Circus Factory Cork is excited to welcome an Aerial and Circus Masterclass series with Tara Brandel. This workshop was postponed back in June 2025 and has been rescheduled to May 2026!

Workshop Details:

A series of 2 masterclasses with Director, choreographer, integrated dance practitioner and aerial dancer Tara Brandel. A 2 part series over 2 consecutive  Sundays, which builds a full set of skills in generating/devising material, choreography and directing, all the way from early research to finished production.

May 3– Scores and games for aerial and circus devising. Using improv to explore new ways of devising and researching material for performance.
May 10 – Composition and Choreography for Circus and Aerial. Looking at the development of movement material for solo and duet work. Exploring the craft of directing and working with production collaborators. 

Who is this workshop for?

Professional and semi-professional aerialists, circus practitioners, acrobats and dancers who want to develop their own work. This workshop is really for any street arts/circus/aerial/acrobatic artists who want to learn more about devising and creating their own work and/or directing others.

Join the aerial and circus masterclass

Are there any prerequisites to attend?

Professional and semi-professional

Why You Should Join the Aerial and Circus Masterclass series:

– Work with circus/dance artist with 35 years experience.
– Develop new skills of improvising, devising, crafting, choreographing, composing and directing
– A fun, safe, playful creative space to explore new ideas and ways of working
– A 2-part series which builds a full set of skills all the way from early research to finished production.
– Build creative connections with other participants

What Should You Bring?
If you have a specific piece of aerial equipment or prop that you want to work with you can bring it (optional).

Circus Factory has a microwave, kettle and small kitchen. The Marina Market Food Hall is also just across the road. The Black market is behind us.

Location: Circus Factory
Day: Across 2 Sundays, May 3rd & May 10th
Time: 11AM – 4PM
Suitable for ages: 18+
Price: €40 for one workshop, €70 for both

Since it’s a series, and each workshop leads into the next it’s advisable to attend both

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10% Students and Unwaged Discount Code at check out: CFCONC10%
10% Discount for Practitioner Members
20% Discount for Professional Members

About Tara Brandel

Tara Brandel is an award-winning choreographer, director, contemporary dancer, and aerialist originally from West Cork. She has been making work extensively since 1990 in London, Berlin, San Francisco and Ireland.

She trained in contact improvisation and acrobatics with Steve Paxton, Laurie Booth and DV8 Physical Theatre as a teenager, and in aerial with aerial pioneers Terry Sengraff USA (Motivity low flying trapeze) and Genevieve Mazin France (Vertical dance, wall running), and with members of No Fit State Circus UK (hoop and trapeze).

Tara performed with San Francisco-based aerial dance company Jo Krieter/Flyaway Productions 2002-2005, and toured aerial dance theatre show Sisters with her sister Shaena Brandel (from Pirates of the Carabiner/No Fit State Circus) 2008-2011. In 2009 Tara was commissioned by David Teevan/Junction Festival to create Edge, probably Ireland’s first integrated vertical dance/wall running performance.

Tara holds a Masters in Interdisciplinary Performance from UC Davis, where she was awarded the Della Davidson Award 2019, the Mondavi Fellowship, and the Women’s Research Center Fellowship for her show Circus, which toured to San Francisco International Arts Festival, Seattle International Dance Festival, Cork Midsummer Festival, Dublin Fringe Festival and FRESH San Francisco 2020. Her acrobatic dance film CAR was Director’s Choice at the CDIFF in Toronto 2017.

Tara is also Artistic Director of Croí Glan Integrated Dance. Tara has created 4 integrated aerial shows for Croí Glan,  most recently created TILT an integrated aerial dance show based around a tilting aerial pole designed by Barnaby Munn. TILT toured to Cork Midsummer, Tipperary Dance Festival, Skibbereen Arts Festival and Dancer from the Dance Festival; Tara is currently developing a new integrated aerial dance duet called I Dream of Water