Oldham families gear up for Circus Starr delights

Circus Starr will stage two free, relaxed Big Top shows for an audience of 1,000 local children and their carers

One of the UK's most inclusive circuses is set ot roll into Oldham on Saturday, September 15.

Circus Starr will stage two free, relaxed Big Top shows for an audience of 1,000 local children and their carers who are often excluded from these kind of events because of their needs and circumstances.

This 30-year-old social enterprise offers all the things you would expect of the traditional Big Top spectacle – energetic acrobats, daring aerialists and a very mischievous clown – but it’s the audience that sets their events apart.

Tickets are funded by local businesses looking to give back to the most over-looked in their communities and are pre-allocated to families who struggle to go to or enjoy a live performance.

Michelle Crossley, one of the Directors of Circus Starr, said: “The barriers families face to accessing creative and cultural activities are many and varied.

"Some families simply can’t afford or have a child with a disability whose needs aren’t being met elsewhere.

"The atmosphere in our Big Top is warm, friendly and extremely relaxed.

"Children are encouraged to be themselves – shout out, move around, dance or take time out if they need to. We’re officially a tut-free zone!”     

Circus Starr will be touring the UK until Monday, November 12 on a mission to reach as many children and their families as possible.

It’s the only circus performing one day stands and moving location every other day.

2018 also marks the 250th anniversary of Philip Astley’s first circus on the banks of the Thames.

The traditions and power of circus to unite communities, wow audiences and restore hope in a world where anything is possible lives on through the work of Circus Starr.

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