Polymer - The National Centre for Circus Arts Ensemble Shows

A rare opportunity for the public to see National Centre for Circus Arts students perform before many of them graduate to join illustrious performance arts organisations such as Cirque du Soleil.

The culmination of the National Centre for Circus Arts' three-year BA (Hons) Degree programme presents the public with a rare opportunity to see students perform as part of an ensemble show before they graduate. The hugely popular annual degree show, this year called Polymer, will run from 6-8 July as part of Southbank's Udderbelly Festival.

Polymer (which is a DNA-like structure) will feature captivating performances by 18 artists lifting, falling, climbing and uniting in a show centering on the strength of the ensemble and the sum of its parts. The Lina Johansson (Mimbre) directed piece explores beauty, thrill and teamwork in a fantastic setting through a fusion of circus skills, music and dexterity.

Circus in the UK is growing and this year's Udderbelly Festival sees wide range of circus arts programmed in the giant inflatable cow on the banks of the River Thames. Other National Centre Circus Arts graduates on the bill include Barely Methodical Trope's show Bromance (24 June – 19 July), Circus Geeks: Beta Testing (26 May – 21 June); and Circus Maximius which appeared earlier this year.

The National Centre for Circus Arts is one of the best circus schools in the world and the UK's leading circus organisation. Now in its 25th year, the organisation, formerly known as Circus Space, launched its "National" status in 2014 following recognition from the government of its achievement to date and the value of the Circus industry to the UK's cultural economy.