Warble Entertainment have a number of aerial acts on offer; from solo and duo aerial silks, rope and hoop performances, to large choreographed aerial spectaculars.
All Warble Entertainment shows are entertaining and highly skilful, and stylistically range from cheeky up-tempo numbers to slower more ethereal acts. Many Warble Entertainment performers are multi-skilled, so we may be able to offer you a circus entertainment package that includes fire performances or stilt-walking in addition to the aerial acts.
Warble Entertainment have a number of aerial acts on offer; from solo and duo aerial silks, rope and hoop performances, to large choreographed aerial spectaculars.
All Warble Entertainment shows are entertaining and highly skilful, and stylistically range from cheeky up-tempo numbers to slower more ethereal acts. Many Warble Entertainment performers are multi-skilled, so we may be able to offer you a circus entertainment package that includes fire performances or stilt-walking in addition to the aerial acts.
We are more than happy to discuss the technical aspects of aerial performance with
you and conduct a site visit if you are unsure about your venue's rig-ability. Please see our Aerial Tech FAQs sheet for more details and contact us with any questions you may have.
Act suitable for:
Indoor & outdoor events (subject to rigging requirements). All age audiences.
Technical details:
All aerialists will need a warm, dry, secure dressing room. Aerial acts have specific technical requirements, see separate Aerial FAQs for more details.
Length of act (s):
Approx 6 minutes for an aerial act, or 20 minutes for ambient aerial hangabout. Can be performed up to 3 times in a day if adequate recovery time is allowed between performances.
Prior to booking - FAQs
To ensure all safety elements have been considered there are some basic technical requirements that need to be considered before a confirmed booking is made. It is also advisable to consider all aspects of the space to maximise the impact of an aerial performance.
How high is the potential rigging point?
A rigging point between 6 and 10 metres is usually straight forward. Rigging in spaces higher than 10 metres may require additional trussing and cables, and extra rig time.
What is the performance area?
It is helpful for us to have a copy of accurate plans/photos of the space to assess where is best to rig, and how to maximise the impact of the performance in the space. Many standard building plans do not include distances from the ground so you may need to find these out through consulting the original architectural plans or by measuring the space.
Where is the potential rigging point in relation to the space?
To maximise the impact of aerial performance it is preferable to have the rig points centre stage or placed symmetrically around centre stage for multiple performers.
What is the potential rigging point?
Riggable points can include: steel beams/girders, trussing, large wooden beams, industrial anchor points, sturdy tree branches, cranes. We ask that each rig point is loadtested to 1 ton. If this information is not is not found by consulting the original architectural plans for the building, we may recommend that you have a structural engineer assess the rig points. Non-standard performance spaces may require a site visit by the performers/riggers.
What is the access to the potential rigging point?
Ladders, access walkways, access trussing, cherry picker hire, climbing equipment.
Are their any obstacles to rigging or performing in the space?
Lights, mirror balls, heating ducts, sound equipment, décor, naked flames, or equipment on the stage beneath the performers.
Where is the equipment when not in use?
It is sometimes necessary to page aerial equipment up out of the way of public access. This can be done with pulleys, provided by the performer and rigged at the same time as the aerial equipment. If the equipment needs to be paged in and out during an event, we ask that a stage hand be provided to do so, and is rehearsed during the technical rehearsal.
FOR THE PERFORMANCE
Technical rehearsal:
A full run through with music, sound and lights, and any stage managers/hands, will be required for most performances. This needs to be at least 2 hours before the actual performance time.
Space:
The area around the base of each piece of aerial equipment and a path from the changing rooms to the performance area needs to be clean and dry as many aerialists perform with bare feet. A performance area/stage of approximately 3m x 3m underneath the aerial equipment (free of clutter, musical equipment and audience members!) will be required for some aerial acts. If there are to be roaming audience members/staff, we recommend stewarding or clear boundary markers (e.g. rope) to demarcate the edges of the performance area.
Lighting:
To maximise the impact of the aerial performance it is preferable to have the rig points for the aerial equipment centre stage and for the whole performance space to be adequately lit - it is quite common for lighting crews to forget to light the whole height of the aerial performance area! This is why we recommend a technical rehearsal in the space.
Backstage:
The aerial performers will require a secure changing room and a warm up space that is clean and warm with a floor that is suitable for lying on. The performers will need adequate time to warm up their muscles before each performance. Light refreshments would be greatly appreciated.
EQUIPMENT
Our aerial equipment is made from high quality materials and all equipment is checked before and after every show for signs of damage or wear and tear.
Equipment used:
Silks: Pieces of fabric (usually polycotton) 16 or 20 metres in length, doubled over and knotted in the middle at the rig point.
Rope/Corde Lisse: Cotton climbing rope usually 10 metres in length.
Web: Cotton climbing rope with a small loop attached a third of the way down from a swivel placed between the top of the rope and the rig point.
Trapeze: A steel horizontal bar with two vertical parallel ropes usually about 4 metres in length attaching to two rig points approximately 60cm apart. Sometimes trapezes can be rigged to a single point with a swivel allowing the trapeze to rotate. Access to trapeze is usually a cotton rope rigged approximately 1 metre to one side of the trapeze.
Hoop: A steel ring approximately 1 metre in diameter, attaching with either 1 or 2 lugs welded to the top of the ring. Access to the hoop can be via a rope as the trapeze, or via a short length of material slung over the hoop.
Attachments: Aerial equipment is usually attached to the rigging points using climbing slings and alloy karabiners, or industrial strops and steel karabiners. Industrial steel cables and trussing are sometimes used to rig equipment in spaces higher than 10 metres.
Insurance
All performers have public liability insurance of a minimum of £5 million.
Rigging and de-rigging
The performers and/or riggers will arrive at a pre-arranged time to rig the equipment. The performers may then require a technical run through of the act in the space with sound and lights, with plenty of time allowed for the aerialists to warm up prior to rehearsing and performing.
After the show is over, the performers and/or riggers will de-rig the equipment at a time pre-arranged with the client. This is usually immediately after the performance, but in some cases (e.g. events that go on late into the night) it could be the following day. It is helpful to have parking close to the venue at the time of the rig and de-rig for the loading and unloading of equipment.
Usually the rigging will be done by the performers themselves, all of whom are highly competent riggers of their own equipment. On some occasions it is necessary to hire in an additional rigger for complicated or high spaces; this would always be in arrangement with the client.
A rigging point between 6 and 10 metres is usually straight forward - higher than 10 metres is fine but may require extra set up time. Aerialists usually train an act at around 6 metres. Rigging in spaces higher than 10 metres may require additional trussing and cables.
Access to the rig point will have been pre-arranged with the client. This could be a ladder, an aerial walkway, or require the use of a cherry picker or some clever climbing equipment.
Please Note: The fees indicated below are approximate and based on a central location for each county. They are intended to provide a rough guide only and exact quotes can only be given once the date and exact location of your event have been provided.
