Circus arts for the integration of disadvantaged adolescents
Context
In 2020, South Africa had over 59 million inhabitants. About a third of its population, which represent 32.6 % of the South Africans is aged between 15 to 64. This part was unemployed between January and March 2021, a peak since the creation of these quarterly statistical surveys. This is reflected in the situation of the households, 89 % of which are in food insecurity and 73 % of the adults have dropped out of school before middle school.
Given this alarming situation and the youths’ need of reinsertion, Zip Zap Circus is implementing a programme tailored to the poorer youngsters’ aspirations using the circus as an opportunity to make a name for themselves in the world of work. School dropouts are many and juvenile delinquency is winning over several of these young from the slums.
Objectives
- Improving the circus residents’ mental health and psychological well-being
- Maintaining parity in the numbers of residents per class (50% girls and 50% boys)
- Reinforcing the students’ acrobatic capacities
- Building up the circus residents’ empowerment potential
Activities
- Circus programmes customised for youths aged 7 to 12, 13 to 16 and 14 to 20
- Building circus residents’ artistic capacity
- Introduction to income-generating activities
Impacts
- The number of beneficiaries is 9362
- Professional and social integration of circus residents
- Reducing the number of school dropouts
- Financial empowerment