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ROLLING CIRCUS

Festival brings together active transportation and environmental performance art

https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/arts-and-life/2024/08/06/rolling-circus

IT’S an outdoor adventure that combines the thrill of live performance with the charm of nature.

Bike and Circuses, returning for its second year from Aug. 7 to 11, promises a blend of theatre, music and dance set against the backdrop of Whittier Park.

“Bike and Circuses is about combining physical adventure with being a participant in a theatrical event,” explains Daina Leitold, executive director of Green Kids Inc. and co-producer of Bike and Circuses.

“We wanted to experiment with the way we tend to take in the arts — quietly and passively. We are talking about taking action for the health of this planet. This is no time to be passive.”

“And also, just breaking down this kind of theatre convention where everyone’s inside and they’re watching a play,” adds co-producer Brenda Mc-Lean. “We want more engagement and more of a feeling of the audience being participants in the theatre spectacle.”

The inspiration for Bike and Circuses came when McLean visited Quebec City and saw an outdoor circus event by Cirque du Soleil.

“The energy was incredible, with so many people from the city and surrounding areas coming out to watch. I thought, ‘Why not bring that kind of vibrant outdoor circus festival to Winnipeg?’ We needed more of that festival atmosphere in Winnipeg and to bring these great events to our city,” she says.

The event is carbon neutral, prioritizing eco-friendly materials and transportation. Costumes, sets and props will be made from mostly salvaged or second-hand items and travel will be by foot, bike or transit as much as possible. The show takes audiences on a tour of the park, stopping to take in various performances along the way.

Green Kids has partnered with community organizations, environmental NGOs and local businesses to create an interactive outdoor lobby where audiences can learn about environmental advocacy and active transportation, says McLean.

Circus performer Lil Borger is excited about the show.

“I specialize in something called cyr wheel. It’s like a big metal hula hoop that I spin in, kind of like when a coin spins on the ground,” says Borger, who has been performing since the age of seven. “I’m working with an amazing accordionist from Winnipeg named Anne-Marie (Williot), who’s going to be doing live accompaniment. My act also involves some spoken word.”

Borger and Williot have been co-ordinating via Zoom as Borger currently lives in Montreal, attending McGill University.

The performance tackles the theme of economic growth and its impact on the environment.

“It goes into themes of overconsumption tied to overproduction and overuse of our planet and natural resources,” says Borger. “It shows the tension between nature, which I play, and our human economic system of production, which is represented by the wheel and the accordionist.”

ANOTHER performer featured is Charlene Van Buekenhout, a Métis/Belgian/Canadian theatre artist, who will use a crankie machine — a moving panorama — to create an immersive storytelling experience.

“I’m doing something that I have not done before. My whole piece is based around the concept of an ultrasound, connecting people to what’s inside themselves and the world around them,” Buekenhout says.

Luekenhout was inspired by an exercise she learned from an elder at the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity.

“You sit in the environment, notice the things around you and connect those things to yourself. It’s all about personalizing our world and recognizing that we are made up of the world around us,” she says, adding she will invite audience participation in a gentle and engaging manner. “I will be the ultrasound wand, and you can place your hand on my head while I turn the crankie machine. You’ll see what’s inside yourself. It’ll be very pain-free and non-invasive, just a fun and sweet way to engage with the audience.”

Other performances include butoh dancer Tanja Faylene Woloshen, theatre artist Loc Lu and musical theatre performers Brittany and Mario Lagassé.

THIS year’s event aims to be more inclusive than the first, with different routes and accessibility options. The event offers three versions to accommodate various audience needs: one for those on bicycles, one for those walking or slow rolling and a more physically-accessible route.

“Knowing right away we wanted to do a show that was on bikes, our first thought was ‘That’s awesome, but is that for everybody?’” Leitold says. “We’ve been working with accessibility consultants. We offer the show for people walking as well as for people on bikes, and we have a physical show with an accessible path for folks who prefer not to walk too much but still want to experience being in the park.”

Despite some challenges, the team is committed to making Bike and Circuses a recurring event, she says.

“There was no Bike and Circuses in 2023 due to funding issues but we hope to make it a yearly event with enough community support. We want to show that being out in your city and taking time away from your cell phone, computer and car to go to a park and walk or ride a bike is a good way to get in touch with nature. The closer you are to nature, the more you might care about being environmentally responsible.”

Tickets are available on a pay-what-you-choose pricing model: $10, $20 or $30 plus fees, with children four and under free.

thandi.vera@freepress.mb.camailto:thandi.vera@freepress.mb.ca