Leaky Heaven Circus: artful revolution with a red nose

Not everybody in Vancouver dreams of running away with the circus, at least not until they see a Leaky Heaven Circus production. Outrageous, provocative and endlessly inventive, the ensemble has earned the admiration of critics and audiences alike for its witty and stimulating meld of circus and theatre. And in this case, running away is as simple as stepping into the wonderfully weird world that Leaky Heaven creates.

Behind the red nose…
Founded in 1999 by a few like-minded Vancouver theatre actors and writers, the award-winning company has always combined popular traditions -- such as commedia, clown, circus arts, melodrama and cabaret -- with so-called “high” forms to create unique vehicles for to exploring cultural, social and regional issues. Whether inspired by Shakespeare and classic parables, the animal kingdom or life itself, the end results are original multi-disciplinary spectacles that challenge the mind, fuel the imagination and celebrate the human spirit.

The company’s roots in the Canadian social movements and theatre experiments of the late 20th century are also evident in its work, as is the influence of 19th century philosophers, cultural theorists and the great physical theatre artists, such as Jacques LeCoq. Shows are designed to be challenging for adults, yet accessible to children: platforms for giddy joy and inspired curiosity that don’t hesitate to tackle the big and difficult questions.

Here, there and everywhere, but rooted in East Vancouver
Touted by the Georgia Straight as "...possibly the next best thing to have happened to Commercial Drive since the invention of espresso," Leaky Heaven regularly partners with local venues, presenting productions at the Vancouver East Cultural Centre, the Chan Centre for the Performing Arts at UBC, the Vancouver International Children’s Festival and the Vancouver Folk Festival. More recently, Leaky Heaven flew open the flaps on its own big top tent in the heart of its East Vancouver neighbourhood for 2004’s Ziggurat!. The Russian Hall has become both a science lab for Bonobo! (2005) and a beer-parlour setting for Wilde’s tale of lust, murder and really bad parenting in 2006’s Salome.

The company typically produces one full-scale production annually, and to date has created eight mainstage shows: Salome;  Bonobo;  Ziggurat!; Birthday Boy: A Nativity Story; King Llyr; Conference of the Birds; Typhoon and Leaky Heaven Circus-Part One. 

Come one, come all
Leaky Heaven has always striven for a hybrid theatre practice that invites participation from a broad base of performers:  actors, musicians, circus artists, and philosophers of many ages.  Plus dogs. Using a collaborative process that draws on both individual experiences and the broader cultural traditions of all the artists involved in its productions, the company has since its earliest days worked with a committed collective of actors, circus artists, musicians, dancers, designers, technicians and writers. At last count, the number of artists associated with the ensemble was 41 adults, 16 children and 3 dogs, in addition to its core group of administrators and artistic staff.

Step right up!
Opportunities for trans-cultural expression and exchange through the development of inclusive, innovative and festive theatre practices are an integral part of Leaky Heaven’s work. To this end, the company is actively involved in numerous educational and community-building initiatives: mentorships for aspiring performers with its artistic staff; work opportunities for young artists; clown and mask workshops for the theatre community; and training programs for at-risk youth. 

Collaborations with other arts and community organizations locally and abroad are also high on its list, including the recent collaboration with Vancouver’s Proximity Lab on the happyland carnival, and past hosting of the Krepsko Theatre Company from the Czech Republic.

PRODUCTION PARTNERS
Leaky Heaven projects have received the generous material and financial assistance of many public and private partners.  Some ongoing and/or recent supporters include:

British Columbia Arts Council
Britannia Community Centre
Canada Council for the Arts
City of Vancouver
Department of Canadian Heritage-CHRC
Federation of Russian Canadians
Hamber Foundation
Human Resources and Development Canada
Leon and Thea Koerner Foundation
Mills Printing
Province of British Columbia
Vancouver Foundation

Leaky Heaven projects have also thrived with the support of an army of miraculous volunteers.  If you would like to participate as a volunteer go to our contact us page and enter Volunteer as the message subject.