Where did the idea for Slamboree come from and how did it come together Well quite a few people involved came from a live band background and had all sort of independently reached the conclusion that they wanted a lot more going on as a show and a lot more live visuals within a new concept. At the same time, there was a big collective in Leeds of theatre and circus performers – the live visual arts, and we were looking for a way to combine the two into an overall show where there was always something grabbing your attention and some new dynamic going off. Something maximizing creativity and live performance with a real perspective on it and a very real feel to it.
How much history did the core crew have with each other before embarking on such a big mission We’d all worked in similar circles. For example – there are 2 central circus crews called Surefire Circus and Happy Slap Boutique who we collaborate with on Slamboree. We’d be supporting each other’s events on a regular basis whether it be a cabaret night, a circus night or a band night, and when the energy is there, it just becomes a question of working out the logistics of how putting all the different strains together was going to work. The first real practice / brainstorming session we had about 15 people at it, and it was a really intriguing concept as we all tried
to balance out our own space and our own roles within it, while equally looking for ways to work off each other and bring it all together as a whole.