Jim Parker: At last, something to celebrate in Castle Circus - yep Castle Circus!

At last something to celebrate in down-trodden Castle Circus. And it’s absolutely fantastic to see it’s the Community with a capital ‘C’ leading the way, with our youngsters out in front.
The aim is to help revive an area and neighbourhood that probably has the worst reputation in the Bay for crime, drugs and anti-social behaviour with good old fashioned community spirit.
This won’t involve police, street marshalls, drugs busts or public disturbance orders.
It will be an actual festival to celebrate, yes celebrate. Castle Circus community partners are coming together to stage the free weekend festival for all this October.
This is My Circus will feature live music and performance, murals, selfie stations, community stalls and pop ups, workshops, fun and circus-inspired celebrations.
It takes place in Castle Circus, Union Street, the Union Square Shopping Centre, Fleet Walk and the Strand on the weekend of October 18 and 19.
I’m told the aim is to ‘revitalise’ Castle Circus through creative expression, community pride, and cultural collaboration — transforming underused spaces into hubs of activity, storytelling, and connection.
The event is a partnership between Torbay Council, Torbay Communities and local community organisations, schools and businesses.
Community action days take place over the next few weeks to prepare the area for the event.
Torbay Communities is hosting the days so local volunteers can work together to give the area a spruce up ahead of the festival.
Local artists have also begun preparing murals on the Castle pub, the former pharmacy at Castle Circus, the hoardings outside the old Debenhams site and the old Mambo building.
Coombe Pafford School is one of the schools that has got involved with This is My Circus. Pupils have put together proposals for improving the area with suggestions including creating more youth spaces, arts activities and public events.
They presented their ideas to councillors, businesses and partners at a showcase during the summer.
They also showed off handmade mosaics and crafts, which will be on sale in a pop-up shop during the festival.
Coombe Pafford pupils and Cockington Primary School pupils have also created art for the selfie stations, which will be painted by Mark Bell from Kick up the Arts and South Devon College students.
Venues for the festival include empty shop premises along Fleet Walk and Union Street, the Ellacombe Community Café in Temperance Street and Nexus Games in Union Street.
Councillor Jackie Thomas, cabinet member for tourism, culture and events, said: “This festival will be an opportunity to showcase what can be achieved to revitalise an area when communities come together. That’s the great thing about this festival – it’s led by the people who live, work and study in Castle Circus.
“They’re coming up with some innovative ideas to celebrate the place they call home and I hope the wider community will get behind them and attend This is My Circus or the community action days happening over the next few weeks.
“In the longer-term we hope to attract funding for other projects to keep that momentum going.”
Visit This is My Circus webpage for details of events, venues and times: https://www.torbay.gov.uk/ leisure-sports-and-community/ this-is-my-circus/
The Community Action Days take place on: Tuesday 30 September, Wednesday 1 October, Friday 3 October, Tuesday 7 October, Wednesday 8 October, Tuesday 14 October and Wednesday 15 October.
If you would like to join in with the action day activities, you can email davinaluther@torbaycdt.org.uk
Please let’s get behind this. Of course it won’t solve the problems in Castle Circus. But it shows there can be hope going forward thanks to the community and, most importantly, the kids. Our kids. This, regeneration, government funding, the whole piece - it’s for their future.