About

BandBazi (Farsi:Trapeze) is an award winning, multicultural and inclusive performing arts company and charity that uses circus and theatre skills to give a voice to marginalised groups through professional productions and education programmes. It was founded in 2001 by actress and aerialist, Philippa Vafadari in Brighton, East Sussex.

Since 2001 the company has enabled over 15,000 people to access and participate in the arts. BandBazi tours its professional productions throughout the South East as well as regularly taking them to Scotland and Germany. The company also runs an inclusive youth circus theatre for young people aged 11-25 years, with a focus on young refugees and asylum seekers, and provides workshops for community and school groups in trapeze, circus skills, drama, film and creative writing.

BandBazi produces work on its own or in co-production with other theatre companies. The touring schedule is complemented by an educational outreach programme. The workshops are targeted at a cross-section of the community and provide the participants with a means of self-expression through creative writing, circus, physical skills and improvisation.  This forms the backbone of the company’s desire to bring theatre to groups who might not otherwise realise the relevance it can have to their lives.

The company's mission is to give a voice to disenfranchised groups and challenge stereotypes. To achieve this it uses circus, performance skills and dialogue to create new, original and accessible work; addressing issues such as mental health, cultural identity, gender or social relationships.

BandBazi is a registered charity: No. 1091276

Company

Philippa Vafadari - Creative Director: Anglo/Iranian in origin, Philippa trained as an actress at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama. She created the roles of Regan, Seven Lears (1989) and Goodgirl, Golgo (1990) for Howard Barker's The Wrestling School at the Royal Court Theatre, London.

John Binnie - Associate director: Co-founder of Clyde Unity Theatre who have been in regular receipt of Project funding from the Scottish Arts Council. Multi award-winning writer and director of over 20 productions. His work has toured Scotland, the UK and abroad.

BandBazi Company Secretary

Hannah Jarman

Board Members:

Pam Vision

Nina Emett (Chair)

John Ellingsworth

Gill Peacock (Treasurer)

Megan Bay Dorman

Eleanor Dobbing