Beni Malone
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A graduate of Ringling Brothers, Barnum and Bailey Clown College, Three Schools of Art, Toronto and L'ecole Nationale Du Cirque in Paris, France; Beni Malone has almost single-handedly introduced and developed professional clowning and circus arts in Newfoundland and Labrador. His innovative style and thrilling, energetic performances have entertained thousands of children and adults throughout Newfoundland, the Maritimes, and across Canada. Best known for his work as a professional clown, Beni began his career with the Newfoundland Travelling Theatre Company in 1974. He has performed nationally and internationally in theatre, television and film. Beni is the founder and Artistic Director of Wonderbolt Productions, which has been creating and producing original circus inspired theatre since 1982. Malone has written a variety of critically acclaimed shows including "Reunion At Purgatory High", with Mark Critch, "All Fool's Day", and "Wunderground" an original show for the GEO Centre. Over the past decade he has presented The Wonderbolt Circus to enthusiastic full houses. Wonderbolt's circus show "Tricksters" was performed at the Vancouver 2010 Cultural Olympiad, and their circus shows "Cirkzilla" "Bolt Out of the Blue" and "CIrcus Glorious" have toured extensively from 2012 through 2018. Malone has also developed curriculum-based circus-arts programs for Phys. Ed classes of all levels. In 2005 Wonderbolt he began working with the Innu Education Authority to create a circus/performing arts program for their students. He also was instrumental in setting up the Kamataukashiuat Arts Festival in Sheshatshiu and Natuashish, Labrador which ran for nine years. Wonderbolt also operates its own Circus School in St. John's. In 2006 he was awarded the Arts In Education Award by the Newfoundland and Labrador Arts Council. In 2016 he began working with the Nunatsiavut Government to develop A circus/physical arts program along the remote northern coast of Labrador. This project has now been expanded and will hopefully include all the communities in Nunatsiavut. Wonderbolt recently launched the first successful St. John's International CircusFest in September, 2019. In addition to this he operates The Space, a downtown cultural and training centre. He is presently working on researching and writing "Big Top Pop Up' loosely based on a circus which visited St. John's in 1925.