February 2011 Newsletter

Greetings from Flow Circus
New Video Page
Free SRP Workshop for Librarians
Campfire Conference 2011
Youth Leadership Program
Upcoming Flow Circus Tours
Greetings from Flow Circus: Snow, snow, and more snow.......we may not live in the Northeast anymore, but we remember the fun and frustration that comes along with all of that snow!

The best way to tackle the winter doldrums is to think about summer. That's what we are busy doing. Booking Summer Reading Program performances and workshops, creating new resources for librarians, preparing for summer camp staff trainings, and planning for our new specialty camp Juggling & Skill Toys. We can't wait! A quick note for those of you with Cary Academy Summer Quest Campers, on-line registration starts February 17th so keep an eye on their website.

In the meantime, we have an exciting month ahead including a 2 week tour in the Northeast. Think the snow will be gone by then?!

Playfully yours,
Paul & Dawn



New Video Page: Now all of your favorite videos of Paul can be found in one place! We recently created a Video Gallery on our website that has highlights from the last two Summer Reading Programs: Make a Splash and Be Creative. You can also watch a 10 minute unedited clip of Read Yourself Silly, promo videos for corporate performances and professional development sessions, and other fun stuff. So grab a coffee/soda, get comfortable, and hit play to enjoy a few laughs with us.

Please feel free to share the Video Gallery with your colleagues. These videos are a great way to become familiar with what Flow Circus has to offer. Email Paul if you have an idea for a video that you would like to see added to the gallery.



Free SRP Workshop for Librarians: This winter/spring, Flow Circus will have the opportunity to introduce librarians in Connecticut, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and North Carolina to Fundama. We have developed a workshop to connect PlayFundama.com to the Summer Reading Program themes One World, Many Stories and You Are Here. Below is a description of the workshop:

The Japanese kendama is a toy currently popular in Japan, but versions of it have existed on different continents and throughout different time periods. During this session, library staff will learn about this toy and have the opportunity to make their very own version which we call fundama using paper cups, string, and masking tape. This program and a variety of related activities can be easily replicated at your library with a minimal investment.

We are offering these free workshops as a thank you to the regions that host us throughout the year. If your state or region hosts SRP workshops for librarians and would be interested in having Flow Circus conduct a session, contact Dawn at dawn@flowcircus.com or (919)604-3462.



Campfire Conference 2011: Despite a snow storm that hit North Carolina in January, Flow Circus participated in the YMCA Campfire Conference for a third year in a row. We love having the opportunity to play with camp directors from all over the Southeast and sharing with them the benefits of juggling and skill toys for their campers. Below you will find a brief summary of our offerings for Summer Camps.

Staff Trainings: Our sessions emphasize themes such as leadership and team work while providing skills that camp staff could use with campers all summer long.

• One-Day Visits: A one-day visit can consist of a performance followed by hands-on juggling or skill toy workshops for campers ages 9 and older.


• Week-Long Specialty Camps: Juggling, Magic, and Balloon Sculpting or Juggling and Skill Toys camps are available for your campers. 3-5 day camps available.


• Juggling & Skill Toy Kits: Durable containers filled with a variety of skill toys or 20 sets of juggling balls provide your campers with the tools needed to juggle all summer long.

Our programs provide a novel, active, and engaging addition to your camp offerings that will form lasting memories for your campers. No one forgets where they first learned how to juggle and they will be psyched to show family and friends when they get home from camp. Our summer schedule is filling fast - contact Dawn at dawn@flowcircus.com or (919)604-3462 to check availability.



Youth Leadership Program: The Wake Forest Chamber of Commerce recently launched Youth Leadership Wake Forest - a program for high school sophomores and juniors in the community. The program's mission is to develop a corps of informed, committed, and competent youth motivated to learn more about the community, assume leadership roles in school, and become more involved in civic, cultural, philanthropic, and economic development organizations.

Flow Circus was invited to conduct a team building session to kick-off the program in a playful, interactive way. Our 90 minute session involved learning basic balloon twisting skills and then having fun with the teens! Balloon dog assembly lines faced different challenges that elicited discussion about the qualities of good team work. Groups then worked creatively to produce a 30 second commercial using balloons to highlight the various benefits of living in the town of Wake Forest. Visit our blog to see their results.

We were impressed by this group of teens and enjoyed adapting our professional development session for this group. To learn more about our programs visit the Professional Development page of our website.



Upcoming Tours: We have decided to keep this as a regular feature of our newsletters so you can keep up to date on when we will be in your area. These dates have been updated since the last newsletter.

February 13-25: Northeast Tour (NY, NJ, PA)
March 2-4: Northern Virginia and Maryland
March 10-13: South Carolina & Western NC Tour
April 18-25: Northeast Tour (NY, NJ, PA)
Summer 2011: Visit our blog for details

We are continually adding new tours to this schedule so feel free to contact us about setting up a tour in your area. To book a Flow Circus performance/workshop or schedule a tour in your region, contact Dawn at dawn@flowcircus.com or (919) 604-3462.