Flying in Summer -The Velocity Project

By Francesca Horsley

This summer when many young people were basking on the sand or catching waves at the beach, 30 young Aucklanders were having fun in a different way - hanging out at The Auckland Performing Arts Centre (TAPAC). At any given point they would be swinging from a trapeze, practising dance moves or honing their acting skills. And they had a ball.

They were taking part in the Velocity Project - an initiative between visiting Cirque du Soleil and the Performing Arts School of New Zealand. Masterminded and produced by powerhouse Wendy Preston, the project involved two weeks of aerial acrobatics, trapeze, theatre techniques and choreography for a cross-section of Auckland's youth.

The original call came from the Cirque headquarters in Montreal, who contacted TAPAC with an initiative to set up a youth in difficulty programme to run alongside their visit to Auckland over the summer. Cirque offered to fund the project by providing 200 free premiere Reserve tickets to its circus extravaganza Quidam.

Wendy wanted the project to reflect current issues facing young Aucklanders - and particularly the recent growth in immigration that has changed the city's cultural mix. She was delighted when Cirque supported her idea to actively encourage positive social interaction between Auckland's youth, while still having a youth at risk element.

Selected schools, theatre and dance groups and youth programmes were invited to put forward young people for audition. Thirty were chosen, aged 13 to 20 from different cultural and social backgrounds, and suburbs in Auckland.

"So we had one of the group who was dropped off in a Merc from the North Shore and another by a social worker tracker from South Auckland. Everyone loved being with people of such difference - hanging out with kids from the other side of town - and realising that they were all similar."

Before the project could take off, the tickets had to be used as a springboard for sponsorship. Wendy developed a package that included a showing of the Velocity Project, a meal at TAPAC and then a limo ride to watch the Quidam show.

"It was hard, hard work, selling those 200 tickets and a steep learning curve having to pitch these community core values. Everyone loved the idea, but buying the tickets was another story. But I was really committed and passionate about the whole concept of the project."

Once the tickets were sold the project steamed ahead. Wendy assembled three theatre directors - Margaret-Mary Hollins, Kate Parker and Lynne Cardy from Pandemonium Theatre, choreographer Moss Patterson and Circus Directors from Kiwi Kids Circus Mike and Bronwyn Baker. They all occupied their own space - the dance studio, the theatre and outdoors for the trapeze rigging. The young people, divided into groups of ten, spent sessions each day with the three disciplines.
And just to make sure it all went smoothly a counsellor dropped by each evening to talk through the day's events.

The young people were treated to two performances of Quidam - a dress rehearsal and later in January another performance, and were taken backstage to meet the performers.

The emphasis was on process not product, but the workshop culminated in a showing - for both family and the Quidam show goers - which proved a creative and logistical challenge.

"The creative team were wonderful, their skill and creativity made a brilliant team. I trusted their ability to just grab the ball and make an exciting, interesting performance. They walked that line and created really fantastic works."

For Wendy there was no doubting the success of the project. "There were many big plusses, let alone the performance side of it. At this age range the young people are working at such an emotional level that when they get opportunities like this, it is just amazing."

"We had kids from youth at risk, the usual classic scenario - Dad's in prison, Mum's a prostitute, been living on the streets - who had never done anything like this before, ever."

"Circus work was new, so there was a lot of fear. To get up on a trapeze requires huge trust and many of them had to overcome real obstacles. Getting over and beyond that and moving on to somewhere else - it had real power. You can't put a price tag on that."

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