Connecting communities to our artists, our shows, tour venues and to each other.

We work in up to seven places alongside our current touring shows, as part of our Arts Council-funded project called Touring Diverse Led Circus. The National Lottery Community Fund supports this project with a grant of approximately £200k over 3 years. Connecting Communities is led by Diverse City, one of Extraordinary Bodies’ parent companies.

Community groups get together with Extraordinary Bodies artists to play with themes and styles drawn from each of our shows. They share their creative storytelling through formats such as film, performance and audio.

Unexpected Leaders

At the same time, we nurture leadership in a small number of community members who, if the world was made differently, would have a voice in shaping our cultural life. These leaders are called Unexpected Leaders. We coach them to take up roles as evaluators, decision makers and communicators.

Connecting Communities also amplifies the value of community leadership and creativity nationally. We encourage groups to share skills across their networks, share learning about inclusive artistic practice with venue partners, and build community appetite for both engaging in and leading creative change.

You can find out more about this project through Diverse City’s website, and check out Touring Diverse Led Circus on ours.