1. WHAT WILL COMING BACK LOOK LIKE? +

We're so delighted to be running classes again and can’t wait to see you if you haven’t been back to Circus yet.

We are no longer required to maintain social distancing in our classes but we are still being cautious, as are some of our class participants, so classes may be smaller than normal.

It’s still possible that we will have to make changes to the numbers of people in our classes, the skills we can teach etc if government guidance changes or we find better ways of doing things. We’ll do our best to communicate any changes, so you know what to expect.

We’ve tried to tell you about the specifics in these FAQs. If we’ve missed something, let us know and we can update the FAQs. Someone else is probably wondering about the same thing as you.

2. WHEN SHOULD I NOT COME TO CIRCUS? +

It’s still really important that you don’t come to the Circus School or any outreach activities if you have been advised to self-isolate, and/or, within the last 10 days, you or someone you live with has:

• developed Coronavirus symptoms
• travelled to an area subject to quarantine
• been in contact with someone with Coronavirus or been identified as a close contact and you haven’t had a positive PCR test in the last 90 days and therefore no natural immunity.

Read Q18 to understand what you need to do if you’ve been identified as a close contact.

3.WHAT CAN I BRING TO CLASS? +

Come to class in your gear so that you don’t need to use the changing room.

You can bring food with you but don’t share it with anyone else and don’t accept food from anyone else.

Bring a full water bottle with your name on.

Try not to bring anything else at it reduces the risk of spreading the virus.

Don’t share any of your stuff with anyone else. We know that doesn’t feel very nice or kind but for now it will help keep everyone safe.

4. WHEN SHOULD I ARRIVE FOR MY CLASS? +

Please only arrive 5 minutes before your class is due to start. Our trainers still have to clean equipment and our space between classes and won’t be ready to welcome you until then.

5. DO I NEED TO WEAR A MASK? +

You don’t have to wear a mask during classes but we are asking people to wear masks as they move around the building.

If you want to or need to, you absolutely can. Try and bring your own reusable mask if you have one. We can give you a disposable mask if you forget your own, but we’d really like to keep the use of disposable masks to a minimum because of their negative impact on the environment.

If trainers need to get close to you to help you practice a skill, they will wear a mask.

6. HOW SHOULD I GET IN AND OUT OF CIRCUS SCHOOL? +

We’re using the main reception doors as the entrance and the gym hall door as the exit. This will help us manage the flow of people through the building and keep everyone safe.

7. WHAT HAPPENS ONCE I’M IN THE BUILDING? +

When you arrive for class, we’ll check your name against our registration information to make sure that we have:

• registration information
• payment before you come into the building
• your waiver (signed by your parents/carers if you’re under 18).

We need these things a week before your classes start and if we don’t have them, we won’t be able to let you in. We’re going to have to be a lot stricter about this than we would have been in the past and we really don’t want to have to turn anyone away so make sure that you and your parents have sent us everything we need.

Once everyone is checked off our list, we’ll organise all class participants so they can wash their hands. Only two people are allowed in the bathroom at once and we have introduced a one-way system for people moving around the building.

8. HOW MANY PEOPLE WILL THERE BE IN MY CLASS? +

There will be up to 16 participants in most classes and at least 2 trainers. One or two of our classes are being increased to 24 young people per class. These classes will have at least 3 trainers.

9. WHAT ACTIVITIES ARE WE ABLE TO DO? +

From 1 November 2021, we aren’t restricting any circus activities. Yay!

As usual, your class trainers will choose which skills to focus on and use all their amazing experience to guide you safely when you’re learning new skills or building on what you already know.

10. AERIAL ACTIVITIES +

We’re going to say it again cos we’re so delighted! We aren’t restricting any activities any more! Double yay!

Class trainers will continue to make decisions about what is safe for you to do based on your level of experience.

11. WHAT ABOUT SPOTTING? +

Spotting is permitted for short periods of time. Our trainers will wear a mask if they are spotting someone and will return to a safe distance as soon as possible.

12. WILL I BE SHARING EQUIPMENT WITH OTHERS? +

Equipment sharing is permitted but we will keep it to a minimum and everyone sharing equipment will need to sanitise their hands before using equipment.

13. HAVE YOU PUT EXTRA CLEANING ARRANGEMENTS IN PLACE? +

Yes, there will be longer breaks between classes so trainers can clean the equipment and space including all the places that people touch frequently like door handles - although we will prop doors open in the building during class and the entrance and exit doors between classes which will also help with ventilation.

We’ll also have cleaners working at least 4 times per week to clean the building. We’re using anti-viral/disinfectant cleaning products.

14.WHAT HAPPENS IF ONE OF THE TRAINERS OR A STAFF MEMBER HAS CORONAVIRUS SYMPTOMS? +

We’re following all government guidance and will follow this process if one of our trainers or staff have symptoms.

See guidance here

15. WHAT HAPPENS IF A CLASS PARTICIPANT DEVELOPS SYMPTOMS DURING CLASS? +

If someone becomes ill during class, they will have to leave the class immediately. If they are under 18, we’ll call their named adult contact to come and pick them up. They shouldn’t use public transport to get home. If they need to wait to be collected, they will wait away from the rest of the class and we’ll take care of them in line with our safeguarding procedures. If they are too ill to travel home, we will call an ambulance.

16. HOW WILL YOU PUT CONTACT TRACING IN PLACE? +

Because everyone has to register for our classes, we can use that information and the check in before class starts to contact anyone who might have been exposed to Coronavirus during a class. We’ll also seek guidance from the Public Health Agency

17. WHAT DO YOU DO WHEN YOU ARE MADE AWARE OF A COVID CASE? +

We identify close contacts in discussion with our trainer team and class participants using the criteria set out in Q18.

If none of the criteria apply to a participant or trainer, they are not defined as a close contact and do not need to do a PCR test or isolate.

If one of more of the criteria apply to a young person (under 18 years of age) or fully vaccinated adult and they have not had a positive Covid test in the last 90 days, they must not come to our building or classes. Instead, they should isolate and take a PCR test. If the PCR test is negative, they can end their self-isolation and should arrange to take another PCR test eight days after the last known contact. If that test is negative, they may return to our classes and building. If the test is positive they should isolate for a minimum of 10 days.

If an adult is identified as a close contact and not fully vaccinated they must not come to our classes and must isolate and get a PCR test on day 2 and day 8. If either test is positive they should then isolate for a minimum of 10 days or as advised by the testing centre.

If one or more of the criteria apply to a participant or trainer but they feel well and have had a positive Covid test in the last 90 days, they do not need to isolate or take a PCR test.

As soon as we have worked out who was a close contact to the positive case, we will let you know. We always phone those who are close contacts first and follow this up with a letter from the PHA. If your child was not a close contact you will receive a letter from PHA confirming that there was a case but your child was not a close contact.

We let all trainers and participants know about the positive Covid case even if they are not close contacts.

18. HOW DO YOU DEFINE A CLOSE CONTACT? +

We are following NI Executive guidance which means that close contacts have had any of the following types of contact with someone who has tested positive for COVID-19 with a PCR test:

• face-to-face contact – had a face-to-face conversation within one metre or has been coughed on
• skin-to-skin physical contact for any length of time
• been within one metre for one minute or longer without face-to-face contact
• sexual contact
• been within two metres of someone for more than 15 minutes (either as a one-off contact, or added up together over one day)
• travelled in the same vehicle or a plane.

Guidance for close contacts in schools requires much more contact that the rules above, however that guidance does not apply to us. We understand this can be really confusing for our young people because if affects how we run our classes – and for parents when we find out about a positive covid case.

We’ll do our best to be as clear as we can about what people identified as close contacts need to do.

The good news is that the rules we are using mean that we have so far had a very small number of cases and close contacts and haven’t had to stop any of our classes. We’ll continue to do everything we can to keep all our participants safe while having fun with us.

19. WHAT HAPPENS IF I CANCEL A BOOKING? +

If you cancel a booking more than 7 days before the first or next class starts, we will refund 50% of the fee. If you cancel a booking with less than 7 days before the first or next class starts, we will not be able to give you a refund.

The only exception is if you have to cancel because you have been diagnosed with Covid or instructed to self-isolate. In those cases, we can consider a refund.

20. WHAT HAPPENS AT THE END OF CLASSES? +

If you have a child under 16 years old attending classes, they must be collected from our building. Our trainers cannot let them leave without a responsible adult.

Young people over 16 may make their own way home if we have permission from their parent/carer in advance.

It’s important that participants leave classes and are collected promptly so that our trainers can spend time sharing and capturing learning from the class and cleaning equipment and the space.

21. I HAVEN’T BEEN BACK TO CLASS IN A LONG TIME, WHAT IF I’VE FORGOTTEN HOW TO DO EVERYTHING? +

Don’t worry, we’ll be going at your pace and once you get back into the swing of things, you’ll be surprised how quickly you remember your skills. We’re still the same circus family and we’ll be taking care of each other just like we always have.