Job: United Kingdom. {PAID} Join Upswing's Circus Theatre Production 'Showdown' – Performers Wanted!
About the Project /Job:
About the show:
Framed as a good night out, Showdown is a playful exploration of power, competition, and the limits of shared experience. The show can best be described as a mash-up of a talent show, a beauty pageant, and the Hunger Games. Five hopeful acrobats compete to be crowned the ‘New Face of Circus’ and the audience is invited to choose the winner, guided by a charismatic but slightly controlling presenter.
The audience is taken on a journey through the highs and lows of competition, questioning concepts like fairness and meritocracy and the idea that the ’best’ candidate will always win through. By marrying tropes of ‘game show’ and ‘diversity initiative’ Showdown explores how identity interacts with the unwritten rules of the social games we all play.
About the role:
Upswing is looking for circus performers to join our circus theatre production Showdown which will tour to UK venues between May-July 2025.
For this callout, we are seeking a Global Majority circus artist with a strong primary skill in any circus discipline and experience in group acrobatics and banquine. Please indicate what your skills are in your response. We will prioritize ground-based skills like Cyr wheel, juggling, and handstands.
You will be an artist who enjoys working in a co-devising process with the rest of the creative team, made up of 6 other performers, Director Vicki Dela Amedume, and writer Athena Kugblenu.
We are particularly interested in hearing from performers who identify as Black or from a Global Majority background as the show will draw from the experiences of the artists. For clarity, we recognize Global Majority as a term for people that includes people of Indigenous, African, Caribbean, East Asian, South Asian, South East Asian, Latin American, mixed heritage,e and other ethnic groups who are often racialized as ‘ethnic minorities’.
The role can be for people of any gender identity.
Location & Date:
Engagement Dates:
April 2025: Rehearsals in London over two weeks w/c 31st March & 21 April.
May-July 2025: UK Tour between 2-7 Performances each week Tour Locations include London, Manchester, Norwich, Worthing, Gloucester, and Kent.
August 2025: Potential for a run in Edinburgh TBC (to be confirmed in Dec).
Auditions will be by invitation and will take place in London in early January.
Job Rate:
Pay above equity recommended rates
How to Take Part:
Essential:
• Must be available April - July 2025.
• Must identify as a Global Majority.
• Must be a team player with a positive collaborative attitude.
• The role does not have to be London-based and we will consider non-UK-based performers. We can arrange visas if necessary but please confirm that you are eligible to work in the UK
To express your interest please send a headshot photo, video showreel/links of your work, and a CV to us stating "Acro Performer" in the subject line. Please also indicate where you are currently based.
If you meet the above criteria, please apply today via your profile. Please attach recent photos and also write your name, age, location, and contact details with your application. -R
