A very special thank you to the over 80 libraries that we visited this summer.
Paul had so much fun developing a performance around the Make A Splash theme that combined storytelling, juggling, magic, and of course comedy. We also helped teens Make Waves by teaching them new juggling, skill toy, and balloon twisting skills.
Sit back, relax, and enjoy the video capturing the fun we had!
Paul has been busy this summer entertaining families from Alabama to Connecticut with his antics. His 2010 Summer Reading Program performance encourages kids (and adults too!) to learn new skills so that they can Make a Splash and get recognized in a positive way. Paul starts the show with the story about how he jumped in a huge puddle one summer day because no one was paying attention to him. He gets his whole family wet and they are not very happy!
His grandmother is about to leave on a trip to Asia and makes a deal with him……learn to do something that will make people smile and she will bring him a gift from her travels. Paul spends the summer learning to juggle, perform magic, and discovers other toys that require practice. He and his friends put on circus shows in his front yard and he realizes that he likes the applause! When his grandmother finally comes home, she brings him a new skill toy for him to learn – the Japanese kendama. Paul can’t wait to see what new tricks he can learn and perform for more applause!
If you have been at one of the 90+ Flow Circus library shows this summer, feel free to comment here. To see more photos visit our Photo Gallery.
The Flow Circus 2010 Summer Reading Performance Make A Splash…Without Making a Mess focuses on how with a little skill, we can all make a positive impact in our world. Below is a brief description of the show:
As a kid, performer Paul Miller was always getting in trouble. Then one summer all that changed with the gift a Japanese kendama. That popular toy and a trip to the library led him to discover juggling and other skill toys from around the world. Instead of getting grounded, he started to get applause.
As the performance took shape, we realized that we wanted to provide librarians with the opportunity to provide the same discovery of new toys and skills for their patrons. We know that budgets are limited, so we sat down with string, masking tape, sticks, paper cups & PlayFundama.com was born!
PlayFundama.com provides instructional videos on how to make and play with the different versions of fundama that we have created. You can also find photos of similar toys from around the world and suggested activity ideas for how fundama might be incorporated into your Summer Reading Program.
We hope to inspire kids to be creative and playful with whatever materials they might have laying around!
Tuesday, March 2nd marked the 106th birthday of Dr. Seuss. flow Circus celebrated with a performance of Read Yourself Silly at Union West Regional Library in Indian Trail, NC. A little snow falling didn’t stop families from coming out to laugh and celebrate reading.
For more pictures of the show, visit the Flow Circus Photo Gallery.
For more information and activity ideas, visit the National Education Association’s Read Across America website.
Paul performed at the Nasher Museum of Art’s Family Day this weekend. The event celebrated current exhibition Big Shot: Andy Warhol Polaroids. Paul presented his own version of a self-portrait through his performance incorporating juggling, magic, & balloons.
The Nasher Museum has a beautiful performance space and enthusiastic audiences. In addition to performances, Paul performed close-up magic and engaged kids of all ages (the grown up ones too!) in plate spinning fun. We look forward to returning to the Nasher again in the future.
For more photos, visit the Flow Circus Photo Gallery. If you saw one of Paul’s shows, feel free to comment here.
At libraries across the United States, families will Make A Splash and teens will Make Waves this summer. Flow Circus has been brainstorming fresh ideas for a new 2010 SRP performance. Our juggling & skill toy workshops provide a unique program for tweens & teens……they will be making wave patterns as they juggle and making waves as they share their new skills with friends.
Below is a list of our current summer schedule. We still have openings for these tours and would love to visit your library. For more information on performances and workshops visit www.FlowCircus.com/library
Contact Dawn to check our availability at dawn@flowcircus.com or (919)604-3462.
Last week, we had the opportunity to return to the YMCA Campfire Conference held in Black Mountain, NC. Summer camp staff from all over the southeast came together to share ideas, develop skills, and play together. In addition to teaching juggling and skill toy workshops this year, we conducted a team building workshop using balloons.
To add to the fun, Paul also performed his variety show for the group. The one thing we observe when working with YMCA staff is that they are always ready to laugh and play! We look forward to participating again next year.
To see more pictures visit the Flow Circus Photo Gallery.
Flow Circus helped the Wake Forest Branch Library celebrate its 13th Birthday this weekend with a performance of Read Yourself Silly. It was a beautiful November day in North Carolina ….nice enough to perform outside. The article below from the December 2009 Rolesville Buzz describes the event. For more pictures from the Wake Forest Library show, visit the Flow Circus Photo Gallery.
During the 2009-10 school year, Flow Circus will be performing Read Yourself Silly at schools and libraries throughout the East Coast. Juggling, magic, and balloons captivate audiences and help deliver a memorable message…….visit the library to learn new skills!
Flow Circus finds that working with adults can be just as much fun as working with kids because adults need to laugh & play too! This month we conducted two different staff development sessions. The first was held at Camp Silver Beach for the Peninsula Metropolitan YMCA. Our half-day workshop was part of a two day retreat focusing on the book Juggling Elephants by Jones Loflin and Todd Musig. As the authors point out in the book: People sometimes need to laugh, relax, and not take themselves too seriously. Our session taught participants how to juggle and use a variety of skill toys. Learning these new skills gave the group an opportunity to reflect on the learning process and how to overcome a fear of failure in order to improve their very own own 3 ring circus!
This past week we conducted a workshop for the staff of Mauney Memorial Library and Cleveland County Library System (pictured above). For this workshop, we used balloons to set up different team challenges that emphasize the importance of good communication, clear objectives, and understanding strengths/weaknesses when working together in teams. Creative thinking and team brainstorming resulted in the commercials below which promote the wide variety of services that libraries provide in the 21st Century. Watch and enjoy their results.
Visit our website to learn more information about Flow Circus Staff Development Workshops.
The Afterschool Alliance celebrated the 10th Annual Lights on Afterschool which included more than 7,500 events nationwide. Secretary of Education, Arne Duncan recognized the importance of afterschool programs with his statement: Learning doesn’t just happen in a classroom between school bells. Children learn all day long. So it’s vital to give students and their families the tools, the facilities, and the opportunity to continue working on traditional academic subjects as well as a place for broader lessons in areas like art and music to enrich their lives. The Afterschool Alliance also released the results of a new study America After 3pm which reports how American children spend their afternoons.
Flow Circus was on tour in the Washington, DC area during Lights on Afterschool and helped the Greater Washington Boys & Girls Club celebrate the event with a performance of Read Yourself Silly. Program director Ron Diokno commented after the show that the kids were simply too engaged and mesmerized. I guarantee you they had a great time, in fact, too much fun for one of our kids that couldn’t stop laughing throughout the show! If more activities were like this, then more of our kids would learn and be inspired to achieve in their own ways.
Flow Circus works with a number of wonderful afterschool programs throughout the year through both hands-on programs and performances. We wanted to highlight the importance of these vital programs by joining in this important celebration. We were happy to inspire the club members and staff with our playfulness.
We look forward to participating in the Lights on Afterschool celebration again next year.