our story

once upon a circus

I always loved gymnastics, dance and theatre. Any excuse to show off! So I leapt at the chance to join a cultural exchange programme in America and spend the summer at circus school. It was the perfect worry-free life; setting up a show, making people happy and then doing it all over again. Year after year, I went back. We travelled across 35 different states, living in trailers, buses and hotels. It was the circus life of books and childhood dreams. But I worried about where I was going next. I wanted a career so I started by trying to get a job. With no qualifications and no clue what I was looking for, I struggled.

So I did what I knew and loved, and in 2011 started a circus class (with one member). And just like that, CircusMash was born. Ten years later, one class became forty and CircusMash is now the heart of Birmingham’s community circus; my inner mood board painted across the city.

But it didn’t stop there. Creating shows and performing were always on my mind. So, inspired by my love of fashion and creativity, House of Mash emerged. A way to share dance, song and spoken word in all its hope and glory. And to showcase the incredible young people who inspire me every single day.

Joe Fearn, Founder and Director