High-flying bid to make town UK's 'circus capital'

Opening an all-weather trapeze school in a historic venue could make a Norfolk town the UK's "circus capital", says its founder.

The Flighthouse Trapeze Academy will operate from The Empire building in Great Yarmouth and is thought to be the only one of its kind in the UK.

The building, on Marine Parade, had been run as a music venue until September last year when it closed its doors blaming cost pressures.

Earlier this month, it opened again for a series of summer events. Matthew Herman, founder of the academy, said he hoped the facility, due to fully launch in August, would help bolster the town's reputation for circus performances.

He said: "Great Yarmouth is slowly becoming the circus capital of the UK and that is what we are hoping to solidify with this latest project.

"There are some other places in the world that have trapeze equipment but an academy specifically for flying trapeze doesn't really exist anywhere else in the world, training people from beginner through to professional level."

Herman, hopes the school could become a destination for performers globally wanting to train all year round.

He has been working closely with the Jay family who have owned the building for 70 years.

"It will be a multi-function venue," he said.

"It means they can continue to do live music, food and drinks but the rest of the time it will operate as a professional-grade training facility for circus."

The Empire is a short distance away from the Hippodrome - Britain's last surviving stand-alone circus.

The town continues to bolster its reputation as a centre for circus performance through Out There Arts, an organisation that offers year-round events and an annual festival attracting about 65,000 people each year.

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