The Philip Astley Project - an evening at The Rotary Club

-

Andrew Van Buren and Carol Gandey took the stage last night to speak to the Rotary Club about The Philip Astley Project that will be coming to Newcastle-under-Lyme and throughout the UK next year, in what turned out to be a very interesting and entertaining evening. 


The Philip Astley Project was formed in 2015 to celebrate Philip Astley as part of the nationwide Circus250 celebrations that will be taking place next year. 2018 is the 250th anniversary of the modern circus and thanks to money raised by National Lottery players, and sponsorship from businesses, people will be able to get involved in workshops, talks, an exhibition, and performances. Activities began in 2017, leading up to AstleyFest - a one-day festival to celebrate Astley in August 2018.



Gandeys Circus is proud to be supporting The Philip Astley Project and working closely with Andrew Van Buren to celebrate the life of this Newcastle-under-Lyme born man known as "the father of modern circus". 

The wonderful Circus Starr would also like to extend their heartfelt thanks to the many generous members of the Rotary Club who donate tickets to their shows. Carol had several Rotarians approach her last night to say how many years they have been supporting Circus Starr and how strongly they believe in the incredible work that Circus Starr does.

Click here to find out more about the project, and here to stay updated on Facebook.

In the meantime, take a look at the amazing Philip Astley opening that Gandeys Circus dedicated to the great man in 2016:

Comments

Post a Comment

Thanks for your feedback!

Popular posts from this blog

A brief history of clowns to celebrate Andreea's birthday!

-
Image
Hip hip hooray! It’s our crazy clown Andreea’s birthday! The lovable Andreea has been appearing in shows with Gandeys Circus for nearly a decade. Now Andreea is actually French – so perhaps we should say ‘bon anniversaire’! We’re proud to have Andreea as part of our current team in the big top at Butlin’s Skegness . While our other clowns – currently performing at Butlin’s Bognor Regis and Minehead – Bippo and Chico Rico are more traditional, Andreea opts to show off her sense of style with an offbeat modern look. We think her pink tutu / Converse / blazer combo is pretty iconic… especially paired with her blasting boombox! (she’s never been shy of making an entrance). Andreea likes interrupting the action with her silly routines. And you know something else… she is the UK’s only female clown! So you could say she’s a bit of an innovator when it comes to clowning around. With that in mind, let’s look at how much clowns have changed ov
Read more

Origins of the Chinese Circus

-
Image
200 BC – 200 AD – Han Dynasty, Sichuan Province – Juggler with balls and knives – Carving, stone of the “Hundred Games.” [source: Chinese Acrobatics Through The Ages, p15] The origins of the Chinese circus are not entirely crystal clear. There are debates and differing opinions when it comes to the exact history behind the circus, which is not a surprise when you take into account how long it has been around! First records of the Chinese circus - including carvings and mural paintings - date back more than 2,000 years to the Warring States period (475–221 BC), with evidence of performances developing further during the Qin and Han Dynasties (221 BC - 230 AD). Although it is believed that the art may have actually started around 3,000 years ago! One theory is that the acts originated in imperial courts, with performers entertaining the houses in a manner similar to western court jesters. However, it is more likely that the circus was a folk art that was later adopted by
Read more

Strong Women in Circus

-
Image
In honour of International Women's Day and the 'Women in Circus' movement, we would like to share these photos of strong women with whom we have worked - past and present. Women who inspire us here at Gandey World Class Productions , and who influence and empower other women across the world. There are many strong circus women who we have not mentioned here. Please be aware that this list is by no means definitive – there are so many more strong women whom we would have loved to include, and who remain an important part of the Gandey family. The pictures can also be found in a Flickr album here . Mary Gandey: Wife, Mother, Grandmother, Performer – the foundation upon which Gandeys as we know it was built Carol Gandey: Director and Producer – Gandey World Class Productions Hayley Gandey: Circus Director and Performer – Gandeys Circus Coral Gandey: Brand Manager, London Mariska Gandey: Circus Performer – Gandeys Circus Andreea D
Read more