“I Hope You Are Fed”: Fern Circus Collective’s One-Night-Only Performance in Brattleboro
Fern Circus Collective (Fern), from Ithaca, New York is coming to Brattleboro, VT. for one night only to perform their show I Hope You Are Fed at the New England Center for Circus Arts (NECCA) on August 10th.
I Hope You are Fed is a contemporary circus show that explores the emotions and the world of the five members of the Fern Circus Collective. These artists use an aerial world of their own devising, full of beautiful, dangerous, thought provoking, generous, and tangled messes. I Hope You Are Fed is about exploring individuality and connection to a whole, what propels us forwards and keeps us moving together. I Hope You Are Fed will have you feeling, thinking, and questioning long after you leave.
With the creative use of aerial rigging, shadow work, and hand-selected music, Fern draws the audience into their world. In spring of 2021, Fern toured a show created by the collective called Altercation of the Mundane, and have since created I Hope You Are Fed. In 2023, Fern performed I Hope You Are Fed at the Cherry Artspace in Ithaca, NY in May and again in September at the Hupstate Circus Festival.
Fern Circus Collective is a group of five multidisciplinary circus artists and creators who have grown up together and continue to evolve through their shared passion for circus arts. Fern was birthed from the troupes found at Circus Culture in Ithaca NY, and is nurtured and monumentally supported by Circus Culture founder, Amy Cohen. Their work and play have evolved over seven years of being in community together, creating shows and performances, and immersing themselves in a multitude of learning and teaching experiences. They have honed their skills in both circus arts and the various technical roles essential to show production, including rigging, lighting, sound, and stage crew. At their collective core is the desire to share the joy of creation, to be honest, to ask questions, to take care of each other, and to explore and express their existence through circus. Fern holds appreciation for both the aesthetic and the intellectual; emotional and technical exploration.
The creation of “I Hope You Are Fed” has brought Fern overwhelming support from their local circus community in Ithaca. With help from Amy Cohen, and various other circus people in Ithaca, Fern has nurtured I Hope You Are Fed and is able to take it on the road. Their DIY tour has brought them to Buffalo, NY, Rochester, NY, and Brattleboro VT! They are excited to share I Hope You Are Fed with many communities, both circus and artistic. They enjoy finding new connections through their art. Emily Healey, a local circus artist and instructor at Circus Culture commented on their performances, “I Hope You Are Fed is an ever-changing landscape of physicality, groove, and quirk. I was often surprised and delighted, and the artists welcomed us easily into their dynamic, curious, intimate world!”
Fern states they are grateful, challenged, and invigorated to be embarking on their first self organized tour of I Hope You Are Fed this summer, and excited to be stopping at NECCA on August 10th. They welcome anyone, of all ages, to see their show. Fern Circus Collective sees circus as their artistic medium, and the opportunity to explore the world of the collective through circus is deeply meaningful to them. Their goal is to bring people together, even if it’s just for the night!
Tickets for this show, Saturday, August 10th, 7:00 pm, can be found at www.circusschool.org.
Featured Image: Courtesy of Fern Circus Collective (Fern)
Editor's Note: At StageLync, an international platform for the performing arts, we celebrate the diversity of our writers' backgrounds. We recognize and support their choice to use either American or British English in their articles, respecting their individual preferences and origins. This policy allows us to embrace a wide range of linguistic expressions, enriching our content and reflecting the global nature of our community.
🎧 Join us on the StageLync Podcast for inspiring stories from the world of performing arts! Tune in to hear from the creative minds who bring magic to life, both onstage and behind the scenes. 🎙️ 👉 Listen now!