Today we’d like to introduce you to The Climb Circus Arts.
Hi The Climb Circus Arts, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
The Climb Circus Arts was founded by Devon Light-Wills and Amelia Wieger in 2023 following the closure of The Circus Place where they had worked together previously, and where they had met now board president, Jessica Kursar.
After teaching circus together for almost a decade, we knew we were not done yet and wanted to re-build a new school for our community. Starting a business from scratch is always hard work, but it’s nearly impossible when you have little capital. We also knew that circus is a means for social change, community-building, personal expression and growth, so the nonprofit approach seemed like a natural choice. Going the nonprofit route allowed us to bring on a board of directors that have been instrumental in helping us get our circus school up and running.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It certainly has not been a smooth road! It took a long time for our 501(c)(3) application to be approved to designate us as a nonprofit, which significantly delayed our fundraising efforts, and we had no starting capital other than what little we managed to raise though “passing the hat” at our founding event. Without that designation from the IRS in hand, we faced resistance in trying to open a bank account, which stalled our efforts even more. Since circus is a relatively unfamiliar art form for many, we also faced resistance when attempting to find a fiscal sponsor and when sourcing spaces in which to host classes.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
We teach circus arts to people of all ages, backgrounds, abilities, and identities, helping each to achieve more than they thought possible. We offer both ongoing weekly classes for all ages and summer camps for kids and teens. We teach ground skills, like juggling, tightwire walking, hula hooping, and tumbling, and aerial disciplines such as trapeze, fabric, lyra, and rope. These skills improve strength, coordination, and flexibility, and they also develop social-emotional skills like emotional regulation, teamwork, and responsible decision making and risk management. We’re most proud of how much we have built so far even with our limited resources and how our community has grown. We’re known for our unwavering commitment to the highest standards of safety and industry best practices. We are also very proud of the teaching staff that we have been able to cultivate and the knowledge that they impart onto our students. We are extremely proud of our students, many of whom we have had for several years. We are proud of what they have accomplished under our guidance. Our summer camp program is something that our students look forward to every year and we enjoy being able to provide them with an amazing experience for the summer!
Do you have recommendations for books, apps, blogs, etc?
The best resource was the circus community that we had by our side, from former business owners to professionals in all areas of life.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.theclimbcircusarts.org
- Instagram: @TheClimb.CircusArts
