Last week, first-year BTEC Dance students at Kingston College took to the skies in an exhilarating aerial workshop led by Tamsin Woodsmith of Cirque Du Chennai. Students explored trapeze and silks techniques, gaining hands-on experience in the dynamic world of aerial performance.
The workshop was part of a larger celebration hosted at the College’s ACT Theatre on Saturday 18 October, where Cirque Du Chennai marked its 10th anniversary with a spectacular show titled A Decade of Dreams, Daredevils & Dedication. The event raised over £1,000 for the Katie Hardwick Bursary, which supports disadvantaged young circus performers.
The show featured a vibrant mix of trapeze artistry, aerial skills, contortion, cabaret and comedy. Behind the scenes, the College’s talented BTEC Production Arts students worked tirelessly across a 10-hour day, managing technical rehearsals and delivering a seamless live production.
Cirque Du Chennai is a not-for-profit company that raises money for charitable causes through performance. This year’s show paid tribute to Katie Hardwick, a beloved figure in the circus community who passed away last year from adrenal cancer.
Tamsin Woodsmith shared: “I first started doing aerial circus skills with Katie and her sister Maddie 14 years ago. Katie was instrumental in helping me realise the dream of Cirque Du Chennai—it simply wouldn’t exist without her. I would most likely not be an aerialist if it wasn’t for her amazing circus school, Circus Suburbia, and the family she created there.”
Kingston College is proud to support creative collaborations that inspire students and raise awareness for meaningful causes.
