The sixth annual Festival of Fools has proved again that humour is the most universal of languages. Artistic director of the festival, Will Chamberlain, knows that transmitting humour through street theatre is a useful tool to break every kind of barrier. How was the Festival of Fools born and what has been your role in it as the Artistic Director? The Festival of Fools appeared as a combination of ideas and coincidence. In 2003 Belfast was trying to become capital of culture in 2008, and I had the idea of an international festival. Of course we didn’t get to be capital of culture, but I began the project because a company of artists in Denmark told me: “We are putting together an application for a street festival, would you like to take part?” Before I started working at the Circus School I had participated in street performances and I had been to many festivals, so I had a memory of what was good at festivals and what was bad. However, humour is what runs through all the festival. It wouldn’t be an international festival without laughter, because it is an international language. It is a great tool for promoting different cultures, to breaking stereotypes about nations and ethnic minorities. In which sense has the festival grown up from the first edition? The program is better, because we have a greater level of funding now. I think that the ambition has increased. The show of the maze on the grounds of the city hall… is something that wasn’t possible five years ago. Moreover, the reputation of the festival has grown internationally, so it is easier to attract artists here. Apart of changing the wrong idea of what a clown is, what other objectives does the Festival have? Street theatre hadn’t been in Belfast for 30 years, so one of our first aims was to introduce high quality street theatre. We also have the mission of changing the relationship between people and the city centre. It is not just a place in where you cross over from one shop to another. It can be a place of leisure, pleasure and enjoyment. It doesn’t belong to the shops, it’s yours! What do you like the most about the task of organising the Festival? This is an interesting question, because every year, at some point in organisation of the Festival, I say: “I’m not going to run another one!” My main work is at the Circus School, so I have to do the most part of the work that the Festival of Fools involves at home, at night, and it’s very stressful. But the fact is that I love street performances. It’s democratic; it permits the interaction in the act because people are not forced to come along. And the people that make street theatre are quite remarkable because they are always in the line of fire for the public, every single time, and they do it with such a good humour. This is one thing that drives me forward. The other thing is that people love it and deserve it. Do you already have any idea about how will the next edition of the Festival of Fools be? Apart of expanding what we have been doing until now, we would like to contribute to promote positive images of the foreign communities that have moved into Northern Ireland. For instance, we want to work in partnership with artists from the Polish and the Portuguese communities. We want to contribute to take away stereotypes and ignorance. International street theatre’s days in Belfast don’t finish with the end of the festival. Every Sunday from 1pm to 4 pm there will be performances by companies from all over the world at Cotton Court, until 30th of August. See: Next Events of Belfast Circus
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Female Acts To The Four...
