Circus Smirkus

The mission of Circus Smirkus is to promote the skills, culture and traditions of the traveling circus and to inspire youth to engage in life-changing adventures in the circus arts.

Circus Smirkus is a youth circus organization that provides opportunities for young people to experience the circus arts. Each summer the Big Top Tour, with a cast of about 30 talented youth from 12-18 years old, tours New England, performing 2 shows a day for seven weeks in 15 venues, delighting audiences in its 750 seat European-style big top tent. The Tour showcases the best young talent in the Circus Arts today, selected by audition to share the ring with professional circus artists. Circus Smirkus is presented in most towns by a local non-profit youth or community organization. The ticket sales and sponsorships they raise through our performances provide a major souce of income for their programs. Smirkus summer camps provide training and fun as children learn the circus arts from professional coaches. Kids as young as 6 can experience the magic of circus, while advanced camp provides opportunities for talented teens. Smirkus residency programs bring the circus to the classroom, with unique learning experiences for kids and teachers. Circus is a non-competitive physical art form that extends easily to any part of the school curriculum. Circus training requires the same dedication, discipline, and hard work of any sport, but it stresses collaboration rather than competition.