Free, Whimsical Shows for Vermont Communities
The Playing Fields Project is a back-to-school celebration that travels to school districts around Vermont. The project invites communities to gather together for joyful and awe-inspiring performances on school fields. Everyone is invited to join the fun!
In September 2022, the first Playing Fields performances featured live music by the energetic world-music band Red Baraat with an interactive performance by the mysterious, luminous Birdmen, a large-scale street theater exhibition from the Dutch company Close-Act. In September 2023, the Flynn welcomed French troupe Compagnie Des Quidams and their 12-foot tall, luminous horses for a presentation of Proud Horses at six Vermont schools. In 2024 we travelled to 9 schools around the state with Cirque Kikasse, a breathtaking mobile circus from neighboring Quebec. We’re looking forward to travelling to more Vermont schools in 2025!
want to host playing fields in 2025?
Running Tuesday, September 2 through Sunday, September 14
Cirque Kikasse
Cirque Kikasse presents SANTÉ! a dynamic circus show with high-level acrobatics, contagious energy and breathtaking balances … All on their extraordinary food truck! The troupe's mission is to prepare the Terrace for the service by unveiling their unique installation. Ranging from arranging furniture that turns into a balancing tower 30 feet off the ground, to playfully inefficient cleaning of the truck and trampoline, to overflowing the popcorn machine. A fun concept with a virtuosity to give thrills to even the most seasoned.
West Philadelphia Orchestra
West Philadelphia Orchestra (WPO) found inspiration in the Romani brass "orkestars" and "fanfares" of Eastern Europe. Known for stellar musicianship and dynamic live shows, the band’s sound is vibrant, powerful and extremely danceable. WPO plays a wide-range of music, including traditional Balkan music (emphasis on Serbian and Macedonian repertoire), klezmer music rooted in Philadelphia’s klezmer tradition, New Orleans brass and 60s free jazz, in addition to punk, soul, hip hop frevo and ska.
Kaleider's Let's Twist
A landscape of playful geomotric sculptures invites the public to change their form. Made out of interconnected prisms, each sculpture can be twisted into thousands of different shapes. Members of the public can work together, or witness others playing. Every time someone changes the sculpture, they inherit their starting point from the people before them. By transforming the shape, they add to the sculpture’s story.
Original commission by Children’s Capital of Culture for Rotherham Show.
Let's Twist is supported using public funding by the National Lottery through Arts Council England. Let's Twist research and development is supported by IN SITU, the European platform for artistic creation in public space, in the frame of the project UN(COMMON) SPACES, co-funded by the Creative Europe Programme of the European Union, and supported by Freedom Festival Arts Trust. Let's Twist was developed with the support of the National Theatre’s Generate programme. Arch is co-commissioned by Theater op de Markt. Let's Twist is backed by hundreds of citizen commissioners: individual donors who supported Kaleider to make and bring this work into the world. Read the growing list of citizen commissioners.
Playing Fields opens the school year with a jolt of wonder and excitement.
Playing Fields has appeared at:
- Burlington High School
- Champlain Valley Union High School
- Winooski Middle School
- Lyman C. Hunt Middle School
- Danville School
- Vergennes Union High School
- Crossett Brook Middle School
- Williamstown Middle and High School
- Chester Andover Elementary
- Thetford Academy
- Browns River Middle School
- Georgia Elementary and Middle School
- Burlington Pride Parade
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