattresses for the group air show almost did not fit on our bus and we put them on while it poured with rain. When we entered Tel Aviv the freeway was blocked by an accident and taking an alternate route we encountered a traffic light that was down and no body willing to give way and no police assistance. Stuck, time was flitting away and our precious rehearsal time was whittled away. Finally we got to the stadium and again the heavens opened up for us as we where unloading the mattresses. Wet was not allowed on the basket ball court of wood and so with adjustments to our time for rehearsal the girls tried their tissue piece with out the security they where used to. At the end of rehearsal the organizer said that she had not expected so much from us and so we passed our first milestone. Came time of the match and the crowds started to turn up, our first number was the opening of the event and it went well enough with clowns juggling, poi’s dance, hula hoop and acrobatics. No mistakes as the adrenalin started to kick in for the two youth groups I invited to represent circus in Israel, circus Galilee (a mixed Arab and Jewish group) and Israel circus school (an international youth group) As the drums where beating and 12,000 chanting voices heated up as the match progressed it was testing the limit of concentration from our young group, an almost hysteric response came when our second number was due at the end of the third quarter. But again they pulled it off and showed themselves to be powerful in the face of a throbbing audience executing their group duo acrobatics with perfect timing. The last quarter heated up and two minutes before the end of game a fight broke out between the players, with all the audience roaring to their feet chanting accusations to the team players involved. Our young people where to go on as the last item, the air number which had had so much going against it all the time was now being thrown into a totally electric situation. The match finished and our whole team was up, fixing the rigging, putting the now dried mattresses and walking out like there where just a few friends watching us. As Ronnie started to sing Hallelujah while the six girls did their air piece the magic of the moment kicked in and the crowd slowly went quiet mesmerized by the beauty of the work. 30 seconds into the number the whole crowd started to sing with Ronnie’s powerful operatic voice and wave their arms in rhythm to the music for the rest of the number. That was the moment that circus captured the hearts of the people of Israel and the very special youth of this group poured out their all to make this happen. Finished exhausted and relieved, the young people sat on their natural high and started to realize what they had accomplished together and now they have all become lion hearts for the next steps they will take in their lives.
SUMMER WORK EXPERIENCE TO STUDY HUMOR, COMEDY AND CLOWN:
INTERNATIONAL PEACE ACTION.
Report by David Berry, (Artistic Director of I.C.S) & representative of the W.C.A (Looking Glass Alley)
You can see a small interview on You-Tube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qJgdibdgTxw
Comedy Shake was and is an inspiration of the Spirit and I do not mean the 30% proof stuff you buy in the shop. It arose out of a genuine desire to lift up the quality of work and relationship between youth from the Middle East and Europe. To find tools to repair cultural rifts inherited from the past generations and to expand the awareness of youth to recognize the similarity of heart and aspiration that all young people have. Invited to participate in this ongoing process where people skilled in the Art of humor, comedy and clown. People of a dedicated nature to this form of expression for most of their working lives, including Mr. Arthur Pedlar, from Southport, England who for more than 60 years has been acting the clown to enrich the lives of so many all around the world. Other leading members of this organization that created the conditions for the success of the action where Philipe Radice from Italy, Gonzalo Arias from Spain, Celso Delamolina from Finland, Frank Dinet from France, Adnan Tarabush from Palestine / Israel, the amazing team from Shake Circus in Berlin lead by the two Karl’s, the courageous Nablus Circus School and of course yours truly.
Click on people’s faces in the photo to tag them.
As in all things that come to birth, this process was no less complicated and nerve racking at times. There was a general element of small personal crisis almost from day one and the French group actually lost a car on the way to Berlin. Each participant was tested in various ways by the Spirit to find the strength of heart to be an active member of the community that took form in the process of the two week encounter. Young and old alike had their boundaries stretched to become aware of the importance of this international action of far reaching significance. Artistically a new approach to Comedy and Humor was formulated by sharing different aspects on the subject. Culturally Comedy Shake was a significant Peace building event that will continue to resonate as it develops over the coming years. In Spirit a new community has been brought together that will start to collect new members as it spreads its message across the continents. In no way was the Comedy Shake a failure, despite many short comings of very limited physical resources and because of this it was probably a greater success. The community rallied together and achieved a greatness of glowing spirit that a more physically supported event may have lost due to complacency in comfort zone. Creativity was extended into all aspects of life together over the two weeks and improvisation, which was one of the subjects taught in class was applied frequently to address immediate needs on a daily basis.
The energy generated attracted the attention of the entire circus community in Berlin and many friends suddenly turned up and wanted to help and stay in the Shake Circus. The generous nature of our big family could find an extra place at the table for the hungry visitors and there was always enough to go around. Arthur made the comment that he experienced a sense of community that he had not experienced since the end of the second world war where every body helped out for the good of all.
The last action that the Comedy Shake did before saying until next time to each other, was to take our high spirits to the United Nations Peace Festival in Alaxanderplatz, Berlin and join with the movement there to show the world what can be done when a bunch of clowns gets together. The crowds where drawn in and appreciated our levity and warm regard and this is always the first step to finding what is common to all humanity.
The experience planted a seed in the minds of all that participated. The essence of this action was “Inspiration”. The Art of Clown, Comedy and Humor where the vehicles of this two week Working together experience.
We started with the weight of the world on our shoulders experiencing anxiety release and after living together for two weeks we went away laughing and with much lighter hearts. In a micro cosmos the new Middle East and European Federation has found a vehicle with great potential for positive action and confidence building in this world of doubts we live in.
“Doing is easy with a light Heart!” is a clowns statement to change the world climate. Perhaps an upgraded Pedagogue is in the creation from this experience. The material is certainly enormous and the minds of the leaders of this project are ripe to share what they know with each other and an international community of students.
“Comedy Shake” is a chance that comes along very rarely indeed to do good on a global scale, we have found the diamond in the rough and now we will continue to polish it until it shines and glitters all over our world.
You can support the work by what you are doing in your own communities and more specifically by sending your representatives from your N.G.O schools to the next Comedy Shake.
Well, its been a while since we updated our posts in English but if you look to the left of the screen you will see our links and at the top is our Hebrew site link and it is up to date. So for our local supporters please check it out and you will get an idea of whats going on.
July started with our end of year show rounding up the years work and putting a dividing line between the work of last year and the work of next year. Last years work was our strongest so far, bringing in many changes to our mode of operation. A process that we can do now that ICS is 10 years old and looks like it will go on for a while to come.
Circus summer camp was well attended and very successful in the first two weeks of July. Then we had a visit from Circus Galilee from Israel and Circus Harmony from St. Louis USA where they used our facility to prepare for their joint show that will now travel around Israel for the next two weeks. Their energy was great and prepares us for our (ICS) trip to Berlin at the end of July.
One year in preparation meetings and a major project has taken shape. The “Comedy Shake” project funded by the Youth in Action EU organization, hosted by the Shake Circus in Berlin, brings together 10 youth circus groups from the Middle East and European countries. 3 generations of Comedians, Clowns and Humorists will work together for two intensive weeks giving impulse to “Seeds of the Future” youth in performing Art. Our very special friend and official Ambassador of the World Clown Association, Mr. Arthur Pedelar and his partner Mr. Alan Whitely will be there to give experience from over 50 years of Clowning around internationally. We are hunting inspiration to lift the world into a place of Love.
We are hunting inspiration to lift the world into a place of Love.