Jun 22, 2026 · 31 min · 13 segments
In this episode, Pippin Remi, Executive Director, and Erin Adams, Marketing and Communications Manager, share the inspiring story of Women's Circus and its mission to create a supportive and inclusive…
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Pippin RemiGuest
Erin AdamsGuest
Claudia NankervisHostHow do you think that the circus skills, um, help people discover confidence and connection in themselves?
So for me personally, it was about, I guess, facing new challenges and then practicing them, things that you've- ... feel are totally unachievable, and then finding yourself being able to do those things.
And sometimes it takes quite a bit of time, but that gives you confidence outside of the circus classes because then when you're at work, or you're in your social life, or you're doing all sorts of other things in the world, you can apply that and you can go, "Oh, this looks really scary," and, "This looks like something I don't imagine I could ever," like, "I can't imagine I could ever do this." And then you're like, "Well, actually, if I give it a go and practice, I think that's achievable as well." So, that confidence really f- flows through, like, once you've embodied it, I think it's much easier to use that throughout the rest of your life.
So I feel, especially partner acrobatics is amazing for connecting with other humans, uh, because you have to trust someone, and they have to trust you.
You're often balancing on someone else's body, and so it's this really physical form of trust that, um, yeah, it runs really deep, and it means that you trust people and make friends a lot faster, I find, if I'm doing acrobatics with them than if I just met them at a, at a party or met them at work, or...
Once you've done circus with someone you're like, "Okay, I've stood on you, and you didn't drop me."
"And now we're friends." [laughs] So yeah, it's a really, it's a really good way to feel connected to people, and to trust people, and to feel that other people trust you.
There must be a million stories from Women's Circus for over 35 years, but I was wondering if you could share a s- a moment or a story from a member who's been impacted positively from being a part of Women's Circus?
Well, one of our members who we've been speaking to recently, Linda Wilson, she was one of our founding Women's Circus members back in 1991.
She joined our small project, and then was part of Women's Circus shows in the early '90s, and I think the experience of being part of the community and all those benefits that you get from doing social circus, like Erin just described, had such a, um, a profound impact on Linda as a person.
And she then went out and had this amazing career and life outside of Women's Circus, and I think maybe 30 years later, has, uh, just recently come back to rejoin the Women's Circus community.
And listening to her speak has been a really beautiful demonstration of what we aim for our community to be about, a- and Linda feeling like she was just welcomed back into the community with open arms, and is now training with us again, and, you know, going through those experiences of building trust and meeting new people, um, and having those shared experiences of social connection again as an older person.
Um, and now is gonna be performing with us in our end of year show this year, celebrating 35 years.
Um, so i- it's a beautiful, uh, Linda's story is a beautiful demonstration of, I guess, the, the impact that our community can have on someone, and, uh, what's so unique about it to be able to have that kind of impact, impact, and then draw someone back in, uh, and then be, to be welcomed 30 years later.
How do you think that the circus skills, um, help people discover confidence and connection in themselves?
So for me personally, it was about, I guess, facing new challenges and then practicing them, things that you've- ... feel are totally unachievable, and then finding yourself being able to do those things.
And sometimes it takes quite a bit of time, but that gives you confidence outside of the circus classes because then when you're at work, or you're in your social life, or you're doing all sorts of other things in the world, you can apply that and you can go, "Oh, this looks really scary," and, "This looks like something I don't imagine I could ever," like, "I can't imagine I could ever do this." And then you're like, "Well, actually, if I give it a go and practice, I think that's achievable as well." So, that confidence really f- flows through, like, once you've embodied it, I think it's much easier to use that throughout the rest of your life.
So I feel, especially partner acrobatics is amazing for connecting with other humans, uh, because you have to trust someone, and they have to trust you.
You're often balancing on someone else's body, and so it's this really physical form of trust that, um, yeah, it runs really deep, and it means that you trust people and make friends a lot faster, I find, if I'm doing acrobatics with them than if I just met them at a, at a party or met them at work, or...
Once you've done circus with someone you're like, "Okay, I've stood on you, and you didn't drop me."
"And now we're friends." [laughs] So yeah, it's a really, it's a really good way to feel connected to people, and to trust people, and to feel that other people trust you.
There must be a million stories from Women's Circus for over 35 years, but I was wondering if you could share a s- a moment or a story from a member who's been impacted positively from being a part of Women's Circus?
Well, one of our members who we've been speaking to recently, Linda Wilson, she was one of our founding Women's Circus members back in 1991.
She joined our small project, and then was part of Women's Circus shows in the early '90s, and I think the experience of being part of the community and all those benefits that you get from doing social circus, like Erin just described, had such a, um, a profound impact on Linda as a person.
And she then went out and had this amazing career and life outside of Women's Circus, and I think maybe 30 years later, has, uh, just recently come back to rejoin the Women's Circus community.
And listening to her speak has been a really beautiful demonstration of what we aim for our community to be about, a- and Linda feeling like she was just welcomed back into the community with open arms, and is now training with us again, and, you know, going through those experiences of building trust and meeting new people, um, and having those shared experiences of social connection again as an older person.
Um, and now is gonna be performing with us in our end of year show this year, celebrating 35 years.
Um, so i- it's a beautiful, uh, Linda's story is a beautiful demonstration of, I guess, the, the impact that our community can have on someone, and, uh, what's so unique about it to be able to have that kind of impact, impact, and then draw someone back in, uh, and then be, to be welcomed 30 years later.
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