Actor | Aerialist | Vocal Coach

Aerialist

In 2012, Karina was asked to train as an aerial circus artist for the opening ceremony of the Paralympics. She trained for three months at The National Centre of Circus Arts in London and fell in love with aerial hoop, trapeze and fabrics. Karina continued full time training on the Green Top Circus aerial performers course and with Circus Oz, Melbourne and has since worked in various productions as an aerialist including The Cerebral Palsy World Games Opening Ceremony, ‘Terry Riley in C’ with the Paraorchestra at Colston Hall, ‘Taking Flight’ Rogue Play Theatre Company and the UK tour of ‘Weighting’ with Extraordinary Bodies. 

In 2021, Karina was awards the  Jerwood Arts Live Work Fund to develop her aerial practise. 

2023 saw Karina  being awarded an Unlimited International Award to develop and perform in the circus production WHERE DO I SIT? with Tamba Africa Social Circus. This will be performed in Zimbabwe in 2023 and Shambala in 2024.

Earlier in 2023, Karina was commissioned by Articulture to create and perform in the outdoor theatre and circus production HOLES which toured Wales.

Follow Karina’s Aerial work on Facebook here

Where do I sit? – Unlimited International Award

This energetic circus show explores what it means to fight for a seat at the table.

Four performers from England and Zimbabwe – Karina Jones, Amy Nicholls, Tanya Ngundu and Dione Manjoro – collaborate on a comical aerial dance performance.

They highlight the lack of ‘seats’ allocated to women and disabled people.

The show uses audio description and gestural sign language to be accessible to international d/Deaf and visually impaired audiences. It incorporates the stories of communities in Harare, Zimbabwe.

An Unlimited International Partner Award 2023 commission supported by British Council

Members of Tamba Africa Social Circus company performing. A woman and two men gaze out front with big smiles on their faces, arms stretched out in front of them. Behind sit drummers. Everyone has various patterns painted on their face in white, red and blue.

Holes by Karina Jones – Commissioned by Articulture and the Wales Outdoor Arts Consortium.

Holes is beautiful, fun, playful, participatory and provocative.Two women (aerial hoop artists) one blind, come across a hole in space. They tumble into it and guide us through their wondrous imaginative journey.

Holes has accessibility for visually impaired audiences at its heart with bilingual embedded audio description. It exposes the experience of visually impaired people from the start and embeds it in the heart of the performance for all.

Created by Karina Jones & Kate Lawrence

Performed by Karina Jones & Daisy Williams 

Directed by Mish Weaver 

Karina hanging upside down on an aerial hoop infant of a grassy mountain. She wears all orange and  holds a small round mirror. In the reflection is another woman crawling out of the mirror.
Karina performing in an aerial hoop infront of a grassy motnain. She wears a yellow catsuit and black doc Martin boots. Her legs are hooked elegantly around the bottom of the hoop as she holds the top with one hand.. Her other arm reaches out in front of her.

  Watch holes on itv backstage! 

We loved being featured on this episode of Backstage with ITV. Follow the link and watch at 17.42 for our interview and a sneak peek at our performance of Holes! 

https://www.itv.com/walesprogrammes/articles/backstage-at-the-eisteddfod-episode-1

Karina being interviewed on ITV backstage about her work on Holes

Aerial Showreel 2023 – click below to play 

 

Diamonds are a Girls Best Friend – Aerial Piece 2022

Many thanks to my team who have helped me create my latest aerial piece to Diamonds are a Girls Best Friend. I really enjoyed this one! 

Chreography by Megan Price, Direction by Edward Lee Swift, Videography by Phil Bearman, Aerial coaching by Kat Clark.

KEP Photo Aerial Shoot 2021 

             

                       

                                       

Aerial Sicilienne 2020 

This is my latest aerial performance thanks to a micro commission from Unlimited Arts to create a new aerial piece during lockdown. Pleas enjoy the audio described performance above! 

For latest news – visit Karina’s official Facebook aerialist page 

Performing a solo hoop performance at the Opening Ceremony of the Cerebal Palsy World Games

 

Watch Karina’s aerial work online

Performing with Extraordinary Bodies

 

Taking Flight, Rogue Play Theatre Company (2017). Karina as The Bird (red catsuit!) 

Karina as The Bird

 

Weighting, Extraordinary Bodies
find out more in this video…

To enquire about Karina’s aerial work or book her to perform please do so via the Contact Page