The Great Big Climate Circus kicks off in Stroud

The Great Big Climate Circus is coming to Stratford Park, Stroud on Saturday 20 June. Stroud is the first location of the youth-led touring circus. This summer, the circus will also visit Dursley on 11 July and Gloucester on 18 July.

A four-year project, The Great Big Climate Circus will visit other Gloucestershire towns and cities over the next four years. An upbeat, youth-led, creative movement, the project is turning young people's climate concerns into confidence and collective action.

The Great Big Climate Circus is delivered in partnership by five Gloucestershire organisations: Creative Sustainability, World Jungle, Cotswolds National Landscape, Bromford Flagship, and The Ernest Cook Trust. All the events – including arts workshops building up to the circus to the public event which showcases performances and art of young people are completely free thanks to National Lottery funding.

The project has been awarded £1,498,916 (£1.49 million) over four years from the largest community funder in the UK, the National Lottery Community Fund to empower communities. It combines circus, music, visual arts, and hands-on activities to explore climate and nature issues in an inclusive, hopeful, and accessible way.

Ben Ward, director of Dursley-based World Jungle, said: "Rather than using fear or blame, the arts are a brilliant way to engage young people and build confidence. It enables participants to express their thoughts and feelings about the planet and inspire others in practical and positive action."

Youth climate action will continue after the summer events, thanks to Stroud-based Creative Sustainability, which will support young people from Gloucestershire to develop their leadership skills as Young Leaders.

This is the first year of the four-year project funded to work across 12 communities in Gloucestershire in different locations.