Collaborative projects
The Impact Network in South Africa: IN-SA
The Impact Network in South Africa, is a collaboration among various nonprofit organizations (NPOs) in the Western Cape, aiming to amplify their impact on pressing societal issues. This network fosters meaningful dialogue and experience-sharing among members to address common challenges and celebrate successes more effectively. It serves as a resource hub for sharing experiences, learning lessons, and making connections to benefit the communities they serve.
Members discuss challenges in their fields, exchange successful strategies, and share best practices, which guides other organizations facing similar issues and enhances the nonprofit sector’s overall effectiveness in the Western Cape.
Recognizing resource scarcity, the network promotes efficient resource use by learning from each other’s experiences, helping organizations avoid redundant efforts and allocate resources strategically.
Organisations:
- Bridges for Music
- Christel House
- Codex
- GreenPop
- Happy Feet
- Heros Academy
- Just Grace
- Philippi Village
- Sunshine Cinema
- Viva con Agua
- Waves4Change
- Zip Zap Circus School
Demain’s Volunteers
Demain’s Volunteers an initiative supported by performers at the annual Festival Mondial du Cirque de Demain, aims to bring the global circus community closer together. Through collaboratively growing and developing the valuable and inspirational work done in the sphere of Social Circus, the project hopes to increase capacity in the Professional Circus arena over time.
Within the sphere of Social Circus, there is a huge need for skilled artists to grow technical and pedagogical skills, and help to develop circus artistry, thus elevating the status of circus performing.
The project utilises exchanges and partnerships, with international artists sharing experiences and expertise through masterclasses, to develop the technical and artistic capabilities of participating Social Circus students.
The project commenced in 2019, with the Trio Wisefools, consisting of Jaimee Allen (Zip Zap alumnus), Valpuri Kaarninen and Maria Peltola, visiting Zip Zap Circus.
The global COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 interrupted the project but created the opportunity to explore online methods to continue the learning.
In 2021 the idea for the project had morphed into one-on-one, real-time, virtual masterclasses, with two D2D students, Bridgette Berning and Xolani Sikunana, being selected to participate in the pilot project, working with Diego Salles and Trio Wisefools respectively, in their specific circus specialties.
In 2023, despite interruptions due to the Russia/Ukraine conflict, one Dare2Dream (D2D) student received personalised virtual training from Anastasiia Mazur, a contortionist from Kyiv. Two other D2D students were mentored online by José Do Rego, focusing on clowning and comedy. We aim to continue this partnership in 2024, providing more students with opportunities to learn from international circus performers and pursue careers in the performing arts.
Global Alliance of Circus Schools(GACS)
GACS Mission Statement
To create an exclusive web-based international network of innovative and visionary community-based professional circus schools, training centers and select youth/social circus schools [professional schools/centers] to advance circus arts into the future through communication, collaboration and exchange opportunities among its members.
GACS Objectives
- Organize and manage a global network of professional schools, training centers and select youth circus schools that reflect the scope, breadth, diversity, innovation and creativity inherent in today’s evolving circus arts communities.
- Create a web-based platform to facilitate and encourage communication, collaboration, and exchange opportunities among participating organizations in promotion of circus arts and circus heritage.
- Identify new opportunities for member organizations to partner in ways that will encourage expanded community outreach, respect and public support for circus arts, heritage and values through education, training and performance excellence.
- Provide increased exposure to internationally recognized and respected circus professionals, potential new performance opportunities and venues and other currently unrealized opportunities for participating organizations.
Founding Members:
Accademia d’Arte Circense (Verona, Italy), Australian Circus Festival (Sydney ,Australia), Baross Imre Circus Arts School (Budapest, Hungary), China Acrobats Association (Beijing, China), Circo de las Artes (Buenos Aires), Argentina Circus Arts Conservatory (Sarasota, USA), Circus Harmony (St. Louis, USA), Circus Juventas (St, Paul, USA), Die Etage (Berlin, Germany), European Circus Association (Dormagen, Germany), Fédération Mondiale du Cirque (Monte-Carlo ,Monaco), Gamo Circus School of Ethiopia (Addis Ababa, Ethiopia), Kyiv Municipal Academy of Circus and Variety Arts (Kyiv, Ukraine), State School for Circus Artists (Berlin, Germany), Zip Zap Circus (Cape Town, South-Africa)
Donate
We rely entirely on donations to change lives. Our students don’t pay for any classes.
Donate today and dream with us →
