Projects
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: use our contact form
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 (opens in a new tab) (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.
The full story: tour diary, impact and video diary →
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 (opens in a new tab) - 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, Aditya Karikalan (The Hindu, May 2015 (opens in a new tab)).
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 (opens in a new tab).
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 two performances on the roof of the Royal Festival Hall (opens in a new tab) at London’s Southbank Centre, during the Alchemy festival on 21 May 2017.
Read more: A new medium for narration (opens in a new tab), The Hindu’s account of Conditions of Carriage (October 2016), which lists Prabu among the performers.
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