Social Circus

Art as a tool for social development, personal growth and letting today’s youth be seen and heard

I firmly believe in the power of art and movement as a tool for connection and personal development for our growing population. In offering opportunities for youths and young adults to meet, exchange, connect and learn from each other. I have therefore since 2023 led three projects that align with this. Where the focus is on the process and the meetings for the young participants, to see how art could help them find a bit more peace, stimulation, friendships and a place where they can be seen and heard!

Unpunished Youth - A collaboration with Festival Circolo and Corpo Maquina, Tilburg, The Netherlands

Over a six week period leading up to Festival Circolo I guided young asylum seekers living at the asylum seeking centrum in Oisterwijk to create a performance together with circus students from the university of Fontys in making a short performance that was shown at the heart of the festival. Many of the youths in these centers have a large amount of free time, with none or few of the freedoms afforded youths their same age, while they are waiting to know if they can stay in the country or not. Many of them had no family members with them and had to spend their days in a limbo of uncertainty about their future. With Unpunished Youth we gave them a regular activity and a goal, something that while small in the large picture, might have helped them get on the right track mentally and physically.