From 1968 to 1997, the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Clown College educated hundreds of entertainers, eager to hone their clowning chops. Throughout the course of its lifetime, this school was located in Venice, Florida, Baraboo, WI and finally Sarasota, FL. If you were lucky enough to be admitted to this college, (“It was [...]

Many circus lovers are familiar with John Bill Ricketts, widely cited as the man who first brought the modern circus to America. He was a skilled equestrian performer and established a riding school in Philadelphia that gave way to regular circus performances in the late 1700s, the first of which took place on April 3, [...]

In war-torn Afghanistan, the Afghan Educational Children’s Circus provides kids with a safe space for creative expression. In addition to lessons on “landmine awareness, malaria prevention and the importance of peace,” youth are taught juggling, tumbling and singing. So far, this program has been successful in revitalizing the confidence and happiness for a generation born [...]

What do you do with an abandoned power station in an urban environment? If you live in London and love circus arts, you open a circus college. The Circus Space was completed in 2007 and it is an accredited college that offers a two year vocational degree, with the option to continue on for a Bachelors. Students [...]

In the US, I think there’s a misconception that circuses are third rate entertainment and the performers are barely scraping by. However, this does not have to be the case. According to Mongolian circus performer, Erdenechimeg (Chimgee) Haltarhuu, experience performers can earn between $50,000 to $100,000 per year. Chimgee also states: “I entered Mongolian circus [...]