Singabanye Circus is a HOLISTIC arts based education programme that is dedicated to skills development and community empowerment.
The program provides circus arts education to 15 secondary schooling students (14-20 years of age) from under resourced communities. The 2 year multi – disciplinary curriculum is developed by professional artists from around the world including Chile, Mexico and England.
All training will conducted at the Cirk – an exemplary studio in Wynberg with access to world class cirque equipment.
A well-rounded program is required to build highly skilled and employable cirque artists and performers. In addition to the intense training, the participants will be picked up and drop off from a safe pickup point in the community. Healthy meals and snacks are provided during training hours. Students will also have regular check-ups with qualified practitioners to monitor mental and physical well-being
After the completion of the program, beneficiaries will have developed proficient cirque skills to teach / perform within this industry. They will be exposed to a greater network of clients, where they could seek further training or be exposed to job opportunities.
Jozi Circus School aims to be a self-sustaining organisation. There are several projects that the organisation runs to generate funds.
These projects include:
All these projects have the ability to generate income, but they all rely on the availability of instructors and performers. The Singabanye Project will add to this self-sustaining system by increasing the capacity to expand these projects.
Orlando Vargas grew up in Cerro Navia, Chile, in a township similar to Soweto. In Cerro Navia it is very hard to create opportunities in life. For 27 years, Chile was under a dictatorship which divided the country and segregated the most poor people from much needed resources and infrastructure. This was the harsh political climate into which Orlando was born.
Social organizations worked in poor communities such as Cerro Navia, to bring opportunities to the vulnerable. It was through these organizations that the young Orlando was exposed to museums, art and circus. In 2001, Orlando was offered an opportunity to receive professional circus training. He was accepted into the 4-year professional training course at Circo del Mundo (a non-profit division of Cirque Du Soleil). He learned skills beyond his wildest imagination – tumbling, swinging from ropes and flying through the air with grace. Orlando grasped this opportunity with both hands and began making a living as an artist and working on an international level.
Today, Orlando has travelled to more than 18 countries and has built 3 performance art companies in South Africa. Social circus changed his life and he wishes to share that with the world.