Grant set to make a ‘world of difference’ at Skylight

Tom Butterworth juggling

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Tom Butterworth, 22, has been granted funding from Vodafone to work full-time at Skylight Circus Arts, Rochdale, for two months.

Mr Butterworth applied for a ‘World of Difference’ grant, alongside thousands of other young people in the UK and was one of only 500 who were successful.

He has been performing and learning skills with Skylight since he was eight years old when he joined the junior youth circus.

Since then he has been away to university to study film, become a volunteer with the company and has taught in several Skylight classes

Mr Butterworth’s application to Vodafone emphasised how he would use his film and media skills to bring the company up to speed and how keen he was to develop the level of circus skills amongst his peers in Skylight Youth Circus.

He explained to Vodafone that: “This connects to my desire to show my hometown, Rochdale, in a much more positive light, as we are a town that has had a lot of negative attention recently.”

Mr Butterworth begins his time at Skylight on the 5 March. You can see him in action at Skylight’s 'Hanging by a Thread' performances on 30 and 31 March.