Chapter 14 - Social Circus

Summary

Popularised in the late twentieth century, by the second decade of the new millennium well over 350 social circus programmes around the world had begun to offer classes in the circus arts free of charge, with the expressed aim of bringing about some form of social transformation. Typically boasting an ‘inclusive’ approach, goals range from fighting social stigma, alienation, and stereotypes, to bridging cultural communities, to building self-esteem, community capacity, and breaking cycles of poverty. This chapter explores the social and cultural conditions that have led to the rise of this movement and the kinds of impacts that are being observed among programme participants. It further offers an introduction to the pedagogical approaches typical of social circus programmes as well as the institutional structures they tend to adopt.Particular focus is placed on programmes operating in the Americas, placing these within the context of the global social circus movement.By offering a sketch of how social circus programmes function, the chapter demonstrates the ways in which social circus practices embody particular social values and promote particular forms of kinaesthetic sociality.