Muirhouse Youth Development Group is a local charity which provides opportunities for young people through educational, arts and sport-based activities. This project focuses on north Edinburgh’s heritage of travelling circuses that once regularly visited the area.

Young people from the ages of 14 to 19 have been tracing the roots of the circus from its heyday in the 19th century through to the present day from the rituals, characters and spectacles associated with this vibrant art form. Qualified circus performers delivered activity workshops and events took place on a Saturday night to engage with a wider range of young people. The partnership with National Library of Scotland enabled young people to go behind the scenes and study relevant archive material for the project. 

A range of community groups have been involved including a ‘knit and natter’ group, a lunch club and a walking group who shared their stories and memories of travelling circuses. Community film nights included the screening of the 1974 film Suitcase Circus, which was filmed in Muirhouse when community circus was at its peak.