CQ Saturdays Street Circus Set To Top the Bill in Cathedral Quarter

CQ Saturdays Street Circus Set To Top the Bill in Cathedral Quarter

CQ Saturdays Street Circus returns to Derby’s Cathedral Quarter on Saturday May 13 with a day of free entertainment at the Waterfall stage in the Market Place.

The Cathedral Quarter Business Improvement District (BID) has again teamed up with outdoor performance specialists Déda Producing for the entertainment which will be held on the second Saturday of every month in the run up to Derby Festé in September (Friday September 29 and Saturday September 30).

CQ Saturdays Street Circus will take place between 11am and 3pm and will be compered by Chango Fuego whose eclectic mix of mayhem and great skill see the character of Juan Carlos entertain and thrill the audience.

Juan is a regular and popular part of CQ Saturday Street Circus – keeping proceedings moving at a furious pace whilst his expert and creative use of fire, unicycle and other usual props are a hysterical spectacle.

He will be joined on May 13 by James Waudby who performs his comedy unicycle and juggling show at festivals, corporate events and street venues across the UK and internationally.

Past highlights include performing at London’s famous Covent Garden, the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, Blackpool’s Showzam! Festival of circus and variety and at the National Fairground Archive at the University of Sheffield. James is an expert in gathering a crowd in a street environment and turning that crowd into a responsive audience.

Stephen Munn is CEO and Artistic Director of Déda Producing, which is part of regional dance house Déda in Chapel Street, and is the artistic lead of Derby Festé.

He explained: “We have a great line up for this year’s CQ Saturdays Street Circus with some firm favourites returning but also the chance to see a few new acts.

“Street arts is growing in the UK, transforming town and city centres and allowing people to see and enjoy familiar places in new ways.

“Déda is based in the Cathedral Quarter and we are again delighted to be working with the Business Improvement District to support its efforts to increase footfall to the area and to local businesses.

“The feedback from visitors to the Cathedral Quarter was that the entertainment created a Covent Garden feel to the area and a real vibrancy to the streets.

“CQ Saturdays Street Circus is also the perfect appetiser for the tenth Derby Festé which will return to the city this September.

“Every year Derby Festé attracts huge crowds to the city and to the Cathedral Quarter in particular where high quality street entertainment is enjoyed by all.”

Martin Langsdale, chair of the Cathedral Quarter Management Group, which drives forward activities under the area’s Business Improvement District status, explained: “Derby is becoming renowned as a city of festivals and the Cathedral Quarter has always been at the heart of the major event and entertainment programmes that are organised in the city.

“Nowadays people expect city and town centres to be more than just retail destinations and we are working hard to bring together a wide range of partner organisations to give visitors different reasons to come to the Cathedral Quarter at the weekend whatever their interests, and then explore the area and visit the businesses here.”

The free CQ Saturdays Street Circus events join an already busy monthly programme of events and entertainment in the area.

The Towers, Tunnels and Tales tours are held on the first Saturday of the month; Knickerbocker Glorious, in conjunction with Derby arts organisation Furthest from the Sea is held on the third Saturday and the last Saturday sees the return of CQ Saturdays Street Theatre.

Information about all the events in the Cathedral Quarter are available at www.derbycathedralquarter.co.uk; on Twitter @DerbyCQ and Facebook CathedralQuarterDerby

Back to news