Racial Justice and Mental Health in Circus

Thursday October 7th 2021, 10 – 11.30 am Pacific Time

Facilitated by aerial silks artist, psychotherapist, yoga teacher, and racial justice activist Cicely Green

Circus can be a place to heal and cope with mental health issues and find community. But when you step into a space where no one looks like you, or your appearance is not desired in the circus entertainment industry…a feeling of otherness, unbelonging, and hypervisibility may be racism in disguise.

In this workshop, aerial silks artist, psychotherapist, yoga teacher, and racial justice activist Cicely Green will be sharing her and other BIPOC artists’ struggles in the circus world as it relates to the history of racism in circus and dance, accessibility and representation, imposter syndrome, and other mental health related consequences. Audience participation of their experiences in circus related to mental health and racial justice will be prompted.

 Cicely will also present tools and suggestions to overcome; and how circus can be a catalyst for community, celebration and healing. Audience will split into groups to find tools to overcome personal struggles and support one another through circus.

BIPOC participants are highly encouraged to attend. When registering, you will
automatically be enrolled in both sessions.

Price:
$5/$15/$25 for ACE members and $20/$30/$40 for non-members.

Lowest tier ($5 member/$20 non-member) is intended for those who otherwise would not be able to attend;
Middle tier ($15 member/$30 non-member) is intended for those who are able to pay full value;
Highest tier ($25 member/$40 non-member) is intended for those who can pay full value
comfortably and also contribute to make attendance possible for others.

All tiers are as low as possible to make attendance as accessible as possible.

BIPOC identifying individuals are encouraged to attend, and to select a tier that
reflects their own assessment of their needs and the impact of structural
racism on their financial and emotional health.

In fall 2020, the American Circus Educators Association offered two separate exciting training opportunities for circus educators, administrators, and leaders to embark on important work addressing racial equity personally and professionally. In 2021, we are continuing our prioritization of this work with this special new workshop.