Members of the acclaimed Canadian-based Cirque Éloize will be running free circus skills workshops at Birmingham Hippodrome during half term.

Working with professional artists from the company young people aged eight to 15 will have the opportunity to take part in circus taster sessions, and the chance to experience aspects of Cirque Eloize’s brand new show iD which receives its Midlands premiere at Birmingham Hippodrome in November.

Liz Leck, education and audience development manager at the theatre said: “This is  a once in a life-time opportunity for young people to work with artists who are at the top of their tree and learn about circus as they have never known it before.”

Positioned at the heart of the renewal of circus arts, Cirque Éloize has been creating moving performances filled with magic since 1993. It is one of the leaders in contemporary circus arts. With seven original productions to its credit, the company has presented more than 4,000 performances in over 425 cities and 35 countries.

Cirque Éloize has taken part in numerous prestigious international festivals and recently performed on Broadway with its show Rain. iD, makes its Midland’s premiere at Birmingham Hippodrome from November 2-5, 2011. It is a blend of circus arts and urban dance bringing together b-boying/b-girling, breakdance, hip-hop, juggling, bike trial, aerial performances, trampolining and much more.

The first time iD will have been presented in Europe, it features an international cast of 16 energetic and multi-skilled performers fusing circus and multimedia giving it a unique feel.

The Cirque Eloize workshop week will run from 10am-3pm,  Tuesday, October 25 to Friday , October a28, 2011, t Birmingham Hippodrome and is aimed at children aged eight to 8-15.

Children will be supervised at all times and must:

• Be dropped off and collected by an adult each day at Thorp Street reception
• Be signed in and out of the building by Birmingham Hippodrome Education team
• Bring a packed lunch and refreshments with them
• Wear suitable clothing and footwear

To book a free place , contact Birmingham Hippodrome Box Office on 0844 338 5000.

iD runs at Birmingham Hippodrome from Wednesday, November 2, 2011 to Saturday, November 5. Tickets are priced from £14.50-£30 and are available online at www.birminghamhippodrome.com or by calling 0844 338 5000. Calls vary from 5p per minute. 5% transaction charge.  Performance times Wed-Fri Eves 7.30pm; Sat 2.30pm & 8pm.