How @circusstarr promotes inclusivity and positive body imagery 

If you’ve been a regular reader of my blogs, you’ll be aware that we look forward to the annual show that Circus Starr brings to town.

Circus Starr are a not-for-profit organisation, relying on local donations from the towns that they visit so that they can put on a fantastically, inclusive show for disabled and disadvantaged children in the local community.

It’s something that we always look forward to and this year’s visit was much anticipated as, due to those feet operations I keep having (not by choice!) we hadn’t been since November 2015.

So, we took our seats and as you can see, D was very excited!

It was absolutely lovely to be back, waiting for the performance to start, looking around and seeing masses of happy, excited faces, all feeling included.  Circus Starr have a Changing Places toilet this year, which is a great addition to their convoy.

Onto the performances and as ever, we were spellbound, transfixed as the artistes performed either high up in the podium on silks, on a trapeze or acrobatics on the floor, interjected as ever with clown performances, very slapstick but very funny.

I only took a couple of photos as I wanted to enjoy the acts:

  
  
The show ended all too soon with a signed sing-a-long to a version of “Reach For The Stars” and the lyrics matched perfectly the very positive atmosphere.

Another positive was the chat D and I had on the way home, I am all too aware that at 14 she is growing up and am grateful that she is comfy in her body.  We were talking about the athleticism of the performers and how much training they must do to enable them to perform their acts.

Then came a question “do you think my bottom is big?”

If we hadn’t just been at the performance, I may not have known what to answer, but drawing on what we’d seen, I could reply to D that whilst big (artificially enhanced) bottoms and BBL’s may be fashionable, the muscly, toned performers we’d just seen were a great example of being happy in their bodies and achieving what they did because they trained and ate well.  

So, because of the sports D does, our school walks and the fact she regulates herself by skipping in our garden, she was just right, which she accepted.

Which is how I’d like her to stay, happy in herself and not at all swayed by weekly gossip magazines or social media imagery.

Thanks to Circus Starr for a great evening, fingers crossed, we’ll see you next year! 

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