Roll up, roll up for this year’s ‘Whirligig’ Festival

A two-day, free family programme of amazing circus and outdoor arts shows from UK and Europe will fill the Italian Gardens. An eclectic mix of acts and high-octane performances, topped up with a vibrant, seaside energy is set to enthral audiences from near and far. Whirligig Festival takes place each day from midday to 6pm.  For the full programme line-up and access information, visit https://superculture.org.uk/listings/whirligig24/  and follow @SuperCultureWsM for the latest updates.

Gorilla Circus’s mesmeric new aerial show ‘RPM’ combines exhilarating acrobatics, adrenaline-pumping street dance and breath-taking roller skating, set on a giant moving treadmill, while Head Over Wheels, a disabled and non-disabled multi-disciplinary company, take audiences on a journey into the world of flying wheelchairs in the groundbreaking debut, ‘Anchored in Air’.

Breaking free on the ground are Sonia Sabri Company’s ‘Mughal Miniatures: The Awakening’, living pictures that draw inspiration from the exquisite traditional art of Indian and Persian miniature painting. Watch as the Mughal Empire royal court attendants escape their restrictive frames in this empowering voyage of discovery complete with South Asian dancing and original soundtrack.

There’s juggling with a difference at this year’s festival as Bristol’s Matt Pang and Owen Reynolds ditch the balls in favour of glass and a ton of bricks in their show ‘Those in Glass Houses’.  Different thrills are on offer from Ukrainian juggler extraordinaire Alexander Koblikov, who has hit a Guinness World Record for juggling 14 balls, and here graces the Italian Gardens with his jaw-dropping artform as part of La Compagnie Zalatai’s ‘Bal (les)’.

Dynamic dance is also on display during the festival. Flamenco is given a non-traditional twist by Noemi Pareja, one half of the multi-talented Spanish duo Zen del Sur, and the first female guitarist to have performed at the milestone International Guitar Festival Paco De Lucia.  Be seduced by her incredible guitar work, interspersed with the flamenco, acrobatics and Cyr Wheel skills of her partner Carlos Lopez in their show ‘Orbita’.  

Powerful solo contemporary dance performance ‘Inscribed in “Me”’ by Alethia Antonia leaves audiences moved and wanting to know more in an exploration of the boundaries of feminine blackness. ‘EsFeRa’ by Pauline Zoe unites dance, juggling, hula hoop, roda cyr and acobatics creating extraordinary choreographies featuring many circles of all sizes.

Fall head over heels for ‘The Gardeners’ with their pret a porter terrariums and thought-provoking environmental message in ‘AWOL’. Look up and spot a selection of hair pieces and hats worthy of Ascot, created by local residents as part of ‘The Band’ by Levantes Dance Theatre, touring the South West this Autumn as part of Circus Around And About 2.

Family fun and slapstick abound in ‘Wire Attire’, a street theatre unicycle, comedy and biscuit show from multi-award winning circus performer Sam Goodburn. Contagious laughter is guaranteed in ‘Out of the Box’ by international performer Darryl J Carrington, a Mr Bean with tricks, featuring world-class comedy and a show-stopping finale starring a toothbrush.

Back by popular demand is Matthew Harrison’s ‘The Actual Reality Arcade’, a life-sized interactive zone for all ages, inspired by classic arcade games where you play for real and Thingumajig Theatre return to Whirligig with ‘A La Puppet Carte’, a magical walkabout puppet show full of surprises.   

Weston-based Tiny Circus will be making circus skills accessible to everyone with have-a-go family sessions throughout the day, Community Scrapstore North Somerset invites people to transform scrap in upcycling crafts activities and join in the North Somerset Samba procession on Saturday from 11.30am as they musically make their way along the High Street to the Italian Gardens.

A new environmental area will explore connections with the natural world, with Grow Feral’s micro-garden in the Italian Gardens transformed into a nature camp. Come along and help to decorate the camp as it evolves over the weekend – get involved in building natural shelters and take part in green crafting and bushcraft activities including natural twine making, leaf mobiles and seed head bunting. 

Fiona Matthews, creative director at Culture Weston, said: “"Whirligig is back again to spin some Summer magic with a diverse programme of national and international outdoor arts,  guaranteed to fill Weston's Italian Gardens with a blast of energy, and shows that range from the socially resonant to the downright surreal.  

“The artistry is always jaw-dropping, and this year we're delighted to add some homegrown delights to the roll call including young people from Weston's South Ward who'll be opening the festival with a dash of help from circus old-timers Matt Pang and Owen Reynolds.   Whether you're tickled by aerial, acrobatics, contemporary dance or juggling, the vibes are always great, so come on down and join the fun!" 

Organisers are calling for local people to join the valued team of Culture Makers and help out as volunteers at the event by signing up at

https://signup.com/client/invitation2/secure/941707752027/true#/invitation

Whirligig Festival is made possible thanks to funding from Arts Council England and UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.  The programme is delivered in partnership with Without Walls - this year’s Without Walls supported acts at Whirligig are ‘The Actual Reality Arcade’ by Matthew Harrison, ‘Mughal Miniatures: The Awakening’ by Sonia Sabri Company and ‘A La Puppet Carte’ by Thingumajig Theatre. ‘Anchored in Air’ by Head Over Wheels is supported by Without Walls and commissioned by Brighton Festival and Certain Blacks.

Additional partnerships supporting this year’s Whirligig Festival are Circus Around and About with Levantes Dance Theatre’s ‘The Band’ and ‘Those in Glass Houses’ by Matt Pang and Owen Reynolds and the Rural Touring Dance Initiative with ‘Inscribed in “Me”’ by Alethia Antonia.

The festival is a green event that reflects Super Culture’s environmental ethos to produce work and create experiences that are as sustainable as possible, supporting and enhancing local communities. Local food and drink will also be on sale.