Exploring parkour from different perspectives is important to us.
Tapping into learning exchange opportunities, Parkour Circle works on projects and collaborations with partners from a variety of fields – education, contemporary dance, theatre, and beyond. If your organisation is interested in partnering with us on a project idea, please write to: info@parkourcircle.org
Indian Steam (2016-2017)
A RE:Imagine India | UK-India Year of Culture Project
Indian Steam was a landmark collaboration between Parkour Circle and The UPG Team (Urban Playground Team), the UK’s original Performance Parkour company. Supported by Arts Council England and the British Council as part of RE:Imagine India, the project celebrated 70 years of Indian independence through the UK-India 2017 Year of Culture.
The project reimagined UPG’s touring show STEAM for Indian audiences and performers. Two versions evolved in parallel – one Indian, one British – shaped by the communities that helped create them.
India Tour (January-February 2017)
The team travelled 900 miles across Tamil Nadu by rail, delivering workshops and performances at:
- Coonoor – St Anthony’s School
- Coimbatore – Suburban School
- Puducherry – Sharanam Centre (with Satya Special School)
- Auroville – Opening performance at Adishakti Theatre’s ‘Remembering Veenapani’ Festival
- Chennai – YMCA College of Physical Education and Rail Museum at ICF Perambur
UK Tour (2017)
Parkour Circle members joined the UPG Team in the UK for:
- Dewsbury Market Place (August) – for Creative Scene
- Lakeside Arts, Nottingham (October) – Diwali celebration at the Djanogly Theatre
Project Impact
- 9 performances to 4,500+ live audience
- 34 workshops with 900+ participants
- 18 partner organisations across India and UK
- 10 million+ reached through print, online, and radio
The legacy continues – Parkour Circle tours our own version of Indian Steam through Tamil Nadu, and the 2PK techniques developed during this collaboration now form part of our ongoing special needs education programmes.
Read more about Performance Parkour →
Project Partners: Satya Special School, Adishakti Theatre Arts, Vidyasagar, Creative Scene, Lakeside Arts
Parkour in Education (2016 – Present)
Putting parkour within the reach of every person is important to us. Parkour Circle works with schools across Tamil Nadu to introduce children and teachers to movement education.
We work with a variety of schools – from Montessori to special education – discovering more about parkour ourselves in the process. Our programmes range from one-off taster sessions to structured long-term curricula where students can choose parkour as an elective subject.
Learn more about our education programmes →
Ponniyin Selvan
What happens when parkour principles find a place in vernacular theatre?
One of Tamil Nadu’s oldest and foremost theatre groups, Magic Lantern, explored precisely that with their epic production Ponniyin Selvan – one of Tamil literature’s greatest historical novels brought to stage.
Prabu Mani worked with director Pravin Kannanur to understand where parkour movement could add purpose and velocity to the script, creating an astounding storytelling tool. In turn, he discovered a theatre artist in himself, taking on one of the principal roles.
The play debuted to full houses in its opening week in Chennai and has since toured Tamil Nadu and made its international debut at the Esplanade Theatre in Singapore.
Conditions of Carriage – The Jumping Project
A collaboration with Preethi Athreya, Chennai-based contemporary dancer and choreographer.
This project explores the body as a functional being seeking harmony with the space it shares with other people. Preethi chose jumping as the narrative medium, leveraging its relative objectivity compared to traditional dance forms.
Prabu Mani worked with the group to bring softness and lightness to their jumps – applying parkour’s principles of efficient landing and controlled movement to contemporary dance.
The Jumping Project has toured India and the UK, including performances at London’s Southbank Centre.