America: Embrace the Circus Arts

  • by: Circus Now
  • recipient: 101 American Arts Funding Organizations

Let's build respect for American circus arts.

In countries like Canada, France, Sweden, Belgium, England, and Australia, circus communities have rallied to advocate for a greater awareness of the circus, leading to additional funding and cultural recognition. We think it's time to start the process in America.

Join us in calling on the 101 most important American arts funding organizations to take a renewed look at the dynamic state of circus today. Let's help them see how popular, beautiful, and inspiring the circus is now.

Please consider commenting about your connection to the circus to strengthen your signature.

For more information, please visit www.circusnow.org

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THE PETITION TEXT

As a diverse community of American circus artists, educators, administrators, practitioners, and fans…

We BELIEVE that circus is an art. We believe that the circus arts are some of the most inspiring, accessible, beautiful, expressive, and creative forms of performance in the world today.

We INSIST that circus is a unique performance category, distinct from theater, dance, performance art, and multimedia. We insist that it emerges from its own training and skills, that it offers a distinct pleasure, and attracts a distinct audience equally deserving of quality performance.

We ASK that you treat circus arts as a distinct category of performance when allocating funding, stage time or other resources – a policy that has already gained traction in Canada and numerous European countries. We ask that you allow performers to directly apply as circus artists, rather than under the rubrics of other disciplines.

We HOPE that in any decision-making regarding support for the arts, you remember that circus, like all art, is in a constant and dynamic state of evolution. We hope that you remain informed about the exciting and diverse state of circus today and encouraging of contemporary artists and educators exploring the art’s creative possibility and social force.

We KNOW that our collective signatures testify to the popularity of circus in America and to the possibility for future growth.

We TRUST that you will give our requests the serious consideration they deserve.

We UNDERSTAND that change takes time.

But we don’t want to wait.

Signed,

____________



As a diverse community of American circus artists, educators, administrators, practitioners, and fans...

We BELIEVE that circus is an art. We believe that the circus arts are some of the most inspiring, accessible, beautiful, expressive, and creative forms of performance in the world today.

We INSIST that circus is a unique performance category, distinct from theater, dance, performance art, and multimedia. We insist that it emerges from its own training and skills, that it offers a distinct pleasure, and attracts a distinct audience equally deserving of quality performance.
   
We ASK that you treat circus arts as a distinct category of performance when allocating funding, stage time or other resources - a policy that has already gained traction in Canada and numerous European countries. We ask that you allow performers to directly apply as circus artists, rather than under the rubrics of other disciplines.

We HOPE that in any decision-making regarding support for the arts, you remember that circus, like all art, is in a constant and dynamic state of evolution. We hope that you remain informed about the exciting and diverse state of circus today and encouraging of contemporary artists and educators exploring the art's creative possibility and social force.

We KNOW that our collective signatures testify to the popularity of circus in America and to the possibility for future growth.

We TRUST that you will give our requests the serious consideration they deserve.

We UNDERSTAND that change takes time.

But we've waited long enough.

Signed,

____________

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