Meet the Sunderland aerialist teaching the high-flying sport to others

Whether gracefully poised in a suspended hoop or displaying immense strength holding her body weight whilst swinging from a rope, you may well have spotted Emma Bloomfield high above your head at city events and festivals.

Using aerial art as a form of theatrical storytelling is Emma’s speciality and she’s performed it at many events over the years, from the Tall Ships Race to Summer Streets.

She honed her craft in a travelling circus 20 years ago and today she passes on this skill to others with her own aerial arts school.

“I spent nine months in a travelling circus school where we would perform at weekends in a professional big top show and train during the week,” said Emma. “It wasn’t quite for me in the end, so I came home and began teaching.”

Emma runs her school, Bloom Aerial Club, at AAA Sports in Southwick, with a mixture of kids and adult group and private classes, one of the few places in the area you can learn this unique skill.

No experience is needed to try your hand at aerial art, but you may want to develop a head for heights as you learn how to hold yourself and manoeuvre on equipment, usually a hoop, silks or rope.

It may not be an obvious sport to take up, but it’s a great all rounder.

As Emma explains: “It’s great for strength building, flexibility and balance. But it also has great mental health benefits, because of the confidence building and creativity.

“Our group has become a proper community and people go on social outings.

“Obviously, there are the heights, but no one starts at that. You learn movement on the mats, then you get the height. No one is ever strong enough when they start but, it’s like anything, the more you practice the better you get. You’re constantly working your muscles.”

As well as it being a great way for keeping fit, Emma really enjoys the expressive side of being an aerialist.

“I really like the theatrical storytelling of aerial art when you’re telling the story of a character, rather than corporate events, although the latter does come along more often,” she said.

“Sometimes, when you’re in the moment, it’s difficult to react to the audience,” she said. “But there are moments in between movements where you can interact and give expression and I really enjoy that.”

The aerialist believes anyone can have a go at this growing sport.

"I love to see our community of aerialists grow and progress to a level beyond where they thought they could reach,” she said.

​"When creating my own work my main inspiration comes from my beloved North East, and the strong women who have raised me. I enjoy telling stories about our region through my aerial choreography, and both celebrating and raising important issues around being a woman."

Emma is also part of the Circurama troupe, an outreach circus company who teach their skills at schools and community groups around the region, recently performing at the One Big Summer launch in Sunderland.

*For more on joining Emma’s Bloom Aerial Club classes see here:https://www.bloomaerial.co.uk/