The circus has come to town. Instead of arriving in a big top tent, we’ll be making our home more permanent in a huge warehouse with 26-foot ceilings in Jamaica Plain, Boston. We are building this school because we believe that circus is a joyful and inclusive way to create community, build character and confidence, and encourage physical activity in a creative setting. We’ll be offering classes for all ages in trapeze, silks, handbalancing, clowning, and more!
Our mission at the Commonwealth Circus Center is to boost opportunities and access to circus arts education across the metropolitan area of Boston, MA.
Our vision at the Commonwealth Circus Center is to build a school where students of all ages and backgrounds can come together to learn circus. Our recreational programs will feature over 70 classes per week in disciplines ranging from partner acrobatics to aerials and more. In addition to these classes we will be partnering with nationally recognized local social circus organization Circus Up to offer free and reduced cost classes at our space and at local community centers and schools for youth who would not otherwise have access to circus.
For more information about us check out our website!
Roger May, current Chief Operations Officer (COO) of Esh Circus Arts in Somerville, has overseen 4 major renovations to Esh. He brings the experience and ability to turn our new C3 warehouse into an incredible circus home.
Ellen Waylonis, current Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Esh Circus Arts in Somerville, has grown revenues at Esh by 700% in the past six years. She brings vision for how to create circus business and community efficiently and thoroughly.
After six years of experience in the start-up and small business world Steven Minnihan joined the circus and became a full-time acrobat and circus teacher. Now his two worlds will combine as he integrates his small business acumen with his passion for circus arts education.
After studying social circus projects around the globe as a Watson Fellow, Sophia Herscu earned her Masters in Education focusing on arts in education from Harvard University. Sophia brings experience in curriculum development, team building, and social justice through the arts.
The four of us combined bring over 30 years of experience in circus performance and circus education to the project. We have backgrounds in business, education, dance, engineering, and theater. We are thrilled to be working on this project together.
The space: The warehouse is 5000 sq/ft and has 26 foot ceilings. We are conveniently located— just a ten minute walk from both the Green Street and Forrest Hills T-stops.
Preliminary information about our opening: We are opening in August for Youth Summer Programs. Our grand opening will be on September 4th. Visit our website to sign up for our Youth Summer Program and to get the latest updates about our space and programs!
We need $80,000 to open our doors. Between private loans and our own investment we are well on our way to funding the cost of renting and renovating our new dream space, but we still need some help. The $10,000 raised through this campaign will allow us to purchase a wide variety of safe, new, state of the art circus equipment. Why such a variety of equipment? The school will be a place of discovery so we want to ensure safe options for everyone no matter background or ability.
We’ll be purchasing rigging materials, apparatus, juggling props, and mats. Yes! You got it, we’ll be getting stilts, trapezes, tight wires, juggling balls, hula hoops, aerial silks and more! We’ll also be installing a rigging system on our new 26 ft ceilings.
Help us build a safe and fun environment for all the circus magic to happen!
Your contribution will help us get Commonwealth Circus Center off the ground. We couldn’t do it without your generosity! Scroll through our perks on the right-hand side of this page. Get a Commonwealth Circus Center sticker, join us for a circus lesson, or bring a circus act to your local event!
By contributing to our project you are supporting the creation of a place where youth can learn to take risks in healthy ways, and where adults can learn to play! We appreciate your help tremendously.
Circus first began as a family business. Every family member brought a different strength to the table and was encouraged to discover, hone, and showcase their own unique ability and talent. The circus is, and has always been, a place that welcomed people of all kinds. Circuses roamed the country on trains and arrived in towns to perform and bring joy and entertainment. Now, through recreational circus classes, everybody has a safe way to experience circus joy.
The recreational circus movement is a special one. When learning circus, students learn floor acrobatics, aerial acrobatics, clowning, juggling, and balance, all of which have one foot in the world of athletics and one foot in the world of the arts. Circus arts as a whole celebrates teamwork, communication, healthy risk taking and the differences of those involved. Circus helps to develop the confidence of its students and its community as a whole. What could be better?
Now more than ever small-scale community building is important. While there are currently circus schools in the areas surrounding Boston, there aren’t as many opportunities for circus learning within the city itself. If our goal is to bring people from all walks of life together through circus, what better place to do it than the middle of the city?
We understand that not everyone will be able to support our project financially at this time, but there are other ways to help make our school a reality.
Do you know anyone who might want to support this school? Please share this campaign with your friends and family!
When we get off the ground, we’ll need students. Come take a class or tell your family, friends, coworkers, neighbors, or strangers about our location. We’d love to see you there!
Thank you for believing in the Commonwealth Circus Center. We are opening this school because we believe in creative play and community building through the joy of circus. We cannot wait to build this circus community with you.
Thank you for your kind support,
Ellen, Roger, Sophia, and Steve