Couple wants to turn Christchurch into circus capital

A Christchurch couple want to make their city the country's capital of circus arts again by opening a new school.

Once the home of New Zealand's only degree in the subject, the city has been without a home for those wanting to train in trapeze and juggling ever since the 2011 earthquake forced the closure of the Christchurch Polytechnic course.

Located in an industrial area between businesses selling car parts and high viz workwear, Circotica is the new home of circus arts in the city.

It has been set up by graduates of the former Circus Arts School, Daniel and Mim Syme.

Daniel Syme said life in post-quake Christchurch had been tough for artists and performers with rehearsal and performance spaces largely falling victim to the demolition wrecking ball.

"What was once a really tight knit community that was sort of bolstered by the World Buskers Festival and Christchurch Arts Festival really quickly dispersed because, and fair enough, performers have to make a living."

Five years on it was getting to make or break time for the future of circus arts in the city and he was grateful for funding from the Christchurch City Council to help rent a new space.

Mr Syme believed circus performers had an important role to play in a place like Christchurch.

"If there's an event, we can come along and contribute by bringing people together and helping them laugh.

"It inspires people and gives them a sense of hope, they can sort of see the heart in it and that's got to be important in a city that's had so much destruction and suffering."

Circotica would be different to the school the polytechnic was running, said Mim Syme.

"We're focusing on having a wider group of ages and abilities. Previously in Christchurch it was quite centred around the professional circus artists.

"And also just encouraging people to do it as a hobby, it doesn't just have to be because I want to do it as a job."

However running away to join the circus could be a good career move according to Circotica juggling tutor and long time Christchurch street performer, Nathan Bonner, aka Mullet Man.

"Most people in the circus will quip that once you're in the circus you spend the rest of your life trying to run away from it.

"But it's one of the wonderful things about Circo Arts, they are so adaptable. The massive diversity of the people who left Circo Arts and what they're doing now...The Boy with Tape on His Face, he's selling out Edinburgh."

Daniel Syme said the skills they were teaching could help to make the world a better place as he witnessed on a recent trip to Nepal.

"Mim and I spent three months in Nepal working with Circus Kathmandu.

"(It) was set up for people who were taken out of street trafficking or street gangs and circus was a way that these people could then give back to their community but also make a living."

Mim Syme, who after the quakes spent a long time on the road and working overseas, said it was great to finally have somewhere to call home again.

"It was really hard and really lonely travelling on my own and doing lots of work for lots of rich people and I really missed having a community of people that loved doing what I was doing, so that's what's kind of pushed us to do this now."

In the few weeks the school had been open she had already been hearing from other performers keen to return and was looking forward to Christchurch once again being the number one place in the country for circus performers to live and work.