This research investigates whether, and how, students in a circus bachelor programme learned creativity during their studies, and how they use creativity in their profession. Twelve participants were interviewed, representing six different cohorts from the University of Dance and Circus (DOCH) in Stockholm, Sweden between 2008-2018 (now Stockholm University of the Arts). Constructivist grounded theory methodology (CGT) guided the analytical process of uncovering themes described by participants. Narrative vignettes were used to represent the experiences recounted by multiple participants influencing the apprenticeship of creativity and creative methods. Curriculum theory was used as a lens to understand the relationships between programmed content and the lived experiences which created the learning environment wherein these participants developed the knowledge to enter the circus field. With consideration of the individualized pressures of the realities of contemporary circus creation and performance, creativity is here theorized within a Western cultural perspective, where creative contributions are often seen through the lens of social innovation. Three themes emerged from the analysis. In “learning creativity,” participants describe learning an iterative method of the creative process with regard to the performance of their circus discipline. “Creative identity” collects definitions and beliefs about creativity. The “creative practices” theme includes participant descriptions of using the creative process in their profession to navigate challenges beyond disciplinary work, and when approaching problem identification and problem solving during the COVID pandemic. Together, these themes demonstrate that apprenticeship of domain-specific creative practices provides a methodological foundation for domain general creative approaches. I name this method of using domain-specific approaches to domain-general professional challenges in circus “applied circus creativity.” These findings have implications for circus education, and other arts programs, which aim to preparing professional artists

A review of Book Review: Erika Hasebe-Ludt & Carl Leggo. (Eds.) Canadian Curriculum Studies: A Métissageof Inspiration/Imagination/Interconnection. Toronto: Canadian Scholars (2018).

Why might a circus artist decide to use their circus practice as a research method? Why might a researcher choose circus practices to develop a new understanding of theoretical texts? Against which codes do artistic circus researchers rebel in order to pursue circus research through the practice of circus? What risks are encountered when circus arts become research, and research feeds circus practice? How, finally, does one come to be so inspired by circus practice, and by demanding questions, that one chooses to pursue artistic research with circus? Some answers to these questions can be found in the circus programs at Sweden’s Stockholm University of the Arts. More answers may be found with you, dear reader, if you also choose to embark upon this research path.

This paper discusses asymmetrical gender treatment in circus schools where graduates obtain both an academic diploma and the competencies to begin a professional career in circus arts. The relatively recent global rise of professionalizing circus schools has both reflected and created the evolving landscape of contemporary circus performance. While students attend professionalizing circus schools to develop an artistic vocabulary, they also learn career management and become socialized into the norms of the circus industry. This paper summarizes the rise of professionalizing circus schools and explores key critiques levied at circus educational systems through the lens of gender equality. I then expand the scope of investigation to consider, from the perspective of circus schools, what factors might predicate gender disparity in circus education. In conclusion, I explore what actions can be taken by circus schools, circus students, and the circus community to favour gender parity.

Youth circus opportunities are part of a global expansion in circus arts practices. Although defined with different nuances in different locations, Youth circus is generally accepted to include any youth participating in learning circus skills for non-professional reasons, including recreation, physical education, and social contexts. Anecdotes describing the transformative and beneficial effects of learning circus abound. Research indicates that the introduction of circus arts to a broad youth population has been shown to increase motor competence, motor confidence, physical literacy, self-determination, and encourage risk assessment. This chapter describes how research describing the benefits from participating in youth circus can be understood within the framework of risky play. When engaging in risky play, youth test their own physical and emotional limits in order to develop strategies that will benefit them when encountering future risks. The opportunity to participate in risky play enables youth to learn to trust themselves and develop awareness of their strengths and weaknesses. Learning circus offers a context for diverse, incremental, and individualized risk-taking, in environments where instructors and equipment provide risk-management. Looking at research results through the lens of risky play contributes to a description of youth circus as an enriching activity.

We, the three authors of this chapter, all come from professional careers in the circus arts. We also have a deep interest in and involvement with our academic domains, including physics, history, and education. We have found that combining circus arts with these traditionally academic subjects in academic institutions has motivated our students to engage with their own learning processes in unique ways. Through our discussions, we have identified three common ways in which students experience agency through the integration of circus practice and academic knowledges. First, students are able to build new knowledge from their domains of comfort into domains of discomfort. Second, combining embodied and academic knowledge expands student access to creative solutions, thereby expanding their knowledge horizons. Third, we notice that the collaboration inherent in the practice of circus arts enables community building, which, in turn, elicits the development of trust in new situations. We see each of these elements as foundational for social change. This chapter situates our findings in relation to theories of creativity that include quotidian, personal discoveries (Beghetto, 2010; Csikszentmihalyi,1997/2013; Sawyer, 2012) and theories of embodiment that show how the mind and body mutually inform and affect each other (Gallagher, 2006; Steinman,1995). We further contextualise our findings within the greater conversation of circus arts in education (Cadwell, 2018; Funk, 2018) and the long-term effects of learning arts on the development of other knowledges.

Introduction: After more than a decade monitoring physical education instruction in Brazilian elementary schools we noticed an exponential increase in circus activities in both curricular physical education (PE) and in after-school programs. The purpose of this study was to analyze the children's participation and gender preferences in circus activities, with regard to recent studies reporting substantial gender inequalities in Brazilian PE.

Method: A qualitative study, based on multiple-cases design, was conducted in two public and six private Brazilian elementary schools. Data collection consisted of 17 semi-structured interviews with PE teachers and school administrators and in situ observations totalizing more than 130 h. The data were analyzed using Content Analysis (thematic categories).

Results: Boys and girls showed high participation levels in both curricular and extracurricular PE circus activities. In grades 1–5, participant activity preference was not linked to gender in either curricular or extracurricular situations and overall physical engagement was high. Gender preferences between activities were identified in grades 6–12: girls for aerial activities (trapeze, silks) and boys for juggling activities. Teacher preferences played an important role in the process of linking activities to specific genders both through modeled behavior and gendered encouragement of participants.

Conclusion: Circus instruction engages children of all genders and is thereby an effective activity to counter low participation in PE for boys and, especially, girls. Although circus activities are not inherently gendered, gender preferences are cultivated by teachers through gendered behavior modeling (their activity preferences) and encouragement strategies (guiding students to activities based on gender), which is often observed in traditional PE school activities and sports.

Our multifaceted society calls for engineers that are not only experts in their domain, but possess the flexibility to understand adjacent disciplines. The inclusion of the performing arts in engineering curricula has shown potential for cultivating creativity and equipping STEM students with problem-solving abilities. However, the literature offers limited examples of such integration in engineering courses. We present a unique learning experience involving engineering students from the Royal Institute of Technology (KTH) and circus students from Bachelor’s programme in Circus at Stockholm School of the Arts (SKH). Grounded in the concepts of docendo discimus, presentational dimension of circus and reflective thinking, our study aimed to: (1) explore engineering students’ acceptance of an unconventional collaboration with circus peers; and (2) assess the pedagogical value of this collaboration for the engineering students. We highlight challenges and potentialities of this collaboration, to inform educators interested in creative teaching approaches.

There is limited information available to assist evidence-supported detection and referral of mental, social, and physical health issues affecting performance in circus artists. Therefore, this study examines mental, social, and physical health of artists in 2 circus settings (circus school, professional circus). The specific aims were to assess overall health and develop data-informed wellness screening methods in these populations, assisting referral guidelines for performance and health optimization. A comprehensive psychometrically validated battery of standardized measures was administered to 109 professional circus artists employed by Cirque du Soleil and students enrolled in the National Circus School. Compared with students, professionals reported significantly fewer problems with social isolation, fatigue, and factors that interfere with circus performance specific to shows/evaluations; they also reported greater satisfaction in their social roles and overall circus performance. Professionals also reported significantly less severe depression, and greater receipt of emotional and informational support compared with normative samples. Scores of students were similar to those of normative samples, although their scores measuring anxiety and fatigue were higher. There were no significant differences between professionals and students in perceived interferences during training, or circus-related problems with coaches and classmates/coworkers. For all participants, scores on measures of mental, social, and physical health were negatively associated with factors reported to interfere with circus performance. Participant responses to the measures were used to develop guidelines to facilitate detection of factors interfering with performance and to assist informed referrals. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)