Chapter 203: 13 Years of NoFit State in Pictures

Augusts Dakteris with cast of Bianco
All photo credits: Mark Robson (www.ineptgravity.com)

"Photography is a way of feeling, of touching, of loving. What you have caught on film is captured forever... it remembers little things, long after you have forgotten everything."  Aaron Siskind

Daiki Izumida from Parklife in Stockton-on-Tees

With the 250th anniversary round the corner of Philip Astley "the father of modern circus", there has been much talk, and many exciting plans put into action, to commemorate that fact, all brought together under the umbrella of Circus250. One of the highlights of the year will be a flagship show by NoFit State. The company has had an extraordinary trajectory, from its roots in the friendship of five friends in a juggling group that evolved organically from a university society in the early 80s (I was in my university's juggling society, we obviously dropped a few balls!), into the UK's leading contemporary circus company. 

Mark Robson first came into contact with the company in 1995 when he blew up two cars for the finale of their show Autogeddon, joining their board in 2002 and taking pictures from then on which provide a stunning photographic testimonial both to the company and Astley's legacy. Recently Mark brought a number of photos together in a book, really meant as a family album, called "Let's Do It Again", as a leaving present and thank you to Ali Williams, one of the founders of the company. That provided the foundation, and prototype, for Mark to realise his dream of putting together professionally a coffee table book that memorialises and immortalises all the magic and wonder of shows over the past thirteen years from Immortal to Block. 

Mark's Kickstarter now is up and running. NoFit State is a company close to my heart. Bianco is the show that kickstarted my own desire to run away to the circus, and to see the show again in a Big Top on the Southbank at Christmas was a real joy. I loved the colour and the crazy of Noodles, and thanks to a NoFit State outdoor Open House at Stratford Circus a couple of years ago I first met Mark, as well as Sam Goodburn, who will be in a show I'm curating at Jacksons Lane next week (Shhh!). I admire the ethos behind NoFit State's social engagement along with the fact that they make shows of epic proportions and talent that inspire dreaming and fire the imagination.

I value and support this project for its subject matter but also, as a collector of images, simply for the beauty of the photographs themselves. But it will only become a reality if fully funded by 30 July, so please spread the word and check out the Kickstarter campaign:
 www.kickstarter.com/projects/1656839042/in-nofitstate-immortal-to-block

Anna Sandreuter in Mundo Paralelo 

Check out The Circus Diaries informative interview with Mark Robson about theKickstarter: click here.

31 July: CONGRATULATIONS to Mark Robson - the project is now fully funded thanks to everyone who supported and spread the word! Really looking forward to seeing my copy which will be coming out in Autumn.  #circuscommunity #circusgoal #circuslove