June 2011 Newsletter

Greetings from Flow Circus
Juggling & Skill Toy Kits
Kendama Kokoro Project
Fall Conferences
2011-2 School Year
Grant for Camps or Parks & Rec
Upcoming Tours

Greetings from Flow Circus: Summer is finally here! After months of planning, we are ready to hit the ground running next week with summer camp staff trainings and our first Summer Reading Program library tour in Alabama. Paul is excited to perform this summer's show One Toy, Many Stories and to share his love of juggling and skill toys with families throughout the East Coast.

If you are looking for fun activities for the programs you are planning or for your own kids this summer, be sure to check out FlowCircusKids.com. Looking forward to seeing many of you this summer.

Playfully yours,
Paul & Dawn



Juggling & Skill Toy Kits: As you add the finishing touches to your Summer Reading Program activities or begin to plan for your Fall programs, consider challenging your tweens and teens with skill toys! We are excited to announce that Flow Circus Skill Toy Kits and Juggling Kits are now available for sale. The kits contain the materials needed to start and maintain a tween/teen club at your organization.

Skill Toy Kit - 4 Japanese kendamas, 4 sets of flower sticks, 4 diabolos, 4 chatter rings, 4 spinning plates, instructional books, DVDs, and Flow Circus Program Guide.

Juggling Kit - 20 sets of juggling balls, a set of juggling rings, a set of juggling clubs, instructional book, DVD, and Flow Circus Program Guide.

Both kits include instructional DVD's featuring Paul taking you through the steps to learn the prop, problem solve for improvement, set goals to achieve new heights, and create routines to showcase new talents. The 65 page program guide that comes with both kits includes research about the benefits of skill toys, instructional sections to help you facilitate club sessions, activity ideas (i.e. a skill toy bingo card and 60 second challenges), and other resources to make planning easy. As one camp director recently wrote: This program guide is amazing! Good work and great customer service!"

For more information about the kits, visit our website or contact dawn@flowcircus.com.



Kendama Kokoro Project: Shortly after the March 11th tsunami hit Japan, Paul had an idea. With the help of performers from AcroEntertainment, we created the Kendama Kokoro project. Paul has always loved the design of the Japanese kendama, the cup and ball like toy currently popular in Japan. We decided that it would be a perfect tool to draw awareness to and raise money for tsunami recovery efforts. We invited 20 artists to take unfinished kendamas and paint them. The only guidance we gave was that the kendamas should still be able to be played. The results are amazing!



They will be auctioned off at an event on June 23rd at the Mahler Gallery in Raleigh. Take a moment to look at the art work created by clicking on the artist pages listed here or visiting the Kendama Kokoro Facebook page.

Feel free to use these images to inspire colorful and creative new fundama designs with your kids. For questions about the project or upcoming auction, contact paul@flowcircus.com or (919) 426-9157.



Fall Conferences: Flow Circus has been selected to present at the Pennsylvania Library Association Annual Conference and the American Camping Association - Southeastern Conference this fall. We will introduce attendees at both conferences to Fundama: A DIY Skill Toy Program. In addition, camp staff at the ACA Southeastern Conference can attend Juggling: Throwing Up & Creating Buzz.

Visit our newly designed Professional Programs webpage for descriptions of these and other sessions. Feel free to contact us if you would like Flow Circus to participate in your upcoming conference or professional development training.



2011-2 School Year: As one school year ends, we know that PTA officers and teachers are already planning for next fall. Flow Circus can help you kick off your school year with Read Yourself Silly, a playful juggling and magic show that encourages your students to visit the library to learn new skills. Excellent fit for Parents As Reading Partners in-school assemblies or Literacy Nights. Increase your PTA membership by hosting a Family Night performance followed by Skill Toy Play Stations where parents and students can play with skill toys that Paul uses in his show. Promotional materials are provided for evening performances.



Above is our latest postcards for Flow Circus school shows. Contact dawn@flowcircus.com with an address if you would like us to send one to you or your child's school. Or call (919) 604-3462 to check availability.



Grant for Camps or Parks & Rec: The Finish Line Youth Foundation supports organizations providing opportunities for youth participation in youth athletic programs and camps that promote active lifestyles. Grants range from $1000-5000 and applications are accepted on a rolling basis. Visit the Finish Line website for guidelines and application information.

If you are interested in applying to this or any other grant to bring Flow Circus Juggling or Skill Toy Kits to your organization, contact dawn@flowcircus.com or (919) 604-3462. She will send you a more in depth description of the program objectives and impact.

We will keep an eye out for other grants for library, school, afterschool and camp programs and share them with you in upcoming newsletters.



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.

Summer 2011:
June 7-10: Alabama (Birmingham area)
June 13-18: North Carolina
June 20-24 (mornings & evenings): Raleigh, NC area (*recently added)
June 25-July 1: New Jersey & New York
July 5-9: Maryland & North Carolina
July 11-15: North & South Carolina
July 18-22: New Jersey, New York, & Pennsylvania
July 25-29 (evenings only): Raleigh, NC area
August 3-19: Pennsylvania, New York, & Connecticut

Fall Tour Schedule:
September 13-15: Coastal South Carolina
September 19-22: Tampa, FL
October 3-7: Northeast Tour
October 11-13: Northern Virginia/Maryland
October 26-November 2nd: Northeast Tour

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.