The ISACS Network empowers, encourages and supports its members in their creative journeys by providing bursaries to attend workshops and masterclasses nationally and internationally.

Today, we are delighted to present Cian Booth as the ISACS Member awarded the Bursary to attend SPASA25.

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Here is what they expect from the festival:

As a circus artist, the majority of my work has taken place in public spaces. working as a part of the acid granny collective, we bring music and performance into the street, creating a space which invites public interaction and improvises off this interaction to allow the performance to develop. I have always been interested in how public space can be used to democratise art and bring ideas to an audience that wouldn’t otherwise see it. The SPASA bursary would allow me to further explore these ideas with mentors who have more diverse experience than I do in this realm. I hope to gain insight into how to use performance to pose political questions  and explore activism through this medium. Particularly seeing in modern times how creatives can project such a strong message, where media outlets have failed to do.

I also would like to learn how to integrate my acrobatic skills into an urban context with greater depth through the workshop with Be flat, by allowing my movement to be more defined by public space and allowing me to explore a deeper connection to the spaces in which I perform.

I also hope to gain skills in developing a stronger sense of community and collectivism within work on the street. As I have  mentioned, alongside Acid granny, this is what we strive to do. Allow a space that invites the viewer to take part. I hope to take the skills that I learn about collective expression and transformation back to people I work with and bring it to the streets of Ireland.

I believe this bursary would allow to develop further my skills in performing in a public context and finding new ways in which to use public space.

-Cian

Meet the awarded artist

Cian Booth

Cian Booth

Cian Booth is a writer and circus artist from Dublin. Cian uses performance to approach existential topics and the absurdities of everyday life. Cian works as part of the collective Acid Granny, bringing musical theatre pieces to festivals and nightclubs across Ireland and abroad. Cian is a member of the Frustrated writers group as well performing spoken word pieces with his band, The Dolly.