May 2009 Newsletter

Greetings from Paul

Twist & Earn! @ Your Library
Synergy Conference
Best Buy Grant
Flow Circus Fan Page on Facebook!
Summer & Fall Bookings

Twist & Earn! - Tween & Teen Library Workshop

 

 Teens and tweens at Fair Haven branch library in New Haven, CT learned how to Twist & Earn! during National Library Week. After learning basic balloon twisting skills and participating in a high-energy team building exercise, kids had the opportunity to Express Yourself @the Library making balloon hats. Some were big and some small, but all were very colorful!

These teens with the guidance of their wonderful teen librarian will be able to continue to twist balloons in their community to raise money, do community service, and advocate on behalf of the library.

Visit our photo gallery for more pictures of their wonderful creations.

National Library Week Tour

 

Flow Circus recently visited libraries in Connecticut to celebrate National Library Week. Danbury Public Library, Edith Wheeler Memorial Library, and North Haven Library were fabulous audiences for Paul's antics!

Visit our photo gallery to see more pictures from the tour. Feel free to post a comment on out blog if you were at one of the shows.

He will be returning to Connecticut in August - so check with your local library to see when he will be encouraging your community to Be Creative @Your Library

Connecting Cultures through Skill Toys

Flow Circus is currently conducting a six visit residency at the Chapel Hill High School's Newcomer Student Center. The center provides 21 high school and 15 middle school ESL students with a smaller classroom environment to help with the transition to US language and culture. The majority of the students are refugees from Burma and have spent time in Thai refugee camps before coming to the US. The English language skills of the students range, but they all understand the language of play!

 

So far we have introduced juggling, flower sticks, diabolo, and yo-yo. It has been wonderful to see the expression of joy and accomplishment as students get the basic flow of the prop or master new tricks. The objective of our residency which was arranged by the Durham Arts Council is to provide the students with a hands-on activity that will allow them to be creative, build self-esteem, and provide a new tool to create cross-cultural interaction with other students at the school. We are looking forward to an upcoming session when the students are going to introduce us to the Burmese game of Chinlon - a game in which a woven rattan ball must be kept off the ground at all times and hit over a net using only ones head, legs, and feet.

 

Skill toys provide a fun, playful way to engage all students in a discussion about history and culture. For more information about skill toys visit our website.

 

Be Creative - Summer 2009 Schedule

Flow Circus will be busy again this summer, but we do still have a few openings left in our summer tours and camps. Please see the calendar below for when we will be in your state and contact Dawn to check our availability at dawn@flowcircus.com or (919) 604-3462.

                        Week of June 1st: Alabama Library Tour

                        Week of June 8th: North & South Carolina Libraries

                        Week of June 15th: North Carolina Library Tour

                        June 22-24: North Carolina Library Tour

                        June 25-26: Mid Atlantic State Tour (MD & PA)

                        June 30-July 3: York County, SC  - Library Tour

                        Week of July 6th: Beginning Juggling, Magic, & Balloon camp at Cary Academy Summer Quest

                        Week of July 13th: North Carolina Library Tour

                        July 20-23: Fairfax County, VA  - Library Tour

                        July 24th: North Carolina Library Tour

                        Week of July 27th: Juggling, Magic, & Balloon camp at Cary Academy Summer Quest

                                                     Advanced Juggling, Magic, & Balloon camp at Cary Academy Summer Quest

                        Week of August 3rd: Connecticut Library Tour

                        Week of August 10th: New York & Pennsylvania Library Tour

   

             

April 2009 Newsletter

Greetings from Paul - Worlds Connect @ Your Library
Jugglers, Jesters, & Fools
Connecting Cultures through Skill Toys
Adult Workshops - Connecting to Our Inner Child!
Summer Update - It's Not Too Late

NC Summer Reading Program Workshops

Flow Circus had the opportunity to conduct skill toy workshops for NC librarians this week at Summer Reading Program workshops in Salisbury and Pittsboro. We introduced a variety of props, and then let the participants develop their own skills with Japanese Kendama and Flower Sticks.

We enjoyed the playful energy in both groups and look forward to bringing juggling and skill toys to libraries across NC!

After the workshops, Paul performed as part of the Performer's Showcase. Click here for more pictures from the workshop and performance.