Alex Frith

CEO

Course Tuition: Bungee, Wall Running, Acrobatics, Dance and Performance Skills

Originally from Australia, Alex Frith trained as a professional dancer at The Victorian College of the Arts in Melbourne and performed throughout the country for five years before putting down his ballet shoes and moving to London in 1998. Joining The Central School of Speech and Drama and The Circus Space he expanded his skills to include acting, acrobatics, aerial, stilt walking and clowning. This gained him a place at The Millennium Dome as an ensemble performer for the coveted Central Show where his main skill was bungee stilts at 40 metres!!

In 2001 he set up “AirCraft Circus”, his aerial acrobatic theatre company at The Hangar in Stratford which he built and ran with Nik Litton. Relocated in 2008, (after being bulldozed for the 2012 Olympics), the phoenix rose from the ashes as “The Hangar Arts Trust”, a circus and theatre training space in Greenwich, South East London. He is Creative Director of AirCraft Circus and Chairman of The Hangar Arts Trust.

Alex has experience in stilt and conventional puppet-building and is constantly working on a myriad of projects from eclectic creations to corporate events. Alex has consulted, choreographed and directed widely on many large projects including the Lord of the Rings in the West End and Canada, City of Dreams with Dragone, The Shakespeare Globe, Motion House, Punch Drunk,The Royal Opera House and Madame Pains Boudoir Circus. He is a specialist in flying performers for adverts, big scale theatre and circus.

Moira Campbell

Marketing Director

AirCraft Circus Trainer

Professional Aerialist

Moira Campbell, having completed her MA in Classics and Philosophy at Glasgow University founded the London film company “Wanton Muse” to write and produce feature length screenplays. Together with two close friends they soon realised that to get anything off the ground they would need to become producers, casting directors, finance whizzes and marketing executives in order to succeed. After 8 years and through sheer will, determination and hard work their feature film was produced as a UK/Spanish co-production. It went out on general release in the US, UK and Spain in 2009. Go catch “Little Ashes” on DVD now. It also won the 21st GLAAD media award for most “outstanding film” and if that doesn’t inspire you, the lead role of Salvador Dali is played by current Hollywood heartthrob Robert Pattinson!!!

Alongside film, her experience in business continued to overlap into her burgeoning passion for the aerial arts and she set up her own business teaching at various venues across London, including the original ‘Hangar’ and synergy centre in Oval. Moira’s ethos is that any student with enough passion, discipline and determination can become a circus artist. Moira herself started out relatively late with aerial training at the age of 24 and after studying at The Circus Space in London, she left her job in independent film to teach and perform full time. Fired up with the idea of bringing circus to all, in 2008, she officially joined the AirCraft Circus team at the new Hangar Arts Trust as Marketing Director and Programme Director. She also performs as an aerialist at festivals, nightclubs, cabarets, shows and corporate events. Alongside her passion for circus, Moira travelled to India to train intensively as an Akhanda Yoga teacher, so inspired she later name her baby girl India-Rose.

Lucy Francis

Financial Director

Professional Aerialist & Acrobat

Head AirCraft Circus Trainer & Choreographer

Before Circus, Lucy originally trained as a Gymnast, Sports Acrobat and Dancer in Norfolk, and was a National competitor for most of her teens. Aged 18, she received a degree in Sport & Exercise Science at Beckett Park Campus (Leeds Metropolitan University). She became the British Masters Diving Champion for both 1m & 3m spring board in 1998 and completed the set with a gold for platform in 1999. From Leeds she moved to London to train Theatre Practice focusing on aerial circus skills and acrobatics, in preparation for the Millennium Dome Central Show 2000. Since this aerial spectacular, Lucy has trained and performed many different circus aerial and acrobatic acts around the world including Flying Trapeze & Cradle (Double Trouble, The Flying Dudes), Swinging Trapeze (Manumission, Ibiza), Acrobalance (Mika Paris) Hand balancing & Acrobatics (Royal Opera House, Royal Albert Hall), Trampoline, Doubles Trapeze, Hoop & Silks (Numerous corporate events, stage shows and galas).

Alongside her performing Lucy is also a circus trainer and choreographer with over 10 years experience across a wide range of ages and disciplines. Lucy was one of the Aerial and Acrobatic Trainers for the Degree, Adult, Youth, Corporate and Intro Day programmes at The Circus Space for 8 years and is now the Head Trainer for AirCraft Circus.

Nik Litton

Technical Director

Course Tuition: Equilibristics, Acrobatics, Acrobalance and Rigging

Born and raised in Manchester, Nik spent most of his youth studying squash. In his late 20’s Nik decided it was time to take life a little more seriously and actually get himself a degree… in Circus!

Nik moved to London in 1999 to attend the first ever ‘Circus Degree’ at The Circus Space in Hoxton. It was here where he met his now wife Lucy Francis, and they formed a cradle and acrobalance duo. During the summer season of 2002 they performed with The Flying Dudes as part of their flying trapeze spectacle.

Nik continued to perform over the next few years, also adding a Kids Clown Show to his repertoire, alongside teaching and rigging. He has performed for Prince Charles, in the Royal Opera House, P&O’s Arcadia launch show, taught many celebrities how to fly.

He was a teacher for the London Youth Circus and Corporate programme at The Circus Space 2002 – 2009 and he has been rigging Circus since 2001.

Kate Hart

Kate trained at Arts Educational. Since graduating she has worked in all areas of the business from radio, TV, film, video, repertory, touring theatre and TIE. An interest in circus led her to training and working as an aerialist, incorporating it into her theatre work wherever possible and she now performs regularly at event parties for the Bourne and Hollingsworth group. She has also co-formed her own company Static Moves and is a casual teacher at The Circus Space. Kate now works mainly in the field of educational and physical site specific performance. Her work can be seen at many of the London museums including National Maritime, Museum of London, Science, Imperial War and London Transport Museum as well as in schools all over the country.

Fiona Lait

Fiona performs on silks, rope and hoop for corporate events, theatrical productions, private parties, award ceremonies, galas, film and TV. Initially trained in classical ballet and music, she also studied physical theatre with Philippe Gaulier and literature at Cambridge University, before training as an aerialist at The Circus Space. Based in London, she has taught aerial skills to a wide range of ages and backgrounds, both in classes and private lessons, at The Circus Space, BTS Project, community projects, and now for Aircraft Circus.

Katie Hardwick

Katie first graced the circus stage at Glastonbury Festival aged six! A few years later she joined the children’s classes at The Circus Space in London. Using her gymnastics, theatre and brief ballet training, she learned the basics of circus skills and began her performing and teaching careers.  Katie performed and trained with Swamp Circus, performing aerial and acrobatics acts in summer shows and at various events around England. Katie has taught balance, acrobatics and aerial skills in secondary schools, to the youth circus and on a 16+ intensive course.

Amy Panter

Hoop, Silks, Static & Rope

Dance trained from a young age Amy transferred her ballet skills from the stage to the back of a horse, taking up the sport of Equestrian Vaulting at the age of twelve. Representing Britain at a national, European and International level cemented her love of performance and she went onto train as an aerialist at The Circus Space, specialising in Aerial Hoop.

Amy now performs all over Britain and Europe performing hoop, rope, harness, solo and synchronised silks, her work ranging from cabaret and theatre to corporate and private functions. Having been an aerial teacher for three years Amy can teach a range of aerial skills including Hoop, Silks, Rope and static trapeze.

Roisin Morris

Roisin Morris is an Irish circus artist specialising in swinging trapeze. She is a graduate of The Circus Space in London, where she obtained a first class honours degree in Circus Arts and was awarded “Student of the Year” in 2009.

Roisin trained as a women’s artistic gymnast for 17 years, competing in international events including the Youth Olympics (1997), and winning the Irish National Individual title for two years running (1999, 2000). She has completed a FETAC certificate in Dance, encompassing classical, contemporary, jazz and hip-hop styles, and musical theatre. She has also done a variety of stage and film work.

In her trapeze act Roisin combines an explosive, energetic style with an emotive connection to the audience. The result is a dynamic performance, fusing highly technical acrobatic skills with graceful, fluid movement, exposing a world of fun, pleasure and excitement. One of the highlights of Roisin’s career to date was her graduating solo performance for the Circus Space, “Carpe Diem”.

Roisin’s other performance experience includes:
•    Heidi Rustgaard’s ‘Say What you like’, the opening of the ‘Watch this space’ festival in Theatre Square at The National Theatre, July 2009;
•    Mitch Mitchelson’s ‘When We Were Here Together’ – solo and ensemble circus performances 2009, The Circus Space;
•    Swinging trapeze solo performance, ensemble movement performance, ‘Turning Point’  Festival, The Roundhouse, Camden May 2009;
•    Robin Dingemans’ ‘Premieres’ – A live circus performance, ensemble and solo production 2008;
•    Shelly Love ‘The Forgotten Circus’ – short film 2008;
•    Mick Barnfather ‘Heaven & Hell’ – live Circus ensemble performance 2007, The Circus Space.