There is a rhythm to when people book circus workshops, and it is almost entirely backwards. Everybody wants the last week of the summer term, everybody wants the week before Christmas, and almost nobody thinks about January. That is exactly why January is the best value month of the year, and why the teachers and organisers who book early get the date, the workshop and the price they actually want.
The Booking Calendar, Honestly
School and group bookings run on a seasonal curve. The peaks are predictable: the run-up to Christmas, World Book Day in early March, the last fortnight of the summer term, and the first few weeks of the autumn term while everybody is still enthusiastic. Those windows fill up months ahead, and by the time you look, you are choosing from what is left.
The troughs are just as predictable and far more useful. January and early February are the quietest weeks of the year for performers and venues alike. The post-Christmas slump, the exam season and the general gloom mean fewer events, fewer enquiries and far more availability. Same performer, same workshop, better dates, and a diary that has room in it.
What “Cheaper” Actually Means Here
To be straight with you: we do not run a January sale, and our workshop prices are the same in January as they are in June. What changes is everything around the price:
- You get the date you want. In the busy windows you take the slot that is left. In January you take the slot that suits your timetable.
- There is room to build a programme. A single workshop in a peak week is often all we can fit. In the quiet months we can do a half day, a full day, or a run across several classes or year groups, which brings the cost per child down.
- It is easier to get on the calendar. Budget holders approve things they can plan for. A January date agreed in October is a line in a plan, not an emergency request.
- You are not competing with everybody else’s Christmas. Fewer clashing events means better turnout, better attention and a better session.
Why January Suits Circus Specifically
Circus skills are unusually well suited to the January term. The new-term energy is real, and a circus session channels it into something physical and structured rather than another assembly. It works as an enrichment day, a wellbeing or resilience session, a PE alternative when the field is frozen, or a hook for a topic on balance, forces or the science of the body. It needs no special space, no equipment from you, and it works in a hall, a gym or a classroom with the tables pushed back.
And there is a genuine curriculum angle that most people miss. Juggling, balancing and plate spinning are applied physics and applied perseverance: trial, failure, adjustment, success. It is the rare activity where children can see their own progress inside forty minutes. There is more on that side of it at the surprising academic power of circus skills.
What a Workshop Costs
- Circus skills workshop – from £250 for a half day, £500 for a full day. A full day is usually the better value: more classes, more children, and one set of travel.
- Kids parties – from £350 for 20 to 40 children. A second tutor is £150 where you have more than 30.
- Face painting – £150.
- Travel – free within 20 miles of Keynsham, then 50p per mile. We are based in Keynsham, Bristol, so Bristol, Bath and most of the surrounding area is inside the free radius.
No agency in the middle and no commission. We quote in writing before you commit, and the full breakdown lives on the pricing page.
How to Get It Past the Budget Holder
The usual reason a workshop does not happen is not money, it is timing and paperwork. Two things fix both. First, ask early: a January or February date agreed in the autumn term sits inside the current budget cycle rather than competing with next year’s. Second, ask for the things that make the decision easy. We can provide a written quote, our insurance details, and a short description of what the session covers and how it links to the curriculum, so the person signing it off has everything they need in one email. Ask for those when you enquire and we will send them with the quote.
If you are a PTA or a group rather than a school, the same logic applies with one addition: a winter date is easier to sell tickets for, because there is nothing else on. More on group formats on the circus workshops page.
Frequently Asked
Do you charge less in January?
No, our prices are the same all year. What is better in January is availability and flexibility: you can choose your date, and there is room to build a longer or multi-session programme, which brings the cost per child down.
How far ahead should I book a January workshop?
Autumn is ideal. Booking in October or November for a January or February date means the date is yours and the cost sits in the current budget cycle. Leaving it to January itself is possible, but you are choosing from what is left.
What do you need from us on the day?
A hall, a gym or a cleared classroom, and somewhere to park. We bring all the equipment. Sessions work for a single class or a whole year group, and we shape the format to the age range and the time you have.
Do you cover our area?
We are based in Keynsham, Bristol, and cover Bristol, Bath and the wider South West. Travel is free within 20 miles of Keynsham and charged at 50p per mile beyond that.
Sort Your Spring Term Early
If you have been meaning to get a circus workshop into the diary, the quiet months are when it is easiest and best value. Send us the term dates you are working with, the year groups, and roughly how many children, and we will come back with a written quote and a couple of date options, usually within 24 hours.
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