Social Circus Movement
Clowning around for social good

Sep 10 | archive | subscribe

Children United by Experience (CUE) is part of a greater network of social circus groups around the world, whose emphasis and cultures vary infinitesmally.

And what is social circus? According to Wikipedia, “Social Circus refers to the growing movement toward the use of circus arts as mediums for social justice and social good.” Social Circus encompasses groups of children worldwide, who are exponentially enriching their own education, social skills and self-confidence, while healing their communities through circus arts.

A great example of social circus as a vehicle for self-empowerment in challenging environments is the TunaHAKI Foundation’s youth circus from Tanzania, which provides orphaned children with shelter, food, clothing, and professional training in the arts. In this way, the children are provided for, and are simultaneously investing in their future and self-sustainability with careers in the arts. TunaHAKI has been a featured guest with CUE.

Velocity Circus is a San Francisco-based Arts and Entertainment Company, which has returned to the community that has supported it, through CUE Space in West Oakland and programming around the bay area. CUE is a place and experience for children and youth to enhance their understanding of the world around them, improve social interaction and relationships within their communities, and strengthen their learning abilities through training and mentorship in the arts.

The arts that children benefit from at CUE include acrobatics, trapeze, aerial performance, clowning, juggling, character performance, visual arts, science, technology, music and dance. Training in the arts is known to improve learning capacity in areas such as math, science, and language for children, and working creatively with peers and experienced mentors improves their self esteem by providing a sense of belonging and community in a positive environment. cuekids.org