Q&A with James “Jay” Guilford,
Creator and Content & Creative Lead for Cirque du Soleil SPARK Sessions
What are Cirque du Soleil SPARK Sessions, and what inspired your creation of the program?
SPARK Sessions are training, teambuilding and professional development experiences heightened by Cirque du Soleil. We take the best practices from conventional corporate programming and integrate our world-class artists and immersive, state-of-the-art theaters to deliver out-of-the-box experiences.
I was inspired by Cirque du Soleil’s knack for reinvention. Built into Cirque’s DNA is an instinct to nurture creativity in our employees, to continually double-dare ourselves, and to ask hard questions that keep us innovative and relevant. When I came to Cirque from the world of education and professional development, I thought “Wow, corporations could really benefit from a day-in-the-life at Cirque.”
What are some key program elements of SPARK for groups?
We’ve hosted sessions for many top-performing companies such as Gensler, Adobe and Home Depot. At Cirque, with 21 shows, we are lucky to have a huge inventory of world-class experts. If SPARK was a university, these Cirque Experts (“Cirquesters”) would be our professors.
SPARK offers training and professional development modules for groups of 20 to 300 people. In SPARK training sessions, our dynamic spaces act as laboratories for each group’s experimentation, learning and growth. We also offer teambuilding sessions for groups of 20 to 40. In SPARK teambuilding sessions, participants try their hand at Cirque Arts and then have the opportunity to perform on our stages. Talk about a bucket list!
How do Cirque du Soleil SPARK Sessions benefit corporate and other groups?
First and foremost, SPARK Sessions provide a unique and engaging alternative to slideshow presentations in typical conference rooms. Secondly, SPARK provides an out-of-the-box option for incentive trips or training sessions. Working with our artists, coaches and management teams in our theaters—and then seeing those same “Cirquesters” and that same theater transformed during the show—is a truly inspiring experience. SPARK Sessions allow corporations to bring creativity, magic and inspiration to their teams.