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Learn Fire: a one stop guide to fire performing
Hello and welcome to my guide on becoming a fire performer. I have that a lot of information surrounding fire performing is either outdated, incomplete, or outright dangerous; I’m hoping to rectify that with this page. This guide should hopefully be useful for anyone, no matter where you are in your fire journey, whether you’re a newbie looking to get started or a professional looking for more work. Just a note: if you landed on this page looking to book fire performers you’ll want to check out our main site. Hire fire performers here. Otherwise read on or alternatively use the links on the left (or the hamburger menu if you’re on mobile) to find what you’re looking for.
This guide is written for practicing fire within the UK, whilst there will be plenty of useful information in this for spinners in any country some of the stuff about insurance and legality will vary. If you’d to know who I am and why you should or shouldn’t listen to me pop open the “about the author” section below.
DISCLAIMER: This guide is mostly composed of the knowledge of one individual (helped by many others). Whilst every effort has gone in to ensuring that the information contained in this guide is up to date and correct, neither I nor Flashpoint Duo take any responsibility for any accident or injury that occurs as a result of using the information in this guide. If you choose to play with fire you do so entirely at your own risk and, in case you didn’t know, fire can be quite dangerous.
About the Author
Hi, my name is James Guiver and I promise not to be too self-indulgent in this section. A theme throughout this guide is going to be not taking what people say for granted; fire performing is by and large a completely unregulated industry in this country and much of the world. Many self-proclaimed experts are simply that: self-proclaimed. Similarly, due to the sensationalist nature of marketing, many who claim to be the “best” may not in fact be that. I therefore am going to write a bit about who I am and why what I’m writing might be good advice.
As mentioned before my name is James, I currently perform as one half of Flashpoint Fire Duo with my amazing performance partner Suzy. You can see us in action here. I have been performing fire for 18 years now since the age of 18 (zero points for guessing my age). During this time I have performed fire shows all across the UK as well as internationally both solo and as a part of troupes/groups. I have both performed on and safety consulted for major TV productions including consulting on fire safety for Netflix’s The Crown. I have worked with a huge range of individuals on productions of all sizes including being commissioned to make bespoke multi-peformer and site specific shows for major festivals. I’ve had great shows and terrible shows, I’ve made loads of mistakes, and on several occassions burned myself. I suppose most importantly I’ve learned from those mistakes and thankfully have never had a serious safety incident occur during one of my shows. I am now comfortable that my show is as safe as a fire show can be and hope to pass on what I’ve learned so that yours can be too.
Getting Started
So you saw a sexy person spinning fire on the beach during your gap year and have decided to sack off your career as a forensic scientist and instead devote yourself to your new calling in life: fire. The only hiccup in an otherwise perfect plan is that you literally don’t know what you’re doing. Well prepare for that to change!
In this section you’ll find various info on how and where to get started on your fire spinning journey. A general note here is that when learning a new fire skill it is generally advisable to practice with it a bit not on fire. You know, until you vaguely have some control over it. Enjoy!
Circus Skills Jams
One of the fastest ways to learn the basics in my opinion is to find some other people in your local area who have the same goal. Not only will you be able to borrow from their knowledge (and eventually offer your own) you’ll also likely be more motivated, and hopefully have more fun. Luckily there are a ton of circus jams across the country in which people practice the various props and techniques used with fire performing. I have listed the ones I know about below but if you know of others please drop me an email at <email> and I’ll be sure to add them to the list.
A note: often circus skills jams have names like “juggle club” or “hoop jam”. I have yet to encounter one that exlusively allows one type of prop. If you’re unsure you can always ask.
What to expect:
Circus or juggling clubs generally take place in a high ceiling hall with a decent amount of space. If you’re particularly looking to do fire; circus jams often also organise fire gatherings, and if not there’s likely to be someone there who can point you in the direction of one.
In my experience every circus jam has been on the whole a very welcoming place and they’ll often even have kit you can borrow (make sure to ask first). People are generally very approachable and happy to share tips, so if you see someone doing something you’d like to learn be bold about asking (not while they’re in the middle of a trick though). Often there will be people drinking tea and socialising as well, join in with this too if it’s your jam.
What to bring:
Bring yourself and clothes you’re comfortable to move and sweat in. All clubs are different but some I’ve attended have had limited heating so if its winter and its your first time I’d suggest wearing some layers so you’ll be comfortable.
Also bring any prop you want to work with (if you own it already). Most jams have a small fee (ussually a few pounds) and will collect this in cash on the day. Many let you attend the first one for free.
Fire Spinning Jams
Fire spinning jams are a great place to play with fire (the clue is in the name). Often fire jams are associated with a particular circus skills club though some do also exist independently.
Fire jams generally take place outside in the evening, some are monthly, some are adhoc.
What to expect:
Generally it will be a loose group of people meeting in an agreed location to spin some fire. Often there will be music or photographers/videographers. In my experience people are generally very friendly and welcoming at them.
One note I will make here is that these events often also have drinking and drug use going on. I am not here to tell anyone what to do in their own time, but I hope it is taken as read that I do not recommend mixing intoxicants with fire. I hope the reasons are self explinatory – more on this in the fire safety section.
What to bring:
You’ll need to bring yourself, your props (there might be some opportunity to borrow props but definitely check before hand rather than assume), some fuel (generally parafin) unless its specifically stated that this is provided.
In terms of safety equipment I would suggest at a minimum bringing at least one wet towel per point on your prop (so for instance two for a staff) so that you can extinquish your entire prop at once. Many people at fire jams won’t have any safety equipment – don’t be one of them.
I would suggest wearing clothes made of natural fibre (see the safety section) and that you don’t mind getting dirty. If it’s winter wrap up warm for when you’re not spinning! I’d also bring water or whatever you like to drink and a snack if you’ll need it.
A word of warning:
At every single level of the fire performing community there are unfortunately individuals who practice incredibly unsafe practices. Many of these will talk with an authority that is in no way warranted. If someone is acting in a way you don’t believe is safe don’t stand near them and definitely don’t let them pressure you into trying something you don’t think is safe. There’s no reason to be confrontational, especially if you’re new, just politely decline.
Video Resources
If you cannot or do not wish to attend a circus or fire jam your next best bet is to make use of video resources.
There’s two main options. Number one (and what I’d recommend for beginners) are sites like youtube. Option two is some artists release tutorial courses on sites like patreon or other platforms (they were DVDs in my day). As your journey progresses it may be worth seeing if your idols have something similar.
Youtube and other video sites:
There are literally thousands of tutorial videos available so I have linked a few basic ones below for the absolute basics in a range of props. To find others it is simply a matter of good searching.
Try search terms such as:
YOUR PROP + beginner tricks tutorial
YOUR PROP + lesson
YOUR PROP + NAME OF TRICK YOU WANT TO LEARN
You can often find people with full series of tutorial videos and work your way through them. Additionally if you’re struggling with a particular trick you can always message a person you see doing it in a non-tutorial video. Generally people like having their ego stroked and will be happy to help.
Some links to start you out in the major disciplines. (Note: I left out fire eating and breathing, I would always recommend you get someone to teach you these in person if you choose to learn them):
Poi – this is the second video in a series (the first one seemed too obvious to me)
Fire Schools
In the UK a range of fire schools exist. I have made the decision not to advertise them in my guide but I wanted to talk about them.
The idea of a fire school sounds great: learn from a qualified professional and you can’t go wrong right? The reason for their exlusion is I cannot attest to the quality (or lack there of) of any of them. What I do know is that I have encountered some performers who have attended these schools and had safety knowledge I found questionable. This isn’t to say they are all bad, I simply do not know.
There is no government body overseeing or regulating any of these schools. Any document you get from them is likely just a piece of paper. As a general rule I would beware of anyone who suggests in their marketting that attending their school adds your your legitimacy in some way rather than what it is: some lessons in using fire.
I personally have never attended a fire school and neither has anyone I admire in this industry (that I know of). Again this isn’t to say they are intrinsically bad.
If there is someone who runs a school that wishes me to consider including them in this guide you may contact me at info@flashpointduo.co.uk and invite me to attend your course to actually assess it.
Going Pro
So after two fire jams and one drunk stranger telling you “you should be on Britain’s got talent!” you’ve decided that you’re ready to graduate from rookie to full time professional. Fantastic!
This section will cover every thing I can think of that will help you on your pro journey. There will almost certainly be useful information in here even if you’re already a working professional.
Getting Promotional Material
Almost no one is going to hire you to perform fire without at the very least seeing a photo demonstrating your skills. The biggest key, bar none, to a successful fire performing career is good promo.
Why (good) Promo is so Important:
So you’re super skilled, super safe, your act is shit hot – none of it matters if you can’t show the right people. Who are the right people? Well agents for a start, but more importantly the end client.
“But my agents have seen me spin, they know I’m legit” I hear your scream. Occassionally this will be enough, but for most events (especially highly paid ones) the end client is invariably going to want to see who they are hiring.
Moreover agents like to put their best foot forward when trying to win over new clients – the better yours is the more likely they are likely to feel comfortable putting you forward over your competition.
Finally (as discussed in greater detail below) everything you do is reflected in a client’s perception of you. Your average person might not be able to say exactly what makes a fire show good or bad, but they can say what makes a video or image good or bad.
What Makes Promo Good:
This is a tricky topic as obviously, like all artistic mediums, photos and videos are subject to opinion. That said there are some general tips to make sure your content is as good as it can be. The tips below are far from exhaustive and assume a basic understanding of what makes a good shot.
Photos:
- Be the focus of the photo, using something with an audience in the background is fine so long as it is in the background.
- Use photos that show your full range of props.
- Choose tricks/poses that look good when they’re static.
- More fire is generally good.
- Don’t be a blurry mess.
- Make sure your costume and hair/makeup is on point.
- No watermarks ideally, especially not your own ones (if sending to agents).
Videos:
- One minute max length, people have short attention spans.
- Use music that conveys the mood you’re trying to sell – if in doubt go for something fun.
- Have good stuff at the beginning – I cannot stress how short people’s attention spans are.
- Ideally have shots from multiple angles.
How to Get Good Promo:
The easiest answer to this is to simply pay for it. When my performing partner and I shot our fire video we hired a venue and videographer for the entire day. Obviously this was expensive but this cost has been paid back many times over.
That said many people are on a budget, especially when they’re starting out. Here are some tips for getting hold of some promo for cheap/free.
- Bring a camera to your events and ask another performer to grab some snaps or film.
- Talk to event photographers and ask if you’d be allowed the raw images/video. (I suggest always taking their email address instead of giving them yours).
- Collaborate with photographers/videographers who are looking to expand their portfolio.
- Literally just use your phone and learn to edit yourself.
Note: in general I recommend shooting promo as its own thing rather than at an event – this allows you to perform for the camera rather than your audience.
Any Promo is Better Than No Promo:
Pretty much just the title. Needing better promo is a much better problem to have than needing any promo. Agents have exactly zero patience for your story about how you’re waiting to hear back from your third cousin or how you’re waiting for your new costume.
If you don’t have some images and a short video you can send out go shoot one today. Any promo is better than no promo.
Finding Your First Gig
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Making an Act
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Getting Insurance
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Contacting Agents
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Fire Performing Safety
So the difficulty with this section is making it consise enough that people will actually read it and complete enough that it is actually useful. I’m going to say right away that these are some general rules and will not cover every conceivable situation.
If you would like something more complete you can read a full copy of my fire duo’s risk assessment here. Please note this risk assessment is often modified for specific events with measures added depending on the venue and conditions. I also invite people to re-read the disclaimer at the beginning of this guide.
Help Make this Guide Better
Wow you read the whole thing (probably not). This guide is largely the work of one incredibly fallible man, with much appreciated input from the performing and flow arts community. If you think it is missing something or you’ve spotted something you believe to be an error please don’t hesitate to drop an email to info@flashpointduo.co.uk
I’m always happy to take suggestions for improvements! Have a great day, stay safe, and happy spinning!
