The Iowa State Center has been awarded funding by the Arts Midwest Touring Fund, which will bring the show, Flip FabriQue’s show Attrape Moi (Catch Me!) to campus, as well as outreach programs directed at engaging and educating the community through the arts.

The attraction selected is Flip FabriQue. Flip FabriQue was started in 2011 by a group of six students who graduated together from the Quebec City Circus School. These graduates and close friends all shared the dream of creating circus shows that would reflect each other’s unique talents, as well as continue to grow as artists by performing stunts together that release their emotions and continue to push themselves to each other’s full potential.

The art direction of the show was developed by the artists and their director. The show unveils and showcases each group member’s unique talents to create an extraordinary show for their audience.

Flip FabriQue’s show Attrape Moi! (Catch Me) takes audiences on a journey to a cottage where six acrobats witness their first get together in a decade. The performance includes them using folding chairs for a portion of the show, then a series of acrobatics, and then bring out a unique trampo-wall to entertain audiences with as well.

Midwest Arts Touring Fund supports presenters within a nine-state region in order to bring artists to communities throughout the midwest and empower these communities as well. It’s also a sector of Arts Midwest, which is supported by the National Endowment for the Arts, as well as, the Iowa Arts Council, and various private funds.

They help to empower communities by requiring their grants have certain criteria for institutions to meet in order to receive the grant. To receive this grant, the Iowa State Center had to make sure that the grant proposal consisted of the selection of an attraction that was not from the state of Iowa, and that consisted a number of outreach activities related to the attraction to further engage and the community through the selected attraction.

Part of the money from the grant received from Arts Midwest Touring Fund will also go to outreach programs related to Flip FabriQue’s performance. So far, listed on the outreach schedule, chosen outreach programs include: the YMCA in Boone, the Ames Public Library, Youth and Shelter Services in both Hamilton and Boone Counties.

“It’s really about taking the art form out and about extending the benefit of the experience. Because even the people who don’t come to the show, can then benefit just from the company being here and the activities that we have beyond that,” Sara Compton, Iowa State Outreach Manager said.

For this show, the outreach program has selected on the kinesiology department at Iowa State to be one of the groups helping to educate children in organizations that are geared toward helping children from underprivileged homes in the community.

The kinesiology department will work with the kids to give them a foundation so that when they see the show, they have a deeper understanding and appreciation for all of that’s going on by educating them on the performance. One of things they will teach the kids is some of the science involved in the acts. Another thing that will be taught during outreach activities is trust. Trust is an essential part of the performance, as each performer must trust each other immensely in order to successfully perform all of the stunts in the show without getting majorly hurt.

“We try to make there always an opportunity to explore the performance a little deeper, or in a little different way,” Sara Compton said.

Also funded by the grant is a pre-performance talk in the Celebrity Cafe of Stephen’s auditorium where someone from the show or someone from the university, or local community will come to get people in the mood for the show and talk about various subjects.

Paul Ferrone, Iowa State Center Development Manager said, “The grant is part of our funding efforts to bring a broad range of different types of performing arts to Stephen’s Auditorium so that students on campus can experience it. It adds value to a student’s educational experience. It shows that what’s happening on stage isn’t just for a certain group of people. Its exposing people that may not otherwise be able to come to a concert to something that will potential transform their lives. The grant is part of adding something culturally to a community that we all value. What the arts do, is it takes everything you’ve learned on campus and brings it all together in one place.”

This performance will take place on Oct. 1, 2017 at 3 p.m. in Stephens Auditorium. Tickets start at $25 and will vary by section.

For more information and to find tickets for this event, visit: https://www.center.iastate.edu/events/flip-fabrique/