Circus is for Every Body is a heartwarming documentary, commissioned by Galway Community Circus, following Galway families as D/deaf, disabled and neurodivergent young people discover confidence, creativity, friendship and belonging through circus. Working alongside disabled and non-disabled artists from Extraordinary Bodies (UK), they created an original performance called Take Up Space.
A parent of one of the young people featured in the documentary reflected after seeing Take Up Space, that they thought they were taking their child to watch a show but instead, and to their great surprise, their child was in the show, something they had never imagined possible!
The 35 minute screening is followed by a Q&A with the filmmakers, project team and some of the documentary's stars.
Galway Community Circus is Ireland's flagship organisation for youth and community circus, creating opportunities for people of all ages and abilities to develop confidence, creativity and connection through circus arts. In partnership with Extraordinary Bodies, a pioneering UK inclusive circus company, and collaborators Enable Ireland, Galway Autism Partnership and Scoil Chaitríona, Circus is for Every Body celebrates the transformative power of inclusive circus arts. Directed by Bruno Pierucci (BlueCherry Media), the documentary was funded by Rethink Ireland's Disability Participation and Awareness Fund 3.0, the RTÉ Toy Show Appeal via Community Foundation of Ireland, the Arts Council and Galway City Council.
Extraordinary Bodies is a vital collaboration between show-makers Cirque Bijou and Diverse City, a charity that champions diversity and equity in the performing arts. Bringing together the skill and talent of D/deaf, disabled, and non-disabled artists, their work is testament to how diverse, extraordinary people can work equally together on and off stage.
Bruno Pierucci is a Galway-based filmmaker and director. "Circus is for Every Body" is a profoundly personal project for him. Having grown up with Perthes disease, he spent much of his childhood wearing restrictive leg braces to manage the condition, a journey that eventually led to a total hip replacement. This lived experience of navigating youth with a physical difference and mobility barriers saw him forge an immediate connection with the young participants featured in the documentary. When called upon to direct the film, he approached it not just as a filmmaker, but as someone who understands the realities that these young people face. His direction brings a deeply personal lens to the project, capturing the transformative freedom, joy, and empowerment that inclusive arts spaces provide to those taking up space and discovering their own extraordinary capabilities.
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Venue | Town Hall Theatre
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