THE NEED
Why it matters
Rural Isolation
and Low Income
SEND and
Neurodivergence
Poor Mental Health
Low Confidence
Exclusion from
Mainstream Ed & Activities
Limited access to affordable arts, career pathways, physical activity
WHAT WE DO
Our activities
Weekly Circus classes and Open Training
Free and subsidised Youth Circus
SEND and Neurodivergent
provisions
EOTAS and alternative routes to education
Holiday & Outreach activities
Performance, voluntary, and leadership opportunities
Progression to advanced and pre-professional training.
Artist support, Resources, and Creative Development
THE CIRK HES 'THEORY OF CHANGE'
Learn, train, perform - A centre for Circus in Cornwall
If people can learn, train and perform in an inclusive circus community, they are more likely to build the confidence, skills, resilience and relationships they need to thrive
HOW CHANGE HAPPENS
Our Theory of Change
Challenge
+
Creativity
+
Managed Risk
Belonging
Achievement
OUTCOMES
What changes
LONG TERM IMPACT
Our vision for change
SHORT TERM (0-1 year)
Greater enjoyment and engagement
Improved confidence and self esteem
Better Physical Literacy and Circus skills
Greater trust, communication, and connection, sense of identity, safety and belonging.
MEDIUM TERM (1-3 years)
Increased resilience / emotional regulation
More independence and responsibility
Sustained participation in positive activity
Better engagement with learning and community life
Leadership, volunteering, employability skills
Access to creative sector career pathways
Support for local and touring artists
LONG TERM (3-5 years)
Healthier happier more connected lives, stronger
more resilient communities
More children, young people, adults and artists can access Circus in Cornwall
Alternative routes to education, careers and creative sector employment
People are more
confident, capable and
connected
Greater access to
circus in Cornwall for
everyone
Participants progress
in education, creativity,
work and community
life
Inclusive circus helps
people shape healthier,
happier futures.
WHO WE ARE, AND WHY WE CREATED A CENTRE FOR CIRCUS IN CORNWALL
Cirk Hes is a diverse and inclusive circus charity in Cornwall, creating affordable, creative, and physically engaging opportunities for children, young people, adults and artists to learn circus skills, train safely, develop creatively, and perform with confidence.
Via inclusive, trauma informed, non-competitive circus practice, people build trust, discover their strengths and grow through trying, failing, improving and succeeding.
If people can learn, train and perform in an inclusive and diverse circus community, they are more likely to build the confidence, resilience, skills and relationships they need to thrive. Which in turn supports maintaining a thriving, creative, resilient wider community.
WELCOME TO CIRK HES AND OUR CENTRE TO LEARN, TRAIN AND PERFORM CIRCUS IN CORNWALL
OUR PURPOSE
To make the benefits of circus arts and physical theatre accessible to the people who need them the most, while supporting creativity, diversity, inclusion, progression and community in Cornwall. We strive to bring the physical, mental and social benefits of the Circus Arts and Physical Theatre to those who need such access the most. Also to support and nurture grassroots creative and community projects, to support emerging artists to greater professional development, and to support the wider circus industry.
Cirk Hes Channel 1
Masterclass with NoFitState Circus Image courtesy of Matthew Smith
You can find out more about our team and our work through our video channels number 1 is here on our home page, and you will find the second on our perform page here, and through our blog WASSON at Cirk Hes?
WHO WE ARE
Formerly 'Cirque du Ciel', 'Cirk Hes' has been a registered charity serving the Cornish community since 2003, using circus skill based activities and the creative performative arts. We began as a small stilt walking project in Penzance for young people.
In 2019 the charity leased and piloted a very unique space, the 'Circus Works Devoran' between Falmouth and Truro.
The same fantastic team then used that experience in 2024, to establish and develop the 'Cirk Hes' Circus Space in Helston, Cornwall, UK.
'Cirk Hes' means 'Shoal Circus' in Cornish.
'Cirk Hes' is Cornwall's only regional 'Centre for Advanced Training' in the Circus Arts, as a partner school in the National CAT Scheme and the National Centre for Circus Arts cohort.
With high quality, industry standard facilities, and high safety standards, 'Cirk Hes' will continue to grow the charity's activities, which focus on positive personal, social and community development, and, facilitating the teaching; the training; the creation; the professional development, and the performing of the Circus Arts and Physical Theatre in Cornwall.
Please Consider Supporting Our Work Via A Donation
Thank you
We have a lot of appreciation for all the fantastic community support and funders who have helped us to deliver an amazing body of work since 2003. To everyone that has helped us achieve so much, that has supported us, volunteered for us, funded us (you can see who in our footer), fundraised for us, and that has taken us into their hearts, MEUR RAS!
Our NextGen Youth Circus - Glastonbury Festival Big Top 2025 snap courtesy of Rosi Jolly
EVALUATING OUR WORK SINCE OUR RELOCATION
WEEKLY TIMETABLE & SPECIAL EVENTS
You can book any of our sessions through our Class Calendar or see Memberships and Pricing for more information.
Looking for more specialist training or interested in events we produce? You can find upcoming events on our Event Page, find out more about our work by browsing Past Events. Feel free to contact us, we'll be happy to discuss what we can offer you.
Most sessions continue during the school holidays. Please consult the calendar on our 'What's On and Booking' page for the day you want to book, for any holiday changes. To see, and book all sessions available on any given day click the 'SHOW ALL SESSIONS TODAY' text beneath the calendar.
Old favourites like Wednesday afternoon (4pm) after school SEND kids session 'CIRCO NEURO' have returned. We also have new sessions and workshops popping up here and there, so keep your eye to our 'Event's' page, and our calendar, for news of upcoming new sessions, workshops, masterclasses, performances and other exciting opportunities coming soon.
Our new timetable shown here is valid from September 2026 onward.
Our NextGen Youth Circus 3 High at the Great Estate Festival 2025
snap courtesy of Quick Panda Productions
Circus with Professional Tutors
A circus school teaching beginner to expert skills to all ages and abilities from 2 to 102 in Helston, Cornwall.
Concession Scheme: We offer discount classes for people on low incomes during term time and free placements during school holiday programs. See our bookings page for full details.
Cirk Hes is Cornwall's only regional 'Centre for Advanced Training' in the Circus Arts, as a partner school in the National 'CAT' scheme and the National Centre for Circus Arts cohort.
We are 'Approved Providers' for young people with an EHCP with an EOTAS package.
We support completing Arts Awards course work, and Duke of Edinburgh Awards challenges.
We offer Work Experience opportunities to young people who are home educated, or still at school or college.
We even have our own in house certification and training programme, that's flexible, so everyone can achieve at their own pace.
We can also bring the circus to you with our circus acts, shows and workshops ,and through our Outreach Program. Get in touch for more details: info.cirkhes@gmail.com
Not sure what your looking for?
Learning circus skills can be categorised into the five circus disciplines. Learn why and what we teach with social circus here.
One of the best things about the circus arts is that there is something for everyone to enjoy, no matter who you are, or how able you are, or feel yourself to be.
To find out more about our accessible resources, provisions and facilities, visit our page accessibility
A practice and creation Space for the community, and for emerging artists to professional companies
Just some of our facilities
-
Aerial (including dynamic, static and Swinging Trapeze)
-
Counter Weighting, Cloud Swing
-
Training safety lines, acrobatic belts and twisting, and rigging harnesses
-
Aerial Pole, Silks, Rope, Hoop, Spanish Web, Net, Solo and Duo Trapeze, Chandelier, Aerial Cube, Double Trapeze
-
Trampoline
-
2 metre high Tightwire
-
German Wheel
![20250311_154955[1].jpg](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/9b98d9_013fb71623be4a2eb4c1048ac277ffe1~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_214,h_280,al_c,q_80,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,enc_avif,quality_auto/20250311_154955%5B1%5D.jpg)
Open Training
Flexible training times over six days a week for members. See membership and timetable for full details.
Creative and Artistic Residencies
Available for companies to train, rehearse create or develop new work with unique facilities. Here's a list where you can find out more about some of the incredibly talented folk that we have supported, resourced ,or enabled, to facilitate creative works, and specialist practice.
-
Rosie Rainbow Circus CIC
-
Charlie Bicknell
-
Tyrone Helihy
-
Ben Loader
-
Jon Udry
-
Kathrin Wagner
-
Michelle Ross
-
Sam Barnes
-
Eloise Currie
-
Leo Ward
-
Charlotte Greenstock
-
Katherine Glanville
-
Garryn Wiggins
-
Eden Le Vell
-
Aga Leonarda
-
Rachel Fox
-
Giant Arts CIC
Master Classes
Facilitating high level training for local artistic students and professionals with open master classes from UK wide leading tutors. Past visiting tutors have included:
-
Sarah Fielding
-
Rigging Southwest
Contact us to find out about upcoming master classes.
Cirk Hes Channel 2
Cirk Hes Channel 2
Act 1 Filth Oli Lambourne Straps @Glasto 2023 for Cirk Hes NextGen Circus
What our NextGen have to say
Act 2 Eco Park Show 2026
View our second channel to see and hear our participants, our service users, and our community
members talk about Cirk Hes, and see some of our performers in action.
Here at Cirk Hes we produce our own events, premiere new creative works, offer showcases, and support creative 'grassroots' projects. We strive to nuture young performers along the pathway to becoming well rounded, talented artists, and compassionate, grounded adults.
We offer locally based and touring, creatives and professionals space to R & D, rehearse or 'pilot' creative works, to obtain feedback, assess viability, to support their development and their regular, or their new creative practice.
As a result of all this, we have developed an extensive network of creatives, artists, production specialists and crew, mentors and educators, to support performative opportunities, career development, and employment. Check our social media channels for upcoming events or get in touch to find out how we can help you with your creative work, with venue, resources, production or event needs.
At Cirk Hes you can access...
-
Circus training, rehearsal, research and development and performance in Cornwall, UK
-
Accessible parking and a wheelchair friendly building, toilet, and aerial circus equipment
-
Marketing and ticketing support
-
Free Hot Desk and access to Wifi for Creative Industry Freelancers
-
Learning circus skills in Cornwall, UK
-
Performance, volunteering, work experience and career development opportunities
-
Aerial Silks, Trapeze, Hoop, Rope, Wall Running classes in Helston, Cornwall, UK
-
Circus Clubs for kids in Helston, Cornwall, UK
-
Regular weekly sessions 50 weeks of the year including, home ed; after school; sessions for SEND, and Neurodivergent adults and young people; trampolining; parkour; Saturday morning circus; lunged acrobatics; acro balance; tightwire; equilibristics; spinning; juggling and flow arts; all manner of aerial circus; swinging trapeze; cloud swing and wall running.
-
Group and Private Classes for schools, clubs and organisations, young people, and adults, freelance workshops, birthday parties and corporate team builders, in Helston, Cornwall, UK
-
Support for your community, or outdoor event
-
Family-friendly circus events in Cornwall, UK
-
Trampolining, Parkour, Acrobatics and Acro Balance, Juggling, Hula Hooping, Equilibristics, Swinging Trapeze, Cloud Swing, Lunge Lines, Tight Wire and much much more
-
Safe Space
-
Cirk Hes is an 'Approved Provider' for Cornwall Council's EOTAS provision, and the Time2Move Holiday Activities and Food Programme
Cirk Hes
Circus Space
Cirk Hes
Unit F8,
Helston Business Park,
Clodgey Lane,
Cornwall,
TR13 8FZ
UK