Fire Arts and Performance

Fire Art Performance is a visual and auditory spectacle, beautiful and exiting to watch.

I remember well the rush of using fire for the first time- there's nothing quite like the sound of hot flame whipping through the air inches from your head; excitment tempered by fear as you realise that the only thing you can rely on is yourself and the skills you have acquired.

I, and many of my peers, learnt about fire in a hit and miss fashion, working out the best way to do things through personal innovation and gleaning information from the internet and chance meeting with other 'fire people'.

That's not the best way to do it- fire arts are potentially highly dangerous. In my workshops I have assisted many individuals with their first use of fire and always emphasise safe practice, including: -

• Type of fuel and best spinning equipment
• Self protection- best clothing to wear, what to do to minimise risk of accident, and how to deal with anything that does go wrong
• No pressure to push themselves beyond what they're comfortable with; the most valuable characteristic a fire person can have is to know their limits and trust their own judgement
• For a first burn I provide special undersized wick equipment so a beginner can get acustomed to fire without undue fear of getting burnt

Things to consider when booking a fire performer

When booking a fire performer it is important to ensure that they possess public liability that covers fire- you are advised to insist on seeing insurance documents.

Also, think of the location of your event. Fire works best outdoors; there will need to be a space at least 5m x 5m which can be seperated from bystanders with a barrier.

I have over ten years experience of fire performance and have public liability insurance to £2,000,000 that covers all the workshops I do and includes fire.

Here are some photos of me fire spinning- click on them to see the full size versions.