2017 Trouper Patrick Chikoloma of Circus Zambia
Name: Patrick Chikoloma
Age: 17
From: Lusaka, Zambia
Training: Circus Zambia
It was an exchange program between students of Van Lodostov Family Circus in Hartford, Vermont and Circus Zambia last summer that made Patrick Chikoloma’s first visit to the United States possible. Coming to perform around the Vermont for Circus Zambia, he also attended his first Big Top Tour show and visited the headquarters of Circus Smirkus.
We’re now eagerly awaiting Patrick’s arrival to the Circus Barn for training as a trouper in the 30th Anniversary Big Top Tour – almost a year to the date that we first met him.
Patrick was born in Lusaka, the capital of Zambia. In 2014 Patrick’s cousin, Gift Chansa, started Zambia’s first social circus school, together with his friends. Patrick started to attend regular training sessions and quickly became one of the star members. But the means of Circus Zambia were limited, and training focused mostly on juggling found objects, acrobatics and banquine.
This changed when Circus Zambia and Brooke Ciardelli organised a circus exchange with Ted Lawrence of Van Lodostov Circus in 2015.
During this exchange Patrick had the chance to get to know many more circus disciplines and with the help of the Van Lodostov, Circus Zambia saw the construction of its first Chinese pole. It was love at first sight for Patrick!
In the summer of 2016 Circus Zambia was invited to tour the Upper Valley of VT/NH. Patrick was selected to represent the youth company on this tour. For two months he performed in different parts of the USA, received schooling support and had an opportunity to watch shows of some of the world’s top circuses, such as Cirque de Soleil, 7 doigts and not to forget, Circus Smirkus!
After watching Circus Smirkus amazing show Patrick and the other members of Circus Zambia had a chance to meet Rob Mermin who planted the seed that maybe one day Patrick could perform with Circus Smirkus. This led to an invitation to visit the Circus Smirkus headquarters. During the visit Circus Zambia gave a performance in a big top tent and Patrick’s skillset, showmanship and enthusiasm caught the eye of the Circus Smirkus team.
Patrick is excited to be the first Sub-Saharan African member of the Circus Smirkus Big Top Tour.
Quick Q & A With Patrick:
- If you could be one circus apparatus, what would it be and why? I would be a chinese pole, because I am strong and brave like a pole. I am stubborn (like a chinese pole doesn’t bend) and I am not easy to be a partner with at first.
- What is a favorite meal from home that you might miss this summer? Easy! Nshima with chicken.
- If you could have any superpower, what would it be? Superspeed so I can travel very fast between Zambia and USA.
- Where do you see yourself in 10 years? I want to be a good leader.
- What is your favorite thing about Circus life? You can understand each other even if you come from different backgrounds.
- If you could travel to one planet, which one would you choose and why? Mars because there can be life there.
- What is your dream? I want to help other people.
View Patrick’s Smirkus Audition Video:
Interview With Patrick Chikoloma Courtesy Circus Zambia
This interview was conducted on April 10, 2017 by Charlotte Groen for Circus Zambia, in Lusaka, Zambia
Circus Zambia: Okay, so you were born 17th of February 1999….
Patrick: Yeah. So when I was growing up, I used to like back flip and it was my best thing like I used to do it for fun with my other guys. We are really happy, my Mother and my Dad, and then suddenly things went wrong my Father and Mother broke up. So I had to go to the village – its called Chavuma*. It is one day of driving to get there.
* Chavuma is a town in North Western Zambia, lying immediately south of the border with Angola.
Circus Zambia: In which province?
Patrick: Ah, Chavuma…I think when you are going to Kafue* what-‐what*.
* Kafue is a town in the Lusaka Province of Zambia and is the southern gateway to the central Zambian plateau on which Lusaka and the mining towns of Kabwe and the Copperbelt are located.
* “What–What” is a local idiom, roughly translated to “whatnot”.
Patrick: So when I started living there, I started learning how to farm, fishing, but there was no good schooling. Schooling there it was hard, super hard*. And then my Mother came up with the decision I should come back and I came to Chibolya* and I started living with Gift’s* mom. And then still things were a bit hard cause things were not that viable. And I started using acrobatics as a way to find school fees. Sometimes I would manage and sometimes I would not.
* Super hard in this context means hardship, not academically difficult.
* Chibolya is the most notorious and dangerous slum in central Lusaka (capital city of Zambia). 5 acres with 40,000 people living, 85% of which are under the age of 14, mostly shacks without running water or electricity. This is the compound (Zambian word for ‘slum’ or ‘shanty-‐town’.)
* Gift is Patrick’s distant cousin.
Circus Zambia: Was Gift not paying for your school fees?
Patrick: Yeah, Gift was, like he was if I complained. But sometimes you think that people are helping you too much and then sometimes you don’t want to tell them and then you start fighting for yourself. Sometimes I would lie to him…“Ah, how is school?” “School is fine.” “And the school fees? Is it okay?” Yeah it is fine, when I know deep down in my heart it is not okay. Yeah, so, I did such things and then I joined circus. Ey?
Circus Zambia: Okay.
Patrick: Should I go on? Because I think I skipped a lot of stuffs.
Circus Zambia: Yeah, go back.What else do you want to say?
Patrick: I just think that you should ask me questions, it would be nice.
Circus Zambia: Okay, so when you were living in the village there was no running water or electricity?
Patrick: Yeah, well, uh, we used to go to water to the river, the Zambezi River *, yeah (laughs) to search water. Electricity*? It was there, but you just find maybe one hour a day then twelve hours, none. So it wasn’t that much.
* Electricity– Zambia experiences constant electricity shortages – even in the capital city, there are routine load-shedding periods where periods of 4‐12 hours there will be no electricity available from the power grid.
Circus Zambia: So how many years did you live in the village exactly?
Patrick: Two years.
Circus Zambia: So you were seven when you left Lusaka, and then until you were 9 you were in Chibolya? And you didn’t go to school at all? Your school was just *kwafwafwa?
*Kwafwafwa – adjective, Nyanja (local language) meaning -‐ out of working order; seriously, perhaps irreparably, damaged.
Patrick: My school was kind of kwafwafwa – cause sometimes you would find that I would start– most of the time I didn’t go to school I would only write exams. You’ll find I didn’t go to school and then exam time, I went there, I write, I pass. Next level.
Circus Zambia: So you were living like, in a hut? Or in what? In a house?
Patrick: It was a house, but it wasn’t like a ‘house’. But it was a house. Because when the rain comes, you have to go this side.
Circus Zambia: But it was with roof sheets?
Patrick: Yeah, it was, but it was leaking.
Circus Zambia: And at your school there was no electricity? Or there was electricity?
Patrick: No, there was no electricity. But we had water, a bore hole.* And of course we had books.
*Bore hole – a drilled well.
Circus Zambia: And, umm, when you were in Lusaka, and then the money you were making it’s like – I mean I know you did some stuff for Barefeet*, and that’s the money you used for your school fees? I mean, the money was coming from where?
*Barefeet– an NGO based in Lusaka that uses theater and physical performance for working with at-‐ risk-‐kids, Barefeet have a performing company that integrates acrobatics into theatrical performances. The founders of Circus Zambia were young members of the performance company.
Patrick: Yeah because everyone was helping me with school fees, Gift’s Mom, Gift himself, so like I began to feel like it was too much. Very very too much.
Circus Zambia: So you thought it was better if you –
Patrick: Try making money.
Circus Zambia: Try. So but how did you try? I mean it was through Barefeet but did you have any other way of making money?
Patrick: Apart from begging? No.
Circus Zambia: Oh? You went to beg?
Patrick: No, I did NOT went beg. [laughter]
Circus Zambia: But you were asking for help –
Patrick: Yeah, like “Look, this is what happened to me, I have no books and like look, my shoes are kwafwafwa and people are laughing at me at school. Me, I didn’t like that part. I felt that if I try hard I can do it.
Circus Zambia: Yeah. So Then you started making some money for doing shows at Barefeet?
Patrick: Yeah. And then started buy shoes, school fees, books and other stuffs.
Circus Zambia: Ahh… Okay, and how did you join Circus Zambia.
Patrick: Me and my friends when we were performing even before the idea of Circus Zambia came up – so when these guys came up with the idea uhh they decided that we should start training with them as Chiboloya and that’s how I joined.
Circus Zambia: And how do you feel about Circus Zambia?
Patrick: I… it’s a dream come true.
Circus Zambia: And how do you feel about Circus Smirkus?
Patrick: I think I am dreaming. Like – do you know if something happens like everyone is talking about it but you don’t believe that this thing is truly happening? Because I never thought that acrobatics or circus would take me this far. And then the opportunity of traveling around, I never had that dream – so I am still thinking it is a kind of a dream! Never no one will wake me up.
Circus Zambia: Ahh, when Trump tells you, no, you can not enter our country?
Patrick: And then I wake up and it will be fine. (laughs)
Circus Zambia: Okay – is there anything else you want to share?
Patrick: (silence) I don’t know. If you ask questions then you remind me of something.
Circus Zambia: How do you feel about like the way you grew up?
Patrick: I think, me, I am not blaming my past. I think the past is what makes me who I am today. And it has been a good experience like it made me be strong and it made me believe and – it made me to never give up and to always focus on what you are doing. Yeah. I think my past – I think my past now is become a story …. I think so.
Circus Zambia: What is your favorite thing about circus?
Patrick:I think it makes me happy. That’s my favorite thing. Because I do what I like, I mean – the reason I like circus is because it makes me happy. It’s different from other sports that – to me –like if I do basketball, I wouldn’t be that happy. But whenever I am on stage, it makes me feel happy. It makes me happy.
C: Okay. Zikomo.*
*Zikomo –Nynja meaning ‘thank you’.