News: Piano Circus contributed to a feature article on piano in Yamaha Education Supplement, May 2010

"Piano Circus acted as a galvanising force inspiring the students to work harder and with more idiomatic rigour. Each of the players showed total commitment to their dual role as nurturers and interpreters.""
Professor Agustin Fernandez Newcastle University

"I've always been impressed with the commitment of Piano Circus. As soon as the teachers' workshop began, they were held spellbound by the sheer virtuosity of the players. You could see the teachers working out how their pupils were going to work with the group and also, how much they were going to get out of working with them. Inspiring, exciting stuff!""
Professor Pete Stollery Aberdeen University, Keyboard Collective Project 2009

Piano Circus workshops may include a mixture of music technology, composition and performance skills. They are designed for a variety of settings and activity levels and include working with children and adults with learning difficulties, amateur groups, schools and further education. We also work in collaboration with other artists - theatre practitioners, poets, sound and video artists, musicians and composers and artists from other backgrounds such as choreographers and dancers.

Areas of Learning

Piano Circus have expertise in working with students of all ages and abilities over the last 20 years, including those with learning difficulties and special needs. Our equipment is suitable for use by anyone, including those with very limited physical movement. We also develop projects which aim to reinvigorate classroom practice with new approaches to keyboard use, utilizing the equipment available within schools and encouraging imaginative ways of working.

• skills development: keyboard techniques, ensemble playing, rhythmic precision, listening, responding to sound, confidence in performing.
  
• understanding compositional techniques, creating new work individually or as a group, developing and refining musical ideas.
  
• music technology: operating recording systems, engineering for other students, sampling, using a microphone, editing and mixing. Improving communication, awareness, confidence, co-operation and self esteem.
  
• the opportunity to produce recorded work on a professional system and to create live performances.
  
• Q&A sessions and open workshops for wider participation with audiences are also a priority for Piano Circus.
  
• Performance of student work is a major focus for the ensemble and all workshop settings are encouraged to include at least one performance opportunity for students themselves, or by Piano Circus.
  
• the opportunity to have fun and be creative.

Recent Projects

In 2008 they ran a substantial project in partnership with Newcastle and Durham Universities, as part of I3, the composition strand of the Centre for Excellence in Music and Inclusivity.

In 2009, workshops have included the Exhibition Road Festival for young composers and performers, presenting the BBC Proms Family Music Intro for Multiple Piano Day at RCM and the Keyboard Collective Project in partnership with sound festival, Scotland. This large scale project ran between October 09 and April 2010 working with students across 4 schools in Aberdeenshire and the Highlands, leading to a public performance of student pieces for multiple keyboard ensembles.

2010-11 projects continue with the ensemble beginning a tour in Wales (7-10th September 2010) as part of their new role as Associate Ensemble for Young Composer of Dyfed and they will also be working with CoMA, the organisation dedicated to enabling amateur musicians to get involved in contemporary music.