Learning circus skills unites youngsters of all backgrounds in Belfast and confronts the ghetto mentality, writes Susan McKay

'It's great," says Emma Wallace. "You see people falling off things and you have a good laugh and you make really good friends. It's fun." Then the 13-year-old from Lisburn, Co Antrim falls off her stilts and she and her friends fall about laughing. Louis McDonald, also 13, juggles expertly in a corner. "My family is moving to New Zealand soon and they are big into the performing arts there, so I hope I can make this my life," he says.

It's the first night of this year's weekly practice session for Lisburn's Community Circus, and the studio at the Island Arts Centre is a noisy swirl of jugglers, unicyclists and stiltwalkers.

"There had been circus groups in Lisburn for several years, but it was when we all took part in an extravaganza in 2001 that we decided it was just so brilliant we shouldn't let it go, so from then on we've all worked together," says youth leader Ita McNally. There are 48 children aged from eight to 14 in the circus, and there is a waiting list to join.

Tutor Anita Woods has no problem getting the teenagers in the group to run around pretending to be polar bears chasing younger boys and girls pretending to be penguins, nor getting them to reverse the roles. Big 14-year-olds leap from iceberg to iceberg, squeaking and waddling, pursued by a small but fierce bear.

"Circus groups mix well, regardless of sex, class, gender, age and religion," says Woods. She is employed by Belfast's Community Circus School, which this year celebrates its 20th anniversary.

Getting cross-community activities going in Lisburn, a deeply divided town that has seen much sectarian violence, is no mean feat.

"Circus doesn't belong. It isn't owned by one side or the other," says Woods. "There is an element of uniting, pulling together. It is great for building social skills. Trust is a key thing. You have to be able to trust other performers literally with your life."

As she speaks, there is a cheer, as a little girl makes it across the room on her unicycle without falling off. She jumps up and down, acknowledging the applause.

"Did you see that?" she yells. "Was that fantastic or what?" "Small girls nowadays," sniffs an older boy, but he's clapping, too.

"There's always an element of danger and risk, and some of the boys who come here particularly like that. It is great for their confidence," says Woods. "You maybe get kids who aren't doing too well at school, and they come here and they find something that makes them feel good about themselves. You teach by success. You start with small steps and you make it a brilliant experience for them. There is always another level to move on to and so you are always motivated. There is a lot of negativity in the Northern Irish education system, and in Northern Ireland generally. There is this thing of always putting yourself down, and other people, too. Circus is all very positive."

CIRCUS STARTED AS a hobby for Woods. She did a degree in social policy and information management, but was working as a home help when the chance came to do an advancement course with Belfast Community Circus School.

Now, as well as training young people, she is part of a "sequin-oriented" double act called Circus Sparkle, along with Simon Llewellyn. Wearing "bad Las Vegas cruise-ship type costumes", they do their acrobatic and aerial act as part of street shows and also take it to night clubs and corporate events.

The school has just brought out a big, bright book about its history. This was compiled by journalist Laura Haydon, whose husband, Will Chamberlain, is the school's director. Chamberlain pays tribute to the "few visionaries" who set the school up back in 1986, when Belfast was still in its dark days.

"Mike Moloney from Australia met Donal McKendry from here when they were both teaching community drama in the Short Strand," he says. "They realised that drama couldn't compete with rioting. Circus on the other hand had excitement and an element of risk which made it more appealing."

The school grew from there, setting up groups all over Belfast and beyond, mainly with marginalised young people.

"We promote excellence but we are also looking at the social and personal development of young people," says Chamberlain. "We prioritise areas of high social need which have a lack of access to the arts. We do single- identity and cross-community work. We are in the middle of a three-year project in north Belfast called Circus of the North."

They've had to confront Belfast's ghetto mentality. "It has been a big psychological barrier to get young people to come out of north Belfast and into the city centre, but that is happening. We have the only dedicated circus training space in Ireland," says Chamberlain.

This is in what is now known as Belfast's Cathedral Quarter. When the Circus School moved there, it was still largely derelict. They restored an old warehouse, and now have a fine performance and rehearsal area with big, high ceilings and the best of equipment.

THE SCHOOL HAS had funding from many sources, including the Arts Council, Belfast City Council, the Youth Council and from the various peace funds. As well as the Lisburn Circus, there is the Portadown one, which is also a remarkably successful cross-community project.

The school puts on an annual Festival of Fools and a range of other events, but many of those it trains work in small troupes or as individual artistes. There isn't a strong link with the traditional touring family circuses.

"Not to take away from the traditional ones, which go for one act followed by another, the people who gravitate toward us are looking for a more creative style, a magical fusion of circus and aerial skills and dance," says Chamberlain.

"The tradition of circus as a big international family continues, though. We now have people trained here who are performing all over the world."

When the Circus came to town: celebrating 20 years of the Belfast Community Circus School is available from the school at 048-90236007