Helston’s CirkHes Circus Spreads Winter Joy Across Cornwall

Helston-based social circus charity receives £34,000 funding boost

CirkHes, a long-standing Cornish charity dedicated to promoting physical and mental well-being through circus arts, has been awarded over £34,000 from Cornwall Council’s Community Levelling Up Programme. This funding will help expand its activities, benefiting disabled children and adults across Cornwall.

The charity, formerly known as Cirque du Ciel, operates from its newly established base at Helston Business Park. With a mission to foster inclusion and creativity, CirkHes has unveiled a range of new projects and activities aimed at enhancing community engagement.

New Equipment and Expanding Opportunities

The funding has been invested in Circo Neuro 2.0 and Quirky Circus 2.0, two projects designed to offer unique social circus experiences. These programmes bring physical and social benefits while helping participants develop motor skills in a playful and inclusive environment. The charity also aims to create a safe space where individuals with different abilities can celebrate their uniqueness and feel part of a creative community.

Most of the work takes place at the Helston circus centre, which opened this year, with highlights including Sensory Sundays for neurodivergent children and their families. Outreach activities have also extended the charity’s impact to venues like the Curnow School.

Ross Wheeler, the project leader, said:
“We’ve been running these incredible projects with small groups of disabled people for over two years already and it’s been really hard both to finance and develop what we do. Now it’s amazing to have the funding to be able to develop our work not just with people we’ve worked with for years, but also run new activities and reach a load of new people across Cornwall.”

Winter Programme Brings the Circus to Life

CirkHes is now gearing up for its Winter Programme, which includes the Quirky Circus Showcase and a student showcase featuring performances from students and professional artists. The programme also features sensory circus sessions and the Time2Move school holiday scheme.

Naomi Lewis, the charity manager, shared:
“It’s really encouraging to have the support of the local council and different local funders for creative community projects in Cornwall. We have a fantastic team of local artists who train and teach at our space and they get really involved in the community work we do here, which is both needed and appreciated. We’ve had a great first year in our new space in Helston, which is brilliant because we are here to stay.”

Supporting Cornwall’s Communities

CirkHes has been serving Cornwall for over 20 years, using circus arts to support physical and mental well-being. The move to Helston follows nearly five years at the Circus Works Devoran. The charity continues to tour and offer outreach projects across Cornwall and the South West, supported by organisations such as Creative Kernow, FEAST, Helston Town Council, Helston Downsland Charity, and Cornwall Council’s Time2Move programme.

For more details about the Winter Programme, visit cirkhes.co.uk