I am an experienced and award-winning circus and theatre ​director, social circus practitioner, workshop leader, teacher and ​green space creator.

With 25 years’ experience of creating shows, projects, events and ​experiences which inspire, engage and fire the imagination. ​Shows directed range from solo clown shows to large scale ​community projects involving hundreds of performers.

Managing and fundraising project budgets of up to £100k and ​annual budgets up to £400k. A committed European, I have ​worked frequently across the continent.

Passionate about giving creative expression and opportunities to ​the under-represented and the easy to ignore, I am rigorous, ​enthusiastic and self-motivated, and thrive in dynamic ​environments, bringing. a passion for working collaboratively ​and imaginatively to make things happen.

An acclaimed and award winning director working across theatre, ​circus and clowning.

A versatile show maker, I have skills in theatre, physical ​performance, circus and clowning, working with classic texts, new ​writing and commissions and devised work.

Equally experienced working on solo and small cast shows, ​ensemble pieces, and large scale spectacles and street parades ​with casts of hundreds in theatres, streets and site specific work.

A highly skilled and experienced social circus facilitator ​and youth theatre director.

Passionate about helping young people to fulfil their ​potential through engagement, progression, ​accreditation, volunteering and employment, I am an ​accomplished youth and community worker with ​experience working with young people in formal and ​informal contexts, in schools and in the community.

An expert in devising work based on participants’ ​experience, in giving voice to under-represented, and ​in creating shows with groups or individuals with ​limited theatrical or performance experience.

Combining creative theatrical vision with a deep ​understanding of how to engage and celebrate ​communities and their culture(s), I have directed street ​parades, large scale promenade performances and ​community extravaganzas in cities, towns, villages and ​communities across UK and Europe.

Examples of work range from opera in a bus depot to ​street parades to a ten year long series of promenade ​performances in an Aberdeenshire woodland with over ​300 performers and 10,000 spectators.

Throughout my career, I have been committed to ​education, developing courses, leading workshops, ​and directing shows for universities, colleges, schools ​and youth theatres working at every level from post ​graduate to primary school.

An experienced and enthusiastic gardener and advocate for ​green spaces, I am passionate about the benefits of ​growing, and spending time in green spaces, I enjoy passing ​on meaningful skills and creating beautiful and useable ​spaces for wellbeing, combining my horticultural, creative ​and community experiences.

Arts and Greenspace Wellbeing Coordinator, Cyrenians, 2022-4

• Creating and delivering arts based projects in greenspaces for people experiencing homelessness.

Director in Residence, Castle Douglas,(2021-2)

• Director of year long creative project working with local professionals and community groups

Director, Articulation - Umbrella organization for physical performance in Scotland (2010-23)

• Director of Scotland’s umbrella organisation for circus, outdoor arts and physical theatre.

Director, CircusWorks, UK Youth Circus Network (2015-2022)

• Founder and board member establishing UK wide umbrella organisation. Helped to build capacity, programme and run festivals, connect with other European ​agencies and establish membership

Creative Director and CEO, Modo – Circus with Purpose (1995–2020)

• Modo toured to 30 national and international festivals and exchanges in 14 different countries, performed to audiences of 12,000 a year and collaborated with ​80 organisations from the Roundhouse to the Round Table.
• Role included overall responsibility for creating and directing parades, shows, events,designing and delivering workshop programmes, staff training and ​mentoring
• Modo engaged hard to reach young people and helped them to change their lives for the better. Harnessing the skills and thrills of circus, Modo helped young ​people to improve life chances, skills, confidence and self-esteem, while celebrating and creating culture and community.

Freelance Theatre Director (1997-)

• Directing professional shows for theatre companies, arts organisations and drama colleges across the UK

Associate director, Jembe, international theatre and art education festival, Italy (2017-)

• Co-founder of annual cultural festival. Responsibility for workshop programming, and directing final performance.

International Associate Director, Grenoble European Theatre Festival (1998-2020)

• Responsible for directing shows, coordinating European contributions and developing international projects.

Clowndoctor, Hearts and Minds (2007-2013)

• Therapeutic clowning programme visiting children in hospitals across Scotland

Associate Artist, Cumbernauld Theatre (2009-10)

• Researching and directing outreach programmes to engage the hard to reach

Artist in Residence, Aberdeen City Council (2006)

• Developing educational programmes delivering curriculum learning through the creative arts

Associate Director, Dundee Rep Theatre (2004-5)

• Duties included directing mainstage show, and developing actor training programmes.

Artistic Director, pan-Highland Millennium Project, Highlands (1999-2000)

• 18 month project celebrating and developing youth and community arts across the Highlands

Performance director, te POOKa, (1995-2000)

• Responsible for directing shows and events, and for leading performer training

Drama Worker, Eden Court Theatre (1997-2001)

• Established and delivered youth theatre programmes and projects throughout Caithness and North Sutherland
  

• Accomplished director with experience working with professional, youth and mixed casts

• Versatile show maker, with skills in theatre, physical performance, circus and clowning, ​working with classic texts, new writing and commissions and devised work

• Equally experienced working on solo and small cast shows, ensemble pieces, site specific work, ​and large scale spectacles and street parades with casts of hundreds in theatres, streets

• Managed and fundraised project budgets up to £100k and annual budgets up to £400k

• Effective at developing, managing and coordinating projects from inception to delivery

• Excellent analytical and problem solving skills with a painstaking attention to detail

• Great time management, able to prioritise and organise workloads to meet strict deadlines

• Experienced at establishing, motivating, maintaining and supporting creative and technical ​teams

• Persuasive communicator, in press and media relations, social media, and digital marketing

• Competent written and spoken French, and improving Italian

• Full Clean driving license and car owner

• Inspiring Aberdeenshire: Best of Buchan Award
• CoSLA Excellence Award for Achieving Better Outcomes
• Arts and Business Placemaking Award for Aden-een
• Prevention and Inclusion, National Youth Work Awards
• Critics' Awards for Theatre in Scotland - for SICK
• Guardian Culture Award – for Ubu
• Arches Award for Stage Directors – for Dead Pan
• Scotsman Fringe First Award – for The Last Supper of Dr Faustus
  

Martin Danziger

+44 (0)7973 963 301

mail@martindanziger.com