Galway Community Circus has appointed internationally renowned circus and education expert Lynn Carroll as its new Executive Director.
Director of CircusWorks and the president of the European Youth Circus Organisation (EYCO), Lynn is an internationally renowned expert in circus and education.
Throughout her career, Lynn has performed globally as a multi-disciplined circus artist and has been at the forefront of developing the UK youth circus sector for nearly 40 years.
Lynn said, “I am very excited to be joining the fantastic team at Galway Community Circus! I first encountered GCC as part of the Celtic Youth Exchanges in 2011 and 2012 in my work at NoFit State Circus.”
“Meeting the team and young people through these and subsequent projects has always been an absolute pleasure. It has always been clear that GCC has strong values, and places young people at the heart of its work and decision-making process.”
For 40 years, Lynn has witnessed first-hand the effect that learning circus can have on a young person’s life. As a non-competitive, teamwork-orientated form of exercise, circus is uniquely accessible.
Young people who engage with circus not only improve their physical abilities and learn new skills – they gain an art form, a mode of self-expression, and often, since so much of circus is rooted in teamwork and trust, a community.
They discover a world in which they can be whoever they want to be – whether they want to clown around or fly.
Lynn said, “I have been hugely impressed with GCC’s journey and the breadth and scale of the work it has undertaken.
She added that Galway Community Circus has gained an impressive international reputation through work with the Caravan International Network for Youth and Social Circus, and projects such as Wires Crossed and LifeLine.
“To step in at this point in the journey is an honour. I’d like to acknowledge the amazing job my predecessor, Ulla Hokkanen, has done along with the rest of the team in making GCC the success story it is today, establishing it as a grassroots organisation with a respected national and international reputation.”
“GCC’s plans are ambitious and exciting, and I can’t wait to start working with the team to make them a reality.”
Ian Walsh, Chair of Galway Community Circus Board of Directors, said, “We are very excited to welcome Lynn into her new role knowing the experience, innovation and passion she will bring.”
“We are looking forward to her continuing to implement our strategic plan and finding new opportunities for Galway Community Circus as the youth circus sector continues to grow in Ireland.”
