New show urges local kids to ‘say no to bullying’

A NEW show, staged at the Island Hall last weekend, urged members of local youth groups to ‘say no to bullying’.

Community Circus Lisburn (CCL) performed their unique urban circus show with an anti-bullying theme Cypher Circus to a full house in the Island Arts Centre on Friday April 5.

The show was attended by the Mayor Alderman William Lethem, Director of Leisure Services Mr Jim Rose and David Sloan Lisburn Arts Advisory Committee representative.

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The show was followed up with two more packed shows at the Harmony Hill Presbyterian Church Hall.

Each week 48 young people from the Lisburn area met at Island Arts Centre to practise their circus skills.

In addition to honing these skills the young people were also taught Street Art, Break Dancing and Turntablism (DJ) by experts within that field.

This show was the culmination of a six month project funded by the Arts Council Northern Ireland Lottery funding (ACNI), Children in Need (CIN) and Lisburn Arts Advisory Committee (LAAC.

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These skills were married into a show that addressed the importance of anti- bullying awareness required by young people today.

The Chair of Community Circus Lisburn Mr Jackie McQuillan said: “Each of the three shows received such an overwhelming ovation and positive feedback from audiences that Community Circus Lisburn are looking to funders to acknowledge the fact that important messages to young people such as anti-bullying are best conveyed using the language of the young person.

“This is why Community Circus Lisburn employed, at great expense, experts in the fields of Street Dancing, DJ and Graffiti.”

Mr McQuillan went on to explain that as Community Circus Lisbun had the courage to address such a major problem as bullying they also employed an independent renowned evaluator to produce a report on this project.

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This report will be launched in the coming months and many local youth voluntary and statutory young organisations will be receiving a copy.

Community Circus Lisburn meets every Tuesday evening in the Island Arts Centre Lisburn between 5.30-9pm.

For more information on the Community Circus Lisburn contact Paul on [email protected]