Tim Byrom

Time/years active at Greentop:
1995-present, variously: Volunteer, Evening class tutor, Member of staff (Centre Administrator 2008 and Programme Consultant 2014 – present), ran the Circus in Performance course 2001 – 2013, Trustee 2014 – 2015.

Where I am/what I am doing now:
I’m currently a freelance performer and Programme Consultant for Greentop.

Favourite joke:
Not sure, but probably “What’s brown and sticky?”, mostly because I came up with a load of variations on it like “What’s hard and forty?”. I’ll leave you to figure out the answers!

Quote summarising the impact Greentop has had on your life:
Greentop started a year after I became a freelance performer, and I was involved from the very beginning, forming half of the short-lived in-house performance group. After this I was one of a number of volunteers who helped run the place – for several years at the start we didn’t have any paid staff and everything was done by volunteers – and I’ve stayed involved up to the present.

Your circus story:
Greentop has been a large part of my life over the past 25 years. It has provided many opportunities for me in terms of training and performing, and on the other hand I have devoted many hours to it as a volunteer and member of staff. I feel like I’ve been involved in all aspects of it, from maintaining the actual building, to organising events and classes, performing at cabarets, doing marketing… the list is endless. I’ve seen a lot of people come through its doors, and I know how well loved and appreciated it is by the feedback from the children and adults who attend our classes, and the organisations who book us to work for them. Knowing how many people benefit from Greentop and how important it is to our students and to circus in the region is what keeps me going.

When I think back, I tend to focus on the Circus in Performance courses that I ran. They were each attended by around 12 young people, all looking to start out as circus performers. For each 3 month stint that the course ran, the centre was full of energy, optimism and creativity. As the course gradually cranked up towards the end of course shows there would be moments of joy and excitement, and tears and despair. Then the shows took place and the centre had a packed audience, and the stage was filled with our students performing their new skills and pushing themselves to the limit. They were great times and for me it felt like what a circus centre should be – full of life and energy.  Many of the students went on to have careers in circus and other performance arts, and although it was sad when the course ended and the centre became quieter and emptier for a time, it was great to watch their progress and to know that Greentop had been able to help them on their respective journeys.