About the Organisers
Jude Smith
A workflow consultant by profession and a juggler by inclination, Jude first encountered the spirit of serious fun at juggling festivals in New Zealand, Australia, UK and Europe. She loved the festival mix of amazing feats, sharing of skills, wonderful entertainment and complete nonsense, but it was a juggling festival in Tblisi, Georgia, then a newly-independent state, which completed hooked her. Hosted by the Georgian circus, local people were at the centre of festival activities, creating a week of entertaining and life-changing moments for those involved. Seeing how easily fun and laughter reached into different worlds, Jude got together with a few like-minded people to organise the first ever juggling festival in Thailand in 1993. The Serious Fun Committee was born.
Virginia Henderson
Virginia throws a few balls in the air. A founding member of Serious Fun and an independent facilitator and documenter specialising in culture and development, she works in Asia and Africa and has organized international juggling festivals in Thailand and Laos, a Kiwi film festival in Bangkok and annual cheese rolling events on the family farm in New Zealand successfully raising funds for families facing the challenge of autism. Currently based in Yangon she has coordinated the FaithSpace multimedia project and is writing about the heritage in the city.
Jules Howarth
Jules (Mr Jules www.mrjules.net) is a performer, production and stage manager and festival creator. He produced the European Juggling Conventions in 1991 and 2005 and has worked closely with the European Juggling Association since 1991 variously as Festival Director, Stage Manager, Festival Advisor, Compere, Show-facilitator and general Trouble-shooter. He has worked regularly with the Glastonbury Festival Theatre & Circus Fields. He has lived and worked in several countries including Holland, Italy, Spain and France. He went to Laos with the Serious Fun Committee. He is Membership & Communications officer for the National Association of Street Artists UK www.nasauk.org