An innovative project in which older people learn circus skills such as trapeze and juggling is helping to combat loneliness, organisers have said.
The Streetwise Community Circus runs its Age-ility classes at a number of locations in Northern Ireland, helping the older generation to increase their physical and mental wellbeing.
The group also runs sit-down circus classes for dementia sufferers, teaching techniques for those who are less physically active.
Streetwise co-ordinator Jim Webster said fun and social interaction were at the heart of the classes.
He said: “There is our regular active circus group for older people.
“We have jugglers, some very skilled participants.
“But we also do a lot of work with other groups. We have a group which is targeting people with dementia, circus techniques which mean people can do it sitting down, so people who are less physically able can still participate.
“We do outreach programmes where we are targeting sheltered accommodation, if we can encourage them to come to a regular session in the community it would be something they could continue for 10 years.
“We have had people attending this group who’ve been in their 90s and have done circus for 10 years.
“They are coming out regularly and they are juggling.”
The classes can include learning trapeze and balancing skills, juggling and unicycling and a range of other activities.
Mr Webster added: “It is very inclusive.
“The main aim is not to create the next generation of super-jugglers, but within it there are some really serious skills which have developed because people enjoy it.
“We have people who have come from this group who have participated in carnivals, on stilts.
“We have older people who enjoy performing but when we assess why people come, it is a social activity, it is something which keeps people active, mentally active, physically active without it being an exercise routine.
“There are studies which show things like juggling do increase flow in the brain but also the other side of it is challenging isolation, if we can get to people who have just moved into sheltered accommodation, that is a very isolating time, when you have moved away from other social groups.
“If you can find something new at that point, then you make new friendships.
“Fundamentally it is fun, people come back because they enjoy it and that is at the heart of it.”
He added: “There is the trapeze, we’ve got people who are serious jugglers, four ball jugglers, club jugglers, there are people unicycling.
“We include all abilities.
“No-one ever finishes, there is always more to learn.”
The programmes, which are all free, receive National Lottery funding through the Arts Council of Northern Ireland.
Robert McGregor, 74, from Belfast, said he originally joined the group as an alternative to keep-fit.
He said: “I loved it.
“I came back, there are so many things.
“I’ve learned how to do tight-rope walking and juggling and all sorts of things.
“I have grandchildren so I can impress them with my circus skills.
“A lot of the people who come here are widows or widowers and it is getting you out of the house, it is keeping you fit, everybody is friendly, you are meeting people and being active.”
Terry Bickerstaff, 75, said: “I joined about five or six years ago.
“I feel it is great, the co-ordination skills that you learn from it.
“The way you can learn tricks and that get your arms and eyes working together, it really helps your reactions and flexibility.”
More information about the Streetwise Community Circus is available at www.sccni.co.uk/.
