Circus arts lift Chile's troubled youths
Circo del Mundo has been credited with getting kids off the street, off drugs, and on to a meaningful life.
In the north end of Chile's sprawling capital, Santiago, the graffiti-covered neighborhood of Quinta Normal is considered one of the most "vulnerable" inner-city communities for youth. The Lo Franco Elementary School has long struggled to inoculate its preteens against the temptations of drugs and other social ills. But they've started making inroads, with an unusual approach.
Inside the school gymnasium, a dozen kids face each other in two parallel lines and take turns rolling up make-believe balls of energy and throwing them at each other - and the more noise, body language, and facial expressions they make, the better. It's one of the exercises in their first week of "circus class" - a groundbreaking social program that uses juggling, acrobatics, and a lot of clowning around to help 500 at-risk youths per year, mainly in Santiago.
"Circus arts combine a number of talents that are key for kids at risk," explains Bartolome Silva, a former actor and director of the organization that runs this program, Circo del Mundo (Circus of the World). "The magic of the circus awakens their creative potential, essential for all humans, and which many kids are lacking here. But the circus also improves self-esteem and encourages discipline, because you have to take care of your body, train yourself, focus, sleep well, and a number of other challenges that teach kids self-control. Today, many kids have a boring routine and are lacking such positive challenges."
The idea of using circus arts to help troubled youth was the brainchild of the world-renowned Cirque du Soleil. The Montreal-based entertainment empire began its first two "social circus" pilot projects in Chile and Brazil, in 1995. Today, Cirque du Soleil has 50 projects running in 19 countries, many of them in developing nations. Cirque du Soleil says the programs help get kids off the streets, off drugs, and improve their performance and behavior in school.
But perhaps nowhere has this "social circus" model been as successful as in Chile, through Circo del Mundo. "I think they're the flagship in the development of social circus in Latin America," says Michel Lafortune, coordinator for Cirque du Soleil's international social circus programs. "And when we put it into perspective, it's with few resources." Cirque du Soleil still makes the odd donation, but Chile's Circo del Mundo is independently run, and continuously has to search for funding from local and international organizations.
While Chile's fast economic growth and political stability have made it the donor darling of Latin America, the country's gaping social and income inequalities have bred crime and social ills, particularly in its poor and marginalized communities. Mr. Silva says circus arts get kids to channel the same energy that leads to violence or delinquency toward positive pursuits.
In the school gym at Lo Franco, circus instructor Juan Francisco Hormazabal helps 13-year-old troublemaker David Escobar, climb onto the knees of his classmate, teaching him patience and balance. In the long run, Hormazabal says this will improve his behavior at school and at home by instilling a sense of discipline and teaching him social skills.
"These programs aim to achieve three objectives: improve a child's self-esteem, develop a sense of humor, and create a sense of belonging in their community," says Mr. Hormazabal.
Circo del Mundo's success has been such that last year, Chile's National Drug Control Commission (CONACE) began funding its initiatives in high-risk communities. Thanks to the program, they say they've seen dropout rates go down, grades improve, and many kids reduce or stop their use of drugs. Circo provides detailed progress evaluations for each student. CONACE plans to start quantifying the program's success later this year.
"The results have gone even beyond what we imagined," says Fanny Pollarolo, who is in charge of CONACE's marginalized youth program. "We like the fact that the kids learn and acquire abilities quickly, with achievements in a short time frame."
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