Category Archives: Circus

A party that caters for all

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When it comes to organising a Christmas party, you want something that caters to all. Some will absolutely love the holiday season whilst a select few would rather it never arrived at all. Ensuring that you cater to every Christmas elf as well as to the Scrooge in your office can be a tricky balancing act but if you hire the best entertainment for Christmas parties, then you shouldn’t go too far wrong. Here are a few choice suggestions across numerous key entertainment genres!

Music Acts
What’s a party without a music? Well, it might be an event but it certainly won’t be a party. With this in mind, you have two options. Booking a function band for a Christmas party is a low-risk option because bands tend to play three sets over the course of your event. Any band worth their salt will be able to play a Christmas set once December arrives, or you could ask them to intersperse the pop and rock classics with an occasional hit from Slade’s back catalogue. Another approach is of course to go with a choir. Christmas carollers are ‘back in vogue’ this year and although you might not want to hear O Come, All Ye Faithful for the umpteenth time, there will undoubtedly be Christmassy renditions of more modern festive hits. Doing the party on a budget? A Christmas DJ is also a hugely entertaining option.

Dance Acts
When one thinks of dance at Christmas, it’s often a Winter Wonderland-inspired ballet, perhaps from Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker or Swan Lake. This truly is a beautiful form of entertainment that isn’t too Christmassy for those who’d prefer to stay in during the holiday season! Another stunning idea for booking a Christmas dance is to simply provide Christmas costumes for professional dancers. Whether you’re after Jack Frost or one of Santa’s elves, there are many ideas that could work together to create the ultimate Christmas party! Add in some fake snow and a few festive tunes and you have a Christmas party to remember!

Circus Acts
You might not immediately think of hiring circus entertainment when looking into hiring acts for your Christmas party, but these are fabulous acts to bear in mind. If you’re wanting to turn heads when guests first arrive, there are a whole host of Christmas themed stilt walkers available to hire. Whether you’re wanting a Snow Queen on stilts or even reindeer stilt walkers , there’s sure to be something that will fit in perfectly with the party you’re envisaging. This truly is one of the best pieces of entertainment for Christmas parties that has been extremely popular over the last few years so get in quick!
Ultimately, there are a variety of superb acts that are sure to fit in at your Christmas party so if you’re looking to make it the best ever, then make your choice from the entertainment acts on Red Masque and celebrate Christmas in style!

Who doesn’t love a juggler?

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Spark Fire Dance

What do you get if you combine acrobats with jugglers? As you might expect, the result is the wonderfully named Spark Fire dance, a pair of party entertainers who combine their sporty and athletic nature with the art of juggling. Juggling fire at one another a few metres apart to managing to swap when one person is on the other’s shoulders, there is nothing these circus performers can’t do!

Arron Sparks

A brand new act, Arron loves sharing and discovering new ideas. Many of which are connected by his interest in Yo-Yo, juggling, circus, skeptical thinking and performance.

He has set a few records juggling (yet to be beaten). Arron performs in lots of different shows all over the place, suitable for different party venues and occasions. Arron is sure to be a crowd pleaser for any occasion.

Chris Marley

When you think of booking a juggler for your event, you’re probably thinking of something very similar to Chris Marley. Able to juggle with a whole host of props from juggling balls to cubes and axes, you’re sure to be impressed by his ability! Having trained at the National Centre of Circus Arts, you can be safe in the knowledge that you have booked a true master for your event. A gentleman juggler with a contemporary twist, you can’t go wrong with Chris!

Contact jugglers

A little bit different to juggling in the traditional sense of the word, contact jugglers have an incredible ability to make balls apparently levitate in the air. Well, not ‘levitate’ exactly, but making it appears as though a silver ball or two has a weightless quality. Very difficult to describe but just as hard to ever forget, hiring a juggler is one of the finest decision an event planner can make if they want an unforgettable experience for their guests!

Tips for a smooth event

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Whether you’re planning a private party or a corporate event, you’ll want to achieve an incredible atmosphere. Here’s 8 quick tips to help you plan your day as smoothly as possible, and ensure everyone has a great time!

1. Book a suitable space

Decide where your fun day will be held and book it well in advance. A local pub garden, school field or community hall are all good places to hold a fun day. You need to make sure there is adequate room for everything you have planned. Also check if there are toilets and power available. You can add some little touches, such as bunting to bring the place to life, or choose a theme for throughout the fun day.

2. Logistics

The chances are, your chosen location, will not have insurance for all the activities you have planned. You will need to make sure you have suitable insurance for everything you have planned and ensure all electrical equipment is tested by relevant inspectors.

You will also need to ensure risk assessments are completed to make sure everyone is safe.

3. Choosing a date and time

Make sure you allow yourself plenty of time to organise the day. You’ll be much more relaxed when the day comes along if you know you’ve spent time planning all the details.

Choose a date that doesn’t clash with anything such as big sporting events like football cup finals, of Wimbledon finals. Create a realistic timeline for the day and take into consideration the time needed to set and clean up.

4. Something for the kids

A good variety of stalls and activities ensures kids will have a great time and never want to leave. Children of all ages enjoy face painting and inflatable slides. Play zones are a great option for little ones, and for those a bit older, hire circus workshops and acrobats are great opportunities to show off their skills.

5. Refreshments

Kids of all ages will be needing some food and drink caterers to give them energy to keep on having fun.

6. Shelter in case of rain

As we all know, the British weather cannot be trusted! It is worth thinking about having canopies and / or marquees for shelter, should it rain.

Lets run away with the circus

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Back in the day, ‘running away to join the circus’ seemed to be a pretty viable career option for many a young person if children’s books were to go by. Enid Blyton wrote a whole series of books on the idea and the circus segment in Big Fish is certainly one of the most memorable. But what if you want to join a circus now? How on earth do you go about joining a circus and becoming an acrobat or unicyclist or something else entirely? How do you do that? Well, you’ll have to learn and we know a brilliant place for that!

The National Centre for Circus Arts is one of the leading European providers of circus education. What’s more, it’s based in London! Hooray! You don’t even have to go abroad to enjoy its facilities. A registered charity, the Centre is housed in a fabulous Victorian power station meaning no matter how high-flying you want your act to be, you’ll definitely be able to learn it! From aerial silk to hoop and perhaps even walking a tight rope, you’ll be able to become a circus performer with the help of numerous teachers and students alike.

Depending on your age, there’s a whole host of options to consider as well. If you’re looking to attain a degree in Circus Arts, then the Centre offers a BA Hons degree in the subject. You’re also able to learn as part of a training programme if you’re under 18 whilst there are many development opportunities for those just starting out right through to those who simply want to enhance their already established circus careers. That’s right! As an aspiring circus performer, you’ll be able to rub shoulders with those who have already experienced the excitement of wowing a crowd at events up and down the country!

You might be thinking that signing up for an entire course isn’t really your thing. You might be unsure if the circus is truly for you. I mean sure you’ve thought about joining the circus for a while but the real thing might be completely different to how you’ve imagined it. Can’t you just dip your toe in? Have a bit of taster session? Of course you can! There are a range of recreational classes available for both adults and children alike, whilst the National Centre for Circus Arts also provides workshops and away days for corporate clients.

Running away to the circus might not really be a viable way to become a circus performer in the UK these days, so the National Centre for Circus Arts provides that opportunity for those looking to give circus ago. Work on all things equilibristic, acrobatic and aerial and we suspect you’ll become a circus performer in no time. Many circus acts trained in London so we know just how good they are! So what are you waiting for? Get down to Hoxton as soon as possible and see just how you can accomplish your dream of joining the circus, impressing at the Olympics and performing at parties all over the world!

Creative ideas for your next event

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Circus act entertainers have given the world of corporate entertainment a whole new generation of aerial artists, defying gravity to present unique. Even if you haven’t got a skyscraper to use as your stage, these circus-inspired artists can perform in almost any space, for any corporate event.

Aerialists use aerial circus and dance theatre with dynamic lighting and music to create evocative shows using trapeze, ropes and silks. Available as a solo artist for smaller venue, or as large a troupe as you wish, their show can be tailored to create the atmosphere you require, whether humorous, quirky, elegant. With a range of associated acts, including aerial champagne pouring, we are sure you will find your perfect act on our website.

Here at Red Masque we think we are tooled with some of the best party entertainers which will capture your imagination. So, what are the best of the best for corporate entertainment acts for your next corporate event in 2017? Red Masque directory have the hottest trends and acts for corporate, and company parties to ensure your VIPs are very impressed and your boss is very happy.

Offer your guests a total 007 experience: an elegant stately home or iconic venue, set up as a celebrity lookalike James Bond complete with elegant hostesses serving martinis (shaken not stirred by expert cocktail waiters). Then add some party musical entertainment combining iconic Bond movie soundtracks and characters with dance and spectacle, such as a top party function band with a James Bond set.

Add in some more celebrity lookalikes and a John Cleese lookalike the ‘new’ Q, who sets your guests site-specific missions to test their skills.

Bespoke dance groups provide a superb spectacle that transcends language, and can be precisely tailored to your corporate event theme. From ballet dancers to contemporary rock dancers, your guests can enjoy a show full of energy, passion, augmented by state of the lighting and sound systems.

Whatever the occasion, you’ll find a dance troupe to suit; that can offer themed events such as Arabian Nights, Argentinean Tango, Burlesque, Flamenco, Irish Dancing, Ballroom Dancing, and Vegas Showgirls for example.

A Vintage Circus Party

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Ever since “Water for Elephants” hit the theatres, we’ve been in love with the Vintage Circus party theme. The idea has been around for a while, but it’s still one of the most visually exciting party themes out there! Plus, you can add all kinds of amazing live entertainment to take things up a notch. We have a few ideas to bring your Vintage Circus party to life.

Decorations

Stripes are an easy way to incorporate that circus feel into your party. If you can’t have the actual big top tent, bringing the red and white stripes into your decor will do the trick. Hanging a backdrop of alternating white and red scarves or sheets can mimic the tent, as well. Try and find faded red to add to the vintage theme. Banners with alternating flags are another simple yet effective decoration. Luckily, balloons are inexpensive and fit beautifully into a Circus theme. Hang balloons from the ceiling and pair with white lights or scarves for a simple, yet gorgeous setting.

If your budget is a little higher, you could have marquee letters with lights spell out “CIRCUS” (or maybe the name of the guest/guests of honour).

Invitations are really fun for this theme. Create and print postcards announcing “The Circus is Coming to Town” with all of your event details.

Refreshments

What foods do you love at the circus? hot dogs, or candy floss? All great ideas for your Vintage Circus party! Set up a self-serve table with all of your favourites and let your guests take their pick. Or if you’d rather have someone else take care of the details and add an element of authenticity, try bringing in a company to provide candy floss hot dogs, and more.

If your party includes a cake, there are tons of amazing designs out there. Professional cake decorators can help your vision come to life, or simplify things with a cupcake tower instead! Just frost them in your theme colours, add a printable toothpick flag, and you’re set.

To dress up your food table a bit, print labels in a fun “Circus” font.

Party Entertainment

While it would be amazing to have an elephant in your backyard, it’s not entirely probable. That doesn’t mean you can’t have awe-inspiring entertainment at your Vintage Circus party! In fact, some of our favourite types of corporate event entertainment live in this category. If you have the space, Aerialists put on some amazing shows in the air above the party. Jugglers, Fire eaters, and Acrobats can also take advantage of the area and keep your guests mesmerized.

If space is a little tight, try up-close and personal entertainment like Mind readers, Tarot Card Readers, or Street Magicians Have some kids at the party? Balloon Moddlers and Face Painters are always a great addition to Circus parties!

Thinking about 2016 summer

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Much as we love advertising entertainment for corporate events and weddings, it’s often a nice change of pace to remember the little people and to also remember that after Christmas you’re going to have to be thinking about Summer and BBQ’s (which is rather something to look forward to) 

To keep the youngsters busy, how about a Circus performer and a glamorous Circus Workshop with juggling displays, plate spinning unicycling and lessons in the age-old art of the Diablo. These circus performers will have the kids entertained for hours whilst their parents got on with the more pressing concerns of the rest of the event.

Young or old a magician with some of that ‘close up magic’. Close up magic specialist and all round entertainer give guests a bewildering display of sleight of hand and mentalism taking in card tricks, mind reading and more. 

A Portrait Artist drawer is very charming and quite flattering in a playful, unique style. Guests seemed to love a portrait artist and although they maybe a bit nervous as how they will be portrayed they can’t wait to see the result and a is a great keepsake!! 

A Steel Band is great background music for any event and will perform suitably exotic and energetic set of tunes that will transform a very English garden barbecue into an equatorial island party. Warm, enthusiastic and hugely entertaining – a steel bands infectious passion for their music will be passed on to everyone who hear them and will proved to be the perfect soundtrack to the event.

Christmas Decor

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For all 2015 christmas corporate events, décor will be key. Your venue needs to wow your guests from the moment they walk in, creating a special and uniquely defined space for your event. Two highly contrasting themes are high tech interactive and natural materials, enabling your company to show off its tech prowess, or boost its eco credentials.

Choose musicians that blend performances with tech, such as our interactive VJ’S, or a live DJ. Get your guests interacting with each other playing giant games with your very own theme. 

If you choose a high tech theme, your christmas party entertainment must be 100% integrated to the whole tech ambience. Look for entertainers that offer a tech twist in their act, such as iPad illusionists, LED Light entertainers and street magicians that work with the latest phones and mobile gadgets. 

If you are thinking about a winter corporate event into a natural winter wonderland party with ice sculptures and decorated living statues, walkabout characters, and seasonal winter menus. Welcome guests with the warming aromas of mulled wine, or entice people out into the crisp winter air with heated seating areas, piles of rugs and sweet chestnuts roasting on a real coal brazier.

You could extend the theme beyond décor and food into acoustic musical acts, for a more ‘natural’ sound. Entertain with a gospel singing Christmas songs, or a trendy a Capella groups, or guitar and sax soloists.

When you want your corporate party to finally hot up, keep the theme with classic tracks that really evoke the sights and sounds with top UK function and party bands who know their Farrell and their Ed Sheeran.

Take lighting to the next level and illuminate your event to create spectacle and visual interest. Any venue can be transformed with clever and creative use of lighting even on the more limited of budgets. Use lighting to throw unusual shadows, to colour tables rather than using flowers, and use wireless technology to alter lighting states to reflect the various stages of your event.

Your entertainment should be equally well lit! Look for party DJ’S with their own light shows, rock and pop function bands that provide their own lighting, and artists that use light in imaginative ways.

For larger events, book artists that have a strong visual impact enhanced by theatrical style lighting, such as dance troupes, ballet dancers or aerial artists.

Find ways to make your christmas party entertainment a pleasure for everyone by choosing acts that blend superb musicianship with accessible humour, such as a comedy string quartet. Or present musical acts with an international flavour, such as 1920s swing band just make people smile!

International party ideas

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At Red Masque entertainment we are always on the lookout for interesting and unique party ideas for our blog. This week’s post is about using international themes for your event. Every culture has its traditional outfits and performers, and many of these performers are available for hire.  Here are some ideas:

1. Moroccan nights with belly dancers, snake charmers, hukas and waiters dressed in caftans. Drape the place in beautiful Moroccan fabrics; add candlelight and torches and you’ve got yourself something special.

2. Bollywood theme with traditional Indian Marquees (think an extravagantly decorated tent with lots of throw pillows and fabrics), beautiful Indian ladies in lovely silk saris, Henna artists and Yogis.

3. A sushi night with Japanese geishas dancing and playing traditional instruments such as the shamisen or shakuhachi, and singing. If you want a more hearty fare, hire Tepanyaki chefs to cook in front of your guests. What could be better than a fire-shooting volcano made of onions?!

4. Argentinian Tango night with costumed dancers/instructors, plain wooden tables with candles or lanterns, low lights, bottles of Malbac, tango posters or paintings on the wall. Remind the guests to dress in black and red.

5. A Queen’s Jubilee with royal footmen, cockney tourists, and a royal court. High tea anyone? If that’s too high-brow, just add a Beatles tribute band.

6. Brazilian Carnival with costumed stilt walkers, samba dancers, Brazilian bands, and vibrant carnival costumes and statues.

7. Chinese Circus with fire performers, Chinese circus acts, martial art dancers and extreme martial art performers. Throw in some body painters and origami and calligraphy artists just for fun.

We sure you have some of your own ideas, and at Red Masque Entertainment we are sure that you will be able to hire exactly what you had in mind.

Perfect ideas for your memorable party

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Everyone wants their event or party to be memorable, and using unique entertainment ideas is simply the best way for folks to remember your event. The more unique, the more lasting the impression. Here are 10 more cool and different ways to wow your guests:

One idea is music comedy performers, how about hiring two pianists which involve two crazy entertainers, each wielding a grand piano, top party hits from the past 40 years, jokes, toasts and audience interaction. Each piano player tries to outdo the other in this outrageous fiesta of music and comedy. This is especially good for corporate events where you want everyone to let their hair down and just have fun or with brides who want to steer clear of the typical bands or DJs and are want something more memorable. 

Hire a miniature impersonator. Political correctness aside, it’s pretty cute to see a 4 foot celebrity lookalike in full costume strutting around your event. It’s sure to make your guests smile. 

If you have a flair for the dramatic, hire a fire performer. This combines dance, drama and movement into a theatrical presentation that is hypnotic and memorable. Of course you better check with the fire marshal to see what is required in terms of safety! 

Another dramatic choice would be a circus-themed event, replete with acrobats and balancing performers, dancers in costume, and tight rope walkers. If you can’t have your party in an exotic locale, bring the exotic locale to your party! 

String quartets are always hit with their tight harmonies and old-time costumes. Some of these vocal groups will write a song for your group or company if you give them background beforehand. Imagine listening to these beautiful voices singing in glorious 4 part harmony. 

Why not think about having a Snow Party. There are companies that will come to your event and create real snow and ice. You could always have a White Christmas with Snowmen, sledding, snowball fights and ice skating. It’s not impossible. 

We’ve all seen Pig Racing. I admit, this is a bit out there, but who could resist these plump little porkers trotting down the track, each scrambling to get out in front for a nail biting race to the finish. Great fun for old and young, everybody can participate and cheer on their favourite to win.

Hog Roast! Ok, perhaps not the most inspired idea after a pig race, but who doesn’t like bacon and roast pork, especially if your pig lost the race. 

Moulin Rouge is always a fun theme to work with. Hire some Can-Can dancers, slap red-flocked velvet on the tables, and don a gorgeous Parisian turn-of-the-century costume. Hang a girl on a trapeze singing Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend and call it a day!