Belfast International Arts Festival returns to the Grand Opera House from October 20-21 with FIQ!, an incredible Moroccan circus show that is an absolute treat for audiences of all ages.
In FIQ!, acrobatics, gymnastics, street dance and hip-hop collide in a colourful ode to the young people of Morocco. The show, by Groupe Acrobatique de Tanger, has astounded audiences across Europe with its phenomenal acrobatic feats.
Created by Moroccan artist Hassan Hajjaj and choreographer, director, and tightrope acrobat Maroussia Diaz Verbeke, FIQ! features 15 skilled acrobats and hip-hop dancers, 100 Coca-Cola bottle crates, one human trampoline, a motorcycle live on stage, a few footballs and one live DJ!
The show has wowed critics wherever it has gone; it was described as “a dazzle of back flips and somersaults” in a four-star Guardian review, while the Sussex Express said that “FIQ! has more energy than a child on Christmas morning and skills that would make Lionel Messi jealous.”
Groupe Acrobatique de Tanger was created by Sanae El Kamouni in 2003. Her idea was to work with acrobats from the Moroccan city of Tangier and produce something new.
Read more: Belfast International Arts Festival launches a packed programme of performances and more for its 61st edition
She instigated a different way of working, by inviting European theatre makers to go to Tangier to create contemporary productions, devised with the Moroccan acrobats. The group put popular culture at the heart of everything they do, making their shows accessible to all. In all of their shows, they aim to preserve and promote Moroccan acrobatics.
Contemporary artist Hassan Hajjaj’s work is heavily influenced by Marrakech’s club, hip-hop and reggae scenes, as well as his North African heritage. His works include portraits, installations, performance and fashion as well as design objects, such as furniture made from recycled materials like Coca-Cola crates and aluminium cans.
FIQ! is an unmissable night out, perfect for families and is at the Grand Opera House, Belfast for just two nights, on Friday 20 and Saturday 21 October.
For more information and to book tickets, visit belfastinternationalartsfestival.com
For all the latest news, visit the Belfast Live homepage here and sign up to our daily newsletter here.