The Staff and Teachers of The Circus Space

Senior Management Team

Jane Rice-Bowen - Chief Executive

Jane was the Executive Director of Roadmender Ltd, the East Midlands flagship venue for contemporary music and arts. Jane comes to us with an MA in Theatre Development from King Alfred’s College, as well as an extensive background in arts development, having been the Chief Executive of Blackfriars Art Centre, Director of Arts Development at Royal & Derngate Theatres, and has been a Youth Leader, an Education & Outreach office, and she taught English in Japan

Charlie Holland -
Programme Director/Deputy Chief Executive



On the training side, he has responsibility for the vocational, adult education and young people's programmes. He established, with East Berkshire College, the two-year BTEC National Diploma in Performing Arts, Circus - the first circus course in Britain to form part of the mainstream educational system. He worked with the Central School of Speech and Drama to establish the BA (Hons) Theatre Practice - Contemporary Circus degree. This first degree course started in Autumn 1999. He was also involved in the training scheme run by The Circus Space for 100 aerialists to perform in the Millennium Show in the Dome throughout 2000. He programmes The Circus Space Festival and other performances at The Circus Space, including annual inclusion in the London International Mime Festival. A graduate of Bradford University and former professional juggler, he performed with Gerry Cottle's Circus and worked around the world as half of The Long and The Short of It juggling duo. Along the way he juggled on volcanoes in Hawaii, in market squares in Marrakech, on sand dunes in the Indian Thar Desert, and on top of Mount Fuji in Japan. He is author of the instructional book 'Juggling', and of 'Strange Feats and Clever Turns' about acrobats, aerialists and other specialty acts at the turn of the 20th Century.

Heads of Department

Glen Stewart - Head of Acrobatics
Over the past seven years Glen has been coaching gymnastics to all levels and ages. With a diploma in Sports Studies from New Zealand Glen has participated in competitive gymnastics for over 10 years with New Zealand representative level attained. He also teaches on the Evening Programme at TCS and coaches gymnastics at Hendon Gymnastics Centre London.

Juliette Hardy-Donaldson - Head of Aerial
Coming from Scotland, and having received a classical ballet training first in Edinburgh, then in London, Juliette worked briefly in contemporary dance, became a distribution manager for a music magazine and managed a rock band before discovering circus in 1989. She first specialised in swinging trapeze, doubles trapeze and corde lisse under the name of "Suspended Animation". Then, having spent some time training with Rita van Opzeland she toured world-wide with her swinging trapeze routine for 9 years. She teamed up with current partner, Bryan Donaldson (forming "Duo Vertigo"), late in 1994 and created a double corde lisse number and cradle act that toured until 2003. Throughout this time Juliette has taught, on tour and at The Circus Space. She choreographes and was also Head Aerial Trainer for the Millenium Dome. She has been Head of Aerial on the Degree programme since October 2003.

Programme Managers

Tim Roberts - Higher Education Courses Director
Tim started juggling at 15 and went on to be accepted at Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey's Circus Clown College. He worked, as a clown for Ringling for 2 and a half years, eventually becoming Boss Clown. He left to hitch-hike around Europe where he ended up being stranded in France after losing his airplane ticket back home to the States. This led him to join a bunch of other stranded compatriots, and a French guy, and they all decided to start a troup called "L'Institut de Jonglage", a comedy based juggling company. They toured for 13 years and obtained relative recognition for people in that kind of profession. The French national circus school, Centre National des Arts du Cirque, then called upon him to be the resident juggling instructor and vocational training coordinator, where he developed and organised training programs for professional circus artists and circus arts teachers. This kept him busy and off the streets for about 8 years. A series of, apparently, unrelated events led him to apply for the position of HE Courses Director at The Circus Space. His days are spent coping with the aspirations and needs of around 40 students a year, working with a Core Team of instructors and overworking his Administrator. This also keeps him busy and off the streets

Rob Colbert - Adult Programme Manager

Eira Gibson - Youth Programme Manager

Operations

Jonathan Dix - Operations Director
Responsibility for Health & Safety, Events and Hires. Previously worked as a Facilities Manager with a range of City based organisations. Has adapted his knowledge to the particular and peculiar demands of circus.

Tamsin Weatherly - Office Manager

Carl Thorndike - Customer Services Manager

Tristan Collett - Deputy Operations Manager

Tony Williams - Duty Manager

Simon Peevers - Senior Technical Manager/Rigging

Vickie Donoghue- Courses Administrator
Vickie arrived in a big puff of smoke from the sleepy suburbs in April 2002 to start as a full-time Receptionist at The Circus Space. By April 2003 she was promoted to Reception and Box Office Manager. Vickie has a Degree in Drama from St. Mary's University College and is very excited to be now working on the Degree team. She is hoping that this will only fuel her passion for theatre and performance art. With her past experience in various reception and administrative posts she will be working closely with the Heads of Department, teachers and the Course Director.

Petra Lazarek- Corporate Workshops Administrator

Daisy Drury Fundraising Manager
Works to generate income for the Circus Space to realise its ambitions.

Teachers

Acrobatic Teachers
Adam Cohen, Ashley Carr, Amy Welbourne, Annette Fiaschi, George Tsounev, Glen Stewart, Henry He, Jake Goode, Juan Carlos Leon Benitez, Ken Lewis, Lee Smith, Jackie Leon Sysum, Jo Galbraith, Matt Clinch, Lesley Gardener, Lucy Francis, Nyama Navaansharan, Sarah Coxon, Sophie Avigdor

Aerial Teachers
Aaron Walker, Andy Evangelou, Brian Donaldson, Dane Clarke, Abigail Yeates, Clare Anderson, Clare Midgley, Emma Herbert, Gavin Marshall, Genevieve Monastesse, Juliette Hardy-Donaldson, Nik Litton, Emiliano Pedro, Lorraine Moynehan, Lucie Pasquier, Lucy Morgan, Lynn Carroll, Melissa Merran, Michele Weaver, Pauline Palacy, Rita Van Opzeeland, Simon Mitchell, Lila Lifely, Leyla Rees, Layla Aldridge, Katie Hardwick, Charlotte Stirrup, Caroline Palmer, Katherine Arnold, Raquel Rosmaninho

Manipulation and Equilibristics Teachers
Alex Jacob, Dave Evans, Adele Thompson, Ian Marchant, John Blanchard, Kwabana Lindsay, Inaki Sastre, Kati Yla-Hokkala, Luke Wilson, Manu Laude, Matt Hennem, Max Haverkamp, Rod Laver, Sam Veale, Sean Gandini, Simon Beaumont, Soren Neilson, Yordanka Hristova, Ste3void, Kate Evans, Daniela Essart, Matt Brown, Dan Burston

Movement and Music Teachers
Florence Peake, Irmela Wiemann, Kirstie Richardson, Omar Paloma, Susanne Lahusen, Jiving Lindy Hoppers, Vicky Jassey, Jon Halls, John Beresford,

Theatre Teachers
Bob Collins, Bob Pearce, Danny Schlesinger, David Sant, Alexis Carne, Flick Ferdinando, Joyce Henderson, Mick Barnfather, Mitch Mitchelson, Oscar Valsecchi, Peter Reynolds, Mel Harold, Tim Bat, Theatre de l'Ange Fou, Fraser Hooper, Chris Michael

Warm Up
Anna Abrams, Marcella Manzilli, Stefano Di Renzo, Vincent Cardinale, Rosamund Martin, Vreni May, Raquel Rosmaninho

Physiotherapy
ES Physiotherapy