American Circus Educators Magazine Spring 2017 (Issue 1, Vol 9) | Page 32

BY JOSH AVINER & LYNDSAY MAGID
THAT CIRCUS
SCHOOLS SHOULD
TEACH THEIR
STUDENTS
Together, Josh and Lyndsay co-founded and
run Hideaway Circus, a multi-media circus
production company based in Brooklyn,
New York. After meeting at Columbia
University, Aviner and Magid produced and
directed SLUMBER, a slasher circus and
dance show which premiered in New York
City in the fall of 2016 and ran at the 2017
Adelaide Fringe Festival in Australia. They are
currently in production shooting a virtual
reality circus and dance experience recently
funded through their successful Kickstarter
campaign. Josh and Lyndsay also host the
HIDEAWAY Podcast, a weekly talk show where
they discuss the week's circus and theatre
news and chat with artists and entrepreneurs
in the industry.
To learn more about Hideaway Circus visit
them online at hideawaycircus.com.
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These topics are intended as
suggestions for ways to prepare the
next generation of circus artists,
educators, and entrepreneurs in
an ever changing industry, and are
based on the writer's own personal
experiences and interviews with their
guests on the Hideaway Podcast.
1/
NORTH AMERICAN CIRCUS
HISTORY: Understanding
the historical context of circus,
particularly in North America, is
essential for everyone in the circus
community. It is easy to make
inaccurate assumptions about why
conditions in the United States are
the way they are, whether they relate
to funding, artistic, or educational
systems. It is critical that students
learn at least two historical topics: a
national historical overview starting
in 1793 with George Washington and
Bill Rickets; and an examination of
the international and national circus
resurgence in the last thirty years.
With this knowledge, students will be
better prepared to take advantage of
current business and artistic models
and be more likely to successfully
implement positive, long-lasting
change.
2/
FUNDAMENTALS OF
CIRCUS BUSINESSES
AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP: Many
circus artists and practitioners
will at some point be involved with
running a circus related business.
These businesses include touring
and resident shows, performing
collectives, circus schools, agencies
for casting and corporate events,
and non-profit organizations that
promote social circus. With basic
entrepreneurship skills including
how to set up a business entity, how
to fundraise, how to hire employees,
how to secure insurance, etc. we
can prevent a generation of students
from making costly and time
consuming mistakes while allowing
for more time dedicated to creative
thinking.
3/
SOCIAL MEDIA FOR ARTISTS
AND COMPANIES: Whether
promoting a show, a company,
or yourself, the internet is the
main way marketing and self-
promotion is conducted. A strong
web presence often includes
social media accounts, a mobile
responsive website, search engine
optimization, and in some instances
a paid advertising campaign. Taking
advantage of these tools can make
an enormous difference to ticket
sales, class enrollments, and job
security. Speaking as two people
who have worked in circus casting
for the past six years, we can tell you
that a good video, easily discovered
on Youtube, Facebook, or Instagram
can make all the difference in getting
that onstage job. We’ve also worked
with circus schools and found that
first timers and amateur students
report that a website, Instragram
account, or a Facebook page can be
the biggest factor in their decision
to take a class.
4/
HOW TO READ (AND WRITE)
A CONTRACT: It is impossible
to work in the circus industry
without ever encountering a
contract in some form or another.
It may be a performing contract,
venue agreement, licensing
deal, liability waiver, intellectual
property agreement, or something
else entirely. Circus artists and
professionals often lack basic skills
to understand how to read and write
a contract, and therefore how to
legally protect themselves. Being
formally taught about contractual
language and critical reading is
tremendously valuable; the worst
way to learn is through making
avoidable and/or unnecessary
mistakes which could lead to paying
hundreds or thousands of dollars to
a lawyer.
5/
STRATEGIES FOR PERSONAL
HEALTH AND WELLNESS: The
circus industry can be unforgiving.
Students and artists need to learn
ways to keep their bodies and
minds healthy. Unfortunately many
have not learned quality injury
prevention techniques and mental
health practices that can be hugely
beneficial to their quality of life.
Those who are able to stay healthy,
recover quickly, and overcome
emotional and personal obstacles,
are more likely to succeed and
promote circus rather than dropping
out the workforce. As comes
with the physical nature of circus
practice, many young artists view
themselves as invincible. More
seasoned artists will tell you this
outlook changes with experience,
particularly when faced either
with their own personal injuries
or having witnessed those of a
friend. There is no better place for
circus professionals to learn these
strategies than from coaches and
professors that they respect and
that have first hand life experiences
of the challenges.
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