This Working Group met at the end of November and was attended by a mix of companies, freelancers and youth group leaders. We recognised the need to recruit more members into the group and specifically more freelancers to identify their specific needs and help drive this conversation forward.

This Mission comprises two distinct but interlinked areas: Career Pathways and Health and Wellbeing. The group recognised the need and importance of more sustainability in the sector, which straddles both Career Pathways and Health and Wellbeing.

Career Pathways

We started by identifying what gaps and needs there are for artists to assist them in their career in the circus industry at all its different stages, from emerging to mid-career and more established artists.

The main points raised included:

• A lack of properly paid opportunities in the early stages of a circus career

• The need for more trainee programmes

• The need for continuous support and mentoring for more established circus performers - ongoing creative and career development opportunities, so as not to lose their knowledge about a potential career change.

• Mentoring: some companies and organisations already do a lot of ad hoc, informal support and mentoring. How can this be formalised? One idea was for companies that get approached regularly to jointly apply for funding and specifically support groups/individuals who aren’t getting access through the grants route.

• How to create networking and showcasing opportunities for artists who haven’t come from a circus education setting and are finding it difficult to get known in the industry.

• The need to address the lack of a notable pay progression within the circus sector, no matter how much experience one has (quite unlike other sectors): how can we address this and create a more sustainable industry so we don’t lose talent and a wealth of experience?

• A need for more platforms for creation and learning.

The discussion around Career Pathways is big and complex, as it straddles many different Missions but the first tangible action we can take is to research and create a ‘chronological’ map of the pathways that have already been identified and make it into a working document to be reviewed regularly.

Health & Wellbeing

The catalyst for this discussion was the need to re-assess the way we practice as circus artists and how we can nurture a culture of self-care from the very beginning, to support longer and healthier careers. The forced hiatus in 2020 has given us a chance to choose how to start again.

The discussion was particularly focused on the effects that the pandemic has had on the emotional and mental health of artists and what resources are already there that we can share and access to help navigate these unusual times.

We ran out of time to discuss this further but we are aiming to make this part of our Mission a priority at the next meeting.

Authored by Silvia Fratelli