Juggling and Diabolo!

Two jugglers and diabolo experts from the Czech Republic gave a 3-day workshop at the Nablus Circus School. They worked with beginners in 3-ball juggling and advanced students in clubs, passing and diabolo. They performed a shortened version of a light show for the students at the end of the 3 days. This is the first of a series of workshops that will take place over the course o 3 years. New students were amazed at the trainers’ skills and advanced students gobbled up new tricks and moves. The jugglers left with the hope that they will see improvement when they return as students practice what they learned over the next few months.

Mobile Circus

In cooperation with the Danish Center for Culture and Development Assirk Assaghir is launching a new project to take its programs to villages in the Nablus district. Over the next year and a half, in addition to regular trainings for youth and children in the city, trainers will be giving workshops and organizing shows in villages with especially difficult conditions due to military checkpoints and Israeli settlements. The trainers work in each village for one month, facilitating weekly workshops for children and youth. In the summer, a performance created by the Nablus teen groups will be toured around the participating villages. This project will allow the circus to reach the most remote areas in the district, giving children and youth a break from the realities of their daily lives and providing them with a fun, extracurricular activity, which is a rare opportunity.

Assirk Assaghir in the News!

A Palestinian weekly magazine in English, This Week in Palestine, published an article about Assirk Assaghir in its latest issue, which was focused on children in Palestine. You can read the article on their website.

http://www.thisweekinpalestine.com/details.php?id=3334&ed=191&edid=191

Contortion Training

The Nablus Circus School is currently hosting a French trainer who is a specialist in contortion. She has been giving training to the teen girls and boys groups as well as the trainers. Her trainings focus on flexibility, basic acrobatics and contortion moves and positions. Although a difficult skill to learn, students are enjoying their work with her and improving in flexibility and range of motion by the day.

Black Light Show

The teenage group of boys and girls performed a black light show on Feburary 6^th in Dar Al Fonon Center in Askar Refugee Camp. Although supervised by the trainers, the performance was created by the students who had been experimenting with the idea of black light throughout the semester. The show was comprised of acts in juggling, diabolo, acrobatics, contortion, poi, rhythm, clowning and break dance. It was very well received by the audience and after the show many youth asked to sign up for circus classes. Assirk Assaghir hopes to expand on this show and perform in a bigger theater this summer.

Clowns Without Borders, Belgium

Assirk Assaghir kicked off the new year with a visit from Clowns Without Borders, Belgium. A group of three clowns traveled to Palestine to make performances across the West Bank. While in Nablus, they made 9 shows in children’s centers and theaters, refugee camps and hospitals for more than 500 children. The show was a clowning show for children that centered around magic tricks and their successes.... and bloopers. It was the group’s first time in Palestine and first tour through Clowns Without Borders. Assirk Assaghir would like to thank them for the work they did and the fun they created!

Spot Light

In September 2010, three circus trainers from Assirk Assaghir created a clowning show called “Spot Light” which they toured in Sweden. The show was made up of funny sketches interspersed with acts in diabolo, acrobatics, dance and juggling. After the show a short film about Assirk Assaghir’s work and cooperation with Clowns Without Borders Sweden was shown. The group performed 10 shows over the course of 3 weeks as a way to fund raise for the circus school and raise awareness about Palestine. They performed in high schools, theaters and in a circus festival.

Student Initiative

While a group of trainers and trainees were participating in the Comedy Shake in Berlin, the rest of the teenage boys and girls had two weeks of free training in which they were encouraged to improve their skills and work together. As the traveling group left the teens to their own devices, they didn't know what they would find upon their return. To their surprise, during their absence, the group had not only been working on their circus skills and teaching each other, but they had also come together and created a performance called "The Queen." The show included unicycle, acrobatics, dance and drama. The trainers were very proud of the youth and how they took initiative and worked together to create something impressive. We look forward to seeing initiatives like this in the future!