April 2006 Newsletter

Dear friends of the Israel Circus School,

The last month was one of the most exciting times that we have been through since we began here in our Circus Center.

• Starting off the month we where visited by the Boomchucka Circus group (www.circus2iraq.org ). Matt Boomchucka with Devil-stick Peat, Dark-Faie Andy and Theo Price started the month off by bringing their enthusiasm and Clown show to the Circus School and the Community Center in Margah. They left behind repaired unicycles and donations from Home of Poi (www.homeofpoi.com ).
• International guests start to arrive to our Circus Center. With performance preparations well under way the “Children’s Circus” headed off to the 13th Israel Juggling Convention managed by Itsik Orr and his team (juggler@012.net.il ). The one hour show was received by a first evening crowd of 400 with cheers and laughter giving the performers confidence in their ability to take the stage with zest.
• Two days after this in the wee hours of the morning, Mr. Arthur Pedlar and       Mr. Alan Whitley from England and journalist Birgitta Engfeldt with photographer Catarina Nielsen from Sweden, all arrived to Israel. Their arrival began a marathon of performance, travel and intensive conversations that led up to the First Israel Circus Convention.
• Arthur and Alan donated their performance to Circus Margah, directed by Adnan Tarabashi (mrar@matnasim.org.il ) Israel Circus School is a partner and co-creator with Circus Margah since the year 2000 and we continue to forge and develop our mutual relationship into the future.
• Arthur and Alan gave a second donated performance at Diwan Ellajun in Nazareth Old city (diwanellajun@gmail.com ), together with Le Petit Travers (lepetitravers@free.fr ) a superb juggling act from France and “Looking Glass”. Diwan Ellajun Theater is managed by Hanita Hendelman who has set up a number of initiatives for the poverty stricken community, to empower women and children. Israel Circus School gives frequent workshops and performances at the theater to help keep stimulating cultural development.
• Finally the day before the Circus Convention, Swedish Clowns without Boarders, Pelle Hanaeus (pelle@komonq.org ), P.Nalle Laanela, Camilo Monasterio and John Henry Larsson arrived to join the festivities.
• Guest performers from Israel, Ronnie and Michael, Shakar Kamerie and Uval Rot completed the list for the day of action at the Circus Center. At last we could say that the Circus is in town and this was due to the wonderful team work evident especially in the month of April.
• The highlight of the month and perhaps the whole year so far was the very first Israel Circus Convention hosted by our Circus School. After monthly performances from the beginning of our working year (Sept. 2005) the “Children’s Circus” guided by the team of “Looking Glass”, together with our ever growing circle of friends put on a day of shows, workshops, outside fair and an air of magic that amazed and enthralled a crowd of 600 from all around the area and around the country. April 22nd 2006 will go down as a day to be remembered for a long time to come and to begin an annual event where we open our arms to friends from around the world. Get ready and plan ahead to join the festivities in 2007 here at Israel Circus School, the “Looking Glass” will be here to welcome you.
• It is important to mention that the efforts of parents from the Circus School contributed greatly to the overall success of all our activities for the general public. Their quiet behind the scenes efforts made sure that activities went smoothly and that our guests where well looked after while here.
• The steps we have taken from the beginning of the year have ensured a higher level of successful activity at the Circus Center. The frame work of action has been built and people now believe that we can do what we say we can do. Our improvement is going hand in hand with our experience and creativity. Our first spring month this year has been full of joy, the flowers of activity blooming with color and sweet fragrance in the well worked bed of the circus soil.
• Finally I would like to invite you to continue supporting our pioneering efforts to establish a Circus School of excellence here in Israel. Only strong foundations and determined efforts from the I.C.S team supported by our international friends will give the Circus Center credibility to approach the Education Ministry for official recognition. The path must be walked all the time and support must be constant if we are to continue with our peace work here in Israel between Jews and Arabs.
• “Looking Glass” Clown Alley invites you to look into the mirror, to smile and ask yourself what would YOU like to see in this wide world of ours!

May all your dreams of friendship and teamwork come true just as ours have over the past times.

Kind regards to one and all,
David Berry (Artistic Director of I.C.S)

The newsletter for this month is in PDF format.

01/10/2005
From David Berry
(Artistic Director of I.C.S & President of the Looking Glass, Clown Alley, W.C.A)

Hello Friends Of the Association for the Development of Circus Arts in Israel,

I have just returned from a two-week trip to the home and work of my good friend Arthur Pedlar in Ye Old England near Southport, on the central West Coast. I had a fabulous time and feel the journey was of historic significance for I.C.S.

Discovering a feeling for my Celtic roots after visiting preservation listed Castles in Wales we then headed down to “Black Pool Towers Circus” where I met the director of the Blackpool Tower Circus, Laci Endresz Snr. I must say his company certainly work hard doing three shows a day in the peak season. The British Clown of the Year, “Mooky” stole the show keeping the stooge on his toes and keeping the audience laughing between amazing acts from artists from all around the world in a show that was called “Around the World with Mooky”.

Then we where off to “Clowns International” in Weston-super-Mare, where I met Sunny and Rainbow the hosts of the Convention. Highly dedicated people worked hard to bring the 200 Clowns to entertain locals and one another for a week. For the second time in my life I won a raffle, an MP3 player and I thank the people who made me feel so welcome in workshops and lectures which abounded over the days. Clowns International has certainly held out a hand of friendship to us here at I.C.S.

HI!!, “Toto” the Clown from “Dharma” the Clown (:=} … and many other new-friends too! a BIG HI!! The Clown Convention was a real eye opener for me seeing the level of participation and the organization that went into its creation. It’s worth mentioning the fabulous performance of Nola Ray who performed her one-person show of the life of Mozart. This was done with the use of puppets, mime and a story full of clowning humor at the highest level of creative artistry. An inspiration to all who where privileged to see her work.

After the “Clowns International” convention we headed back to Southport where I prepared to give a second lecture about Israel Circus School to the Southport branch of Rotary. Here I was able to meet and to inform a group of 60 members about our ongoing work in Israel and to thank the members that have supported the Circus Center over the past three years. I had a very special meeting with Rabbi Sydney Kay just minutes before the Rotary lecture. Rabbi Kay had written a letter to the local Imam of Southport extending a hand of friendship and an invitation for dialog over the concerns of the community after the recent bombings in London. He showed Arthur and myself the letter of reply from the Imam who was very happy to hear from the Rabbi and agreed that interfaith conversation where essential for better community relationships.
In fact the message that was conveyed so strongly through the Clowns and Rotary was to do precisely with the interfaith dialog. At heart the message of most world faiths is that there is only one supreme divinity; ergo: the faithful of the world singing in different voices sing the “one praise”. Understanding through a sincere effort to learn about each other no matter what the cultural background leads to a relaxed acceptance of the superficial differences between communities.

The international-work that is being sponsored in this direction is in a class of its own and Israel Circus School is proud to be a member of this larger international community in its own small way. The peace workers I met where humbly going about their business mindful of one purpose, helping others to find joy and supporting people with the same loving grace to give and receive from each other. Old World concepts of win or loose are being eroded away with a New World concept of every one growing together in loving respect. This is also the core main mission of the Israel Circus School.

Since arriving back many people have asked me if the journey was fruitful or not and my answer to that is the fruit of doing good is its own reward and all the rest, hard and easy, just helps you to be creative about it.

My personal thanks to Arthur and his family for hosting me and thanks from I.C.S for the ongoing support from all the friends of the Association for the Development of Circus Arts in Israel.

On a final note for this letter is worth mentioning that the Israel Circus School has been primarily supported at a material and moral level by the International community over the last three years. However the seed idea of Circus Education is taking root at a local level, with a much stronger support from parents of the students that come to our Center. ICS continues to develop and improve our facility giving better service and instruction and looking for improved ways of Public Relations to our community to get people to come to us. At a personal level the trip to England did a great service in showing the way open for a road that young people can take into the future using the Circus as their vehicle. Many doors are open to ICS as other Circus professionals watch with keen interest how we will develop over the coming years.

All the best,
David Berry.

The Association for the Development of Circus Arts in Israel
END OF YEAR CIRCUS SCHOOL REPORT for 2004 / 2005

• In September 2004 Israel Circus School opened the doors of the newly renovated Old Cinema of Kefar Yehoshua. The new Circus Center has all the +basic facilities of a standard European Circus School and a professional training staff of 8. We work in a 700-meter square space that is fully dedicated to only Circus training related activities. In addition to this the Association that governs the Circus School is a volunteer group that dedicates many hours of free time to support the running of what is fast becoming a large organization.
• 2004-05 has been the most challenging year yet in the 13-year history and development of our work. The financial situation has hung on a very thin thread from the outset of the year. This has continued right up to the end of the year with a budget deficit that will mean we are unable to pay teacher wages at the end of June 2005 with out some sort of unforeseen assistance. If not for the generous support from benefactors both here in Israel and from overseas in England and America we would not have been able to give the high standard of creative training that was the standard of the past twelve months. The management team is looking for creative solutions to resolve this situation for our next year of operation.
• This has meant that student fees in 2004/05 have not been sufficient enough to cover the basic costs of running our organization. As to this a slight increase in fees for our bottom end minimum hourly rates will ensue in September 2005. The minimum one-hour and two-hour classes per week will be increased in price to 110 shekels and 220 shekels respectively per month.
• Our future outlook is far from gloomy however. Many behind the scenes and public successes have continued to mark our ongoing development and positive steps where undertaken through out the year to bring further growth and development to the Circus School. A copy of all our NewsLetters can be viewed at our web site for those interested in detailed documentation of our activities at www.israelcircusschool.com
• July-August Film Production where with us through out the year filming all our ups and downs both here in Kefar Yehoshua and in the Community Center in Margah. Their focuses where on the Children’s Circus, the Arab and Jewish youth group that has been working together for the past few years and in particular the development of the play “Aladdin and the Magic Flute”. This play written and produced by Addnan Tarabashi of the Community Center in Margah was performed to a packed theater in the Haifa Children’s Festival. Future joint projects are planned with our good friends from Margah and the Israel Circus School. And July-August Productions will release their documentary about our joint work in the coming months on Israel television channel 2.
• A feature of the Circus School this year has been that as we approach the end of year more and more children want to join our classes in the afternoons. Instead of a drop off rate at year’s end as in former years, there is a steady increase of students. This is a testimony that the direction the Circus School has taken in training methods is appealing to students and their parents. As the year has advanced we have honed our methods more and more to improve the standard and diversity of all our activities on our main days of activity. Further improvement will come about next year by offering students a choice in the beginning of September 2005 options of training. All class subjects will be given in blocks of one hour in order to focus activity suitable to the individual. A minimum of 2 hours training per week will continue with an encouragement to take a minimum of 4 hours training per week. Students who would like to develop their skills in Circus need to come to the Center a minimum of twice a week for training. However we understand here at the Circus that some students come only for the fun of being here with their friends, which is also fine. A balanced pedagogy between the professional knowledge of the trainers and the students interests is what we constantly strive for and as the understanding of students and trainers increase together we see the whole work of the Center elevated step by step. We understand how important it is to get it right and to develop trust, as very few people here in Israel really understand what Circus Culture is capable of giving to the education of young people. There is no competition at Israel Circus School but rather a slow development towards a healthy rounded education with students setting their own limits according to what they understand from instruction.
• Through out this year professional Circus people from outside Israel have visited us, including Michael Finkel and his wife Sandrin from France who gave free workshops and a show for the Circus School. Mr. Arthur Pedlar from England made his annual visit to us for the opening performance of Aladdin. We are fortunate for the great moral support we receive from people of this high caliber and their efforts to spread the word of our work here. Given that we have operated our first year here in the large hall, we are now in a position to invite all the Circus professionals in Israel to a meeting on the 21st of June 2005. This is to brainstorm on Circus here in the Circus School and in the rest of the Circus Community. Our intention is to deepen relationships in the Circus community and to bring a much richer variety of learning experiences to the Circus student. The future of the Circus movement depends on support from many sides and it starts from education but does not end there. Parents who start to see the benefits of Circus education on their children could help enormously if they lobby their local council members with letters saying how good the education is for their child. Professionals in Circus performing need to remember to give thanks to their teachers by giving young students some of their time and experience. The whole Circus community is involved in a culture of bringing joy into the world as it always has been and it is very easy to get lost in the making of business and rules to fulfill the requirements of insurers. Circus is an affair of the heart and that it why in this time here in Israel, Circus is gaining more and more appeal for students looking for truths of the heart, courage, kindness, patience and genuine healthy fun.
• Israel Circus School’s end of year performance on the 1st of July will show these things to the parents of the students that have been with us this past year and we hope that your continued support will ensue from what will be seen at our end of year party.

David Berry (Artistic Director of I.C.S)
Association for the Development of Circus Arts in Israel
Registered Non-Profit Organization in Israel: Number 58-039-562-2
P.O. Box 216, Kefar Yehoshua, 30063, Israel
Tel: +972 4 9532856 Fax: + 972 4 9833425 E-mail: israelcircusschool@hotmail.com