Performance artist Doug Francis, who grew up in the Isle of Man, founded the Invisible Circus in 1992. The company has since performed in streets across the world from Nevada to New Zealand. Their first stage show – and big break in the UK– was at Glastonbury in 2002. Francis also helped establish ArtSpace LifeSpace, an artist-led initiative in Bristol that transforms vacant and underused spaces into venues for the creative arts. This year, the troupe curated the first Bristol circus festival. Its new show Under a Dark Moon is at Creative Common in Bristol from Wednesday until Sunday.
Festival
Boomtown Fair
This independent festival is one of the most exciting in the country. It really captures the spirit of English creativity. The organisers build a town and populate it with hundreds of venues showing diverse entertainment – music, cabaret, poetry, dance.
Music
The Mob
I went to one of their gigs recently for the first time in 30 years. They are an anarcho-punk band I was passionate about when I was 15, so it was great to hear them with a new generation listening to them as well. It reminded me of the fiery days of my youth.
Book
10 Billion
A book about the predicted end-of-century world population of 10 billion. These books can be baffling but this is brutally basic. It's a disturbing read and Stephen Emmott comes up with some fairly dark conclusions. We need a complete change of culture and thinking.
Cabaret
Tony Clifton Circus
A three-piece clown troupe from Italy who brought Rubbish Rabbit – a mad, anarchic cabaret show– to the UK this year.They destroy everything. They blow up Barbie dolls and attack huge cuddly toys. It was a very rewarding experience watching the audience in pieces.
Protest
Occupy movement
I was massively reassured and uplifted by the Occupy movement and the huge spread of people it attracted. Just the statement of so many occupying spaces around the world – regardless of how effective it was – was a really refreshing and powerful thing to happen.
Event
Make Sundays Special
On the last Sunday of every month throughout the summer in Bristol, the roads were closed to the traffic and musicians, street performers, climbing walls, superhero workshops and markets took over the city centre. I was initially sceptical but it has been an inspiration.
