Albert & Friends Instant Circus (1983 - 2019)
Biography
Albert & Friends Instant Circus (A&FIC) was a contemporary social circus charity based in London, that worked with children and young people with physical and learning difficulties, problem children and excluded youths to develop their potential through circus and the physical arts. A&FIC was stablish in 1983 and incorporated on 22 November 1996.
Their aims were to inspire and celebrate individual achievement through innovative learning and the development of diverse skills, aptitudes and experiences which challenged, influenced and changed life expectations and unlocked individual potential. They were also involved in plans to combat childhood obesity through circus skills.
The company was founded in London in 1983 by Ian Scott Owens (aka Albert the clown) and Petrea Owens (aka Trea) and gained worldwide recognition for its highly skilled, innovative circus theatre performances. Its reputation and performance schedule extended to New York, Paris, Rome, Frascati, Edinburgh, Beijing, Hamburg, Ljubljana, Maastricht and Adelaide. A&FIC developed from a local summer project in 1983, to a voluntary youth organisation in 1988, to a registered Charity in 1997. Trea established A&FIC as a model of good practice in both youth circus and circus arts education gaining Arts Council England recognition in 2004 and National Portfolio Organisation status in 2012.
Albert also worked with Melcombe Primary School in Hammersmith and created a curriculum for circus skills to be taught in schools for a variety of lessons including Maths and History for Key Stage 1-3.
Albert and Trea also created the biennial London International Youth Circus Festival in 2004 providing a platform for young people to perform on the world stage.
A&FIC played a pivotal role in creating both Circus Works, the national UK network for youth circus organisations, and the European Youth Circus Organisation, of which Trea is President. Trea has contributed considerably to the development of the sector both in the UK and Europe.
A&FIC was disolved on 15 October 2019.
Found in 365 Collections and/or Records:
Tilting at Windmills Poster (Black and White), August 1994
Printed poster advertising a performance titled, 'Tilting at Windmills' by Albert & Friends Instant Circus at The Pleasance, Edinburgh. Yellow background, and black text, 1p.
Tilting at Windmills Poster (Colour), August 1994
Printed poster advertising, 'Tilting at Windmills' by Albert & Friends Instant Circus at The Pleasance for the Edinburgh Fringe Festival on the front and general information about the circus on the reverse. Black background, black and white text and a blurred photograph of a person on a unicycle, 1p.
Trea's Back Up Disc 1 Optical Disk, 10 July 2007
Optical disks, containing correspondence, administrative papers, newsletters, photographs and films, created by Albert & Friends Instant Circus.
Trea's Back Up Disc 2 Optical Disk, 10 July 2007
Optical disks, containing correspondence, administrative papers, newsletters, photographs and films, created by Albert & Friends Instant Circus.
Trea's Emails From Old Computer Optical Disk, c2000 - 2008
Optical disks, containing correspondence, administrative papers, newsletters, photographs and films, created by Albert & Friends Instant Circus.
Trea's Photos [1] Optical Disk, c2000 - 2012
Optical disks, containing correspondence, administrative papers, newsletters, photographs and films, created by Albert & Friends Instant Circus.
Trea's Photos 2 Optical Disk, c2000 - 2012
Optical disks, containing correspondence, administrative papers, newsletters, photographs and films, created by Albert & Friends Instant Circus.
Trea's Sent Emails Old Computer Optical Disk, c2000 - 2008
Optical disks, containing correspondence, administrative papers, newsletters, photographs and films, created by Albert & Friends Instant Circus.
Tricycle Theatre Photographs, c1990 - 2000
Includes photographs of children and young people from Albert & Friends Instant Circus taking part in a Tricycle Theatre.
Tricycle Theatre Photographs, c1990 - 2000
Colour photographs of children performing acrobatic tricks, clowning, stilt walking, together on stage with Ian Scott Owens, dressed as Albert the Clown.
Unicycle Grand Prix Photographic Negatives, 1998
Colour photographic negatives, of children and young people from Albert & Friends Instant Circus taking part in a unicycle race, a hockey match on unicycles, and other challenges and games on unicycles, as part of the Unicycle Grand Prix. Photographic negatives found in a wallet labelled as follows: 'U/c Grand Prix'.
Unicycle Grand Prix Photographs, 1994 - 1998
Includes photographs of children and young people from Albert & Friends Instant Circus taking part in the Unicycle Grand Prix.
Unicycle Grand Prix Photographs, 1994
Colour photographs of children and young people from Albert & Friends Instant Circus taking part in the Unicycle Grand Prix.
Unicycle Hockey VHS Tape, 27 July 1998
Filmed by Sky News. Full titled: '27-7-1993 SP No. 0312283 UNICYCLE HOCKEY (2) B.I.T.C. Emiy'.
Untitled CD-Rom Optical Disk, c1995 - 2008
Optical disks, containing correspondence, administrative papers, newsletters, photographs and films, created by Albert & Friends Instant Circus.
Untitled CD-Rom Optical Disk, c1995 - 2008
Optical disks, containing correspondence, administrative papers, newsletters, photographs and films, created by Albert & Friends Instant Circus.
Untitled CD-Rom Optical Disk, c2000 - 2012
Optical disks, containing correspondence, administrative papers, newsletters, photographs and films, created by Albert & Friends Instant Circus.
Untitled CD-Rom Optical Disk, c2000 - 2012
Optical disks, containing correspondence, administrative papers, newsletters, photographs and films, created by Albert & Friends Instant Circus.
Untitled DV Cassette Tape, c1995 - 2008
DV cassette tapes relating to Albert & Friends Instant Circus.
Untitled DV Cassette Tape, c1995 - 2008
DV cassette tapes relating to Albert & Friends Instant Circus.