Turk(ish)

Poppy Plowman

Turk(ish)  is an autobiographical piece using a combination of live music, contemporary circus and storytelling to discuss personal struggles of identity and Western beauty standards.

The show was created by half-British, half-Turkish Cypriot circus artist Poppy Plowman. Poppy has worked as a professional tight wire walker and hair hanger with several leading contemporary circus companies across Europe, before creating her own work using high level circus techniques to explore themes of intersectionality. She later collaborated with Zara Hudson, cellist graduate from the Royal College of Music and together they have combined their passions to create Turk(ish), an empowering show that proactively embraces identity and inspires anti-oppressive attitudes to emerge from the audience.

Photo: Peter Morgan

  • Circus Around and About 2 is a touring circus project, with extraordinary circus shows visiting rural and urban communities across the south-west.

    In collaboration with nine presenting partners, six outstanding performing companies have been selected to bring their extraordinary contemporary circus shows and workshops to rural parts of Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, Gloucestershire and Somerset, plus urban community venues in Cinderford, Gloucester, Stroud and Weston-Super-Mare. They are: Max Calaf Sevé with Anyday, Levantes Dance Theatre with The Band, Matt Pang and Owen Reynolds with Those in Glass Houses…, Collective ConTakt with Foley, Poppy Plowman with Turk(ish) and Nikki & JD with Knot.

    The project aims to increase a welcome to diverse audiences including D/deaf, disabled and neurodivergent people. It also aims to support the circus sector, by opening up touring opportunities for circus artists, and introducing rural and urban community touring.

    Funded by an Arts Council England Lottery Project Grant, the project is led by Take Art with principal partners Crying Out Loud and Extraordinary Bodies.

    #CircusAround_About2