Thirty children find friendship at circus camp in Tribuswinkel

Thirty children from the initial reception centre in Traiskirchen took part in a circus camp this week at Schlosspark Tribuswinkel, a park in the Baden district, ORF reported. The programme gave them a chance to try circus skills and make new friends.

Inside the circus tent, the children juggled, balanced, laughed and tried acrobatics with the Rote Nasen clowns. They also learned magic tricks. The Rote Nasen Summer Circus set up its tent at the park for the second time.

The workshop aimed to give the young participants a carefree experience. “With this special programme, we can give the children a piece of normality. They should be allowed to have experiences like these,” said Martin Kotal, Rote Nasen’s artistic director.

Circus as a shared language

The children’s countries of origin, languages and experiences of fleeing their homes did not matter in the circus ring. Children from Afghanistan, Syria and Somalia communicated with gestures and in different languages.

Eleven year old Avi from Afghanistan was especially pleased with his new friends. “I never would have believed that I would find so many friends and that everyone would speak to me so kindly. It is like a dream,” he said.

Isabella, 12, from Venezuela was also enthusiastic. “It is a lot of fun and everyone enjoys it,” she said.

A circus family

As the children and clowns practised together, they got to know one another and formed a group. “During the week, we become a circus family,” said Rote Nasen clown Marlies Franz.

The children surprised the clowns each day as they gained confidence and learned new routines within a few days. Perfection was not important when they presented their tricks. “That is the beautiful thing about us. We show something human, weaknesses and strengths that everyone knows. If someone fails, you adjust the crown and do it again,” Kotal said.