Community Notice Board - Week Thirteen

Oy....sorry its been so long.... but that Reynard 'as 'ad me runnin' round gathering info about the Snowqueen.

I 'ad a dream last night that my sixth sense is getting stronger..... I 'eard drums in me sleep. Like a tribal sound.... what does this mean?

I dreamt that I 'eld a crystal ball in my 'ands and I was going to lead others to a cold, cold place to save the world......I don't know if this 'as anyfink to do wiv the Snowqueen but the way my claws keep tingling I'd say that more is going to be revealed very very soon!!!

Click here to view gallery... One or Two to see pictures from the mini-dress rehearsal on Wednesday

Reg Bolton was many things. He was a clown, a writer, a scholar. He was a husband and father, he was a mentor. People who met him once can tell how their lives changed in that moment. Reg lived to laugh and to teach others to laugh. He died in July last year, aged 60, while planning circus shows for the children of Kununurra. The one thing that set Reg apart from everyone else was his spirit.

Reg was as real as they come. He never tried to fit in, in fact he was known and loved for going against the grain. His no-nonsense attitude and great love of knowledge belied a cheeky, impish quality similar to that of much-loved fictional character Peter Pan. Although Reg touched the lives of people of all ages he truly loved to teach circus skills to children. Reg placed great importance on defending a childs’ right to childhood.

Cesca Lejeune, an old friend and circus partner of Reg’s, recalls on the website Reg Bolton.org a letter that Reg sent to a group of children before working on a show with them in Brisbane. He captured the childrens imaginations and set them up to challenge themselves mentally and physically. This show was to involve circus acts being performed to operatic music, however Reg did not try to educate them about the merits of opera in this letter. He told them; “It’s a framework for us to do a series of amazing circus acts, accompanied by opera music. Some of it is very stirring and exciting, and LOUD! Other bits are funny. We’ll play Florence Foster Jenkins, who was probably the worst singer in history.”

In this letter Reg wrote much as he talked; he was always brisk and energetic with just a glimmer of humour here and there. Known for his perpetual positivity and patience, Reg made the perfect teacher. He wasn’t the sort of person to give up on someone, especially if they did not give up on themselves. His method of teaching was one of encouragement, not of empty praise. Jenny Finelli, a friend of Reg’s, wrote on his website “A ‘thumbs up’ from Reg was better than gold.” Reg’s teaching methods worked wonders with countless people over the years; of different ages, different backgrounds and different learning styles. Reg could teach them all.

Associate Professor at Murdoch University, Jenny DeReuck worked with Reg when he completed his PhD in 2004. She describes him as a maverick and a rebel who hated the corporatisation of circuses, in particular Cirque du Soleil. He was a circus purist, loving the excitement of children performing for the first time- regardless of how they performed. Reg explained in one of his books, New Circus, that, as a one-time drama teacher he “wanted to involve both shy and rebellious children in the theatrical experience.” He found circus to be the answer as “clowns could still be clowns, groups could stay as groups, loners could be solo”.

For Reg, circus was never about being the best, rather it was about being happy. His daughter Sophie says that people can learn from the way Reg lived his life. One of her fathers mottos for life was “Find out what you love to do, find out what you are good at, and do it. The phone will never stop ringing!" Reg had many such sayings, simple observations that are so true to life they are rarely forgotten. Reg and his wife Annie, a clown, mime and actor, spent a lot of his time traveling to bring circus to places where it was needed. Sophie said traveling as a performer has given her a better opportunity to immerse herself in local cultures. Reg passed his love of traveling, and seemingly his love of keeping busy, onto Sophie. However Sophie is quick to say that Reg never let work get in the way of his family.

“Growing up with two parents who were absolutely dedicated to their passion, (their) art meant that life was very busy… creating, performing, traveling, organizing, networking, making props, costumes, posters, soundtracks, slides, funding applications, teaching etc. But somehow, amongst all that, Dad still found time to give us a magical childhood full of treasure hunts, music, games, inventions, adventures, laughter and love.”Reg Bolton was many things to many people, but at heart he was always a clown.

Check out RegBolton.org to find out more about him or his family’s circus activities.

Here's a link to a whole bunch of CT photos

http://murdochedu.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2019212&l=23195&id=213300320

Christine Feary

Click here to view gallery... One Two Three or Four to see pictures from Thursday's school incursion

Thanks Andrew! Great job you've been doing with the site :)
Can't wait to see the pics from the dress rehearsal!