New section of Philly Fringe Festival features artists in a small but mighty community

PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — It may not be widely known, but Philadelphia is a bit of a destination for circus artists.

Many performers come here to train at schools like Circadium School of Contemporary Circus, Philadelphia School of Circus Arts, and Secret Circus Philly. And the mesmerizing talents that come out of circus training will be on full display at the Cannonball hub at Philadelphia’s Fringe Festival throughout September.

Cannonball was formed in 2021 when a group of artists from Almanac Dance Circus Theatre decided to pool resources during the Fringe Festival. Performances include dance, theater, activist art, and of course, various styles of circus.

The hub has grown from 28 shows at one venue to 120 shows across five venues. You can see plenty of tricks and spectacles, but Cannonball’s Program Manager Ben Grinberg says most of these shows are more intimate than the big top Barnum & Bailey Circus .

“Because all of our venues are really small, you get really close to these performers, and there are people who are using circus to say all kinds of different things, tell all kinds of different stories,” he said.

“There’s a really, I think, a beautiful thing that's happening in Philly and in other places in America right now, where we're kind of questioning what American contemporary circus can look like, and trying to investigate, what does circus have to say?”

Cannonball has several different models of resource sharing, including special tracks and stipends for shows in certain categories, like a Performance For Young Audiences Cohort and a BIPOC New Work Track.

This year, they’re introducing Black Circus Week from Sept. 6 through 11. Alyssa Bigbee, founder of Rebel Arts Movement and co-host of Black Circus Week, said BIPOC representation is sorely needed in circus.

“You're like, trying to find people who look like you, mostly because you want to learn how to do tricks, and you want to learn how to do it on your body because your body is shaped different,” she explained.

Bigbee said Black circus artists across the country have formed a small but mighty community and Black Circus Week is an opportunity for them to come together to connect, collaborate, and experience each others’ work.

“I really do in my heart feel like this is something that will be historic in a way,” she said. “The fact that it's happening in Philly, it’s just something so special about it.”

Cannonball shows and workshops are taking place at the Maas Building, Icebox Project Space, Liberty Lands, Christ Church Neighborhood House, and Pig Iron Studios until Sept. 29. You can find more information on the Cannonball website , which includes a “Trails” platform that recommends shows for you based on your interests.