Can "Circademics" Improve Society?

Teaching children circus skills helps them to trust other people, improves their physical literacy and raises their self-esteem and sense of identity.

17:29 02 July 2015

Circus skills are being taught in some countries and research shows that it has a huge social impact. Practitioners claim that children who were taught circus skills learned how to trust other people and they had better sense of identity. These skills are extremely beneficial for young people in conflict zones and divided societies such as Bosnia, Afghanistan, and Northern Ireland. 

 

Organisations such as Clowns Without Borders have been making progress in bringing circus to families in refugee camps and warzones. The humanitarian project aims to relieve suffering by making people laugh despite of their social conditions. Clowns Without Borders now operates in Africa, Asia, the Middle East and Latin America.  

 

When people hear there is a circus performance or a free workshop, they tend to show up," says Lynn Carroll, community manager at NoFit State Circus.

 

"The perceptions that so many people have about the Roma community are terrible and they often come from myths perpetuated in the media.

 

"When adults see these young people working hard and performing new skills, they learn to ignore these myths and it breaks down barriers between the travelling and settled communities."