Why circus in prison?

Generally I ask myself “Why Circus?”, and then different answers come to me. I've been practicing circus since I was 16 years old, and looking backward has been such a journey as the one of a hero, as described by Joseph Campbell. In the beginning I discovered the tools, the magic, and slowly also the objectives and aims were appearing. Later on I was dealing with frustration, the biggest enemy (of life). Then I met a community that supported and motivated me to continue. And now, the frustration is a friend that I’m able to deal with: when it appears, I know I’m in a challenge, a moment for learning and growth. This growth brought me to share this passion with children, adults, elderly people, in Roma camps, circus school, public schools and in prison, to travel around Europe and Italy.

I have been participating in a Job shadowing experience funded by Erasmus+ program and organised by Radi Vidi Pats, Latvian NGO that deals with the topics of activism, green sustainability, social inclusion and mental health. The project was hosted by the association Demetra, active in Terni and working through performative arts and participatory theatre in different spaces and groups. Twice a week we had the occasion to deliver creative workshops for youngsters in Terni’s Prison and here is where I brought my circus props to share juggling basics with balls, diabolos and spinning plates. During this time I learned so much about my practices, my work and “why circus”, and “why circus in prison?” The group of participants was chaotic, with the concentration below zero. Because where in prison are the reference points to be balanced and self aware? How is it possible to not get lost after spending most of the time in a cell?

Luckily the circus has a big super power: it lets you forget about the world because it motivates you to be focused on juggling three balls, throwing a diabolo or spinning a plate. And in these two hours, the challenge is with ourselves and those props that continuously keep on falling on the ground. Because there is just something called gravity on planet Earth. But this is just a tiny inconvenience. And then when the trick works, it comes the celebration, the satisfaction to see the harmonies of movements and objects in the air. Everyone in the room is celebrating the success of one, and suddenly they became a community, not because of sharing cold walls but because of sharing joy over success.

The answer to my question “why circus in prison?” has been given by one participant in a debriefing circle at the end of one workshop in Terni:

I never had the opportunity to be a child. In this workshop I had that chance I was missing. Today while learning I had fun and I was happy.

This made me reflect on “why circus?”. When I deliver workshops for adults, the topic of being a child, to have space for learning and have fun always appears. So, what’s the difference between those who are in prison and those who are outside? Well, a lot, many, different. But the circus doesn’t look at these differences, it gives universal challenges that can be faced with motivation, support from people around us and lightness. Circus opens windows of possibilities, changing the day of a person working in an office, changing the day of a person in prison, of a child in a Roma camp or in school. That’s why circus: it’s transformative, inclusive, creative and revolutionary.

 

Marco Marinelli, educator, circus pedagogue and project designer for Arterego APS

The youth workers' mobility "Words of Bridges" is financed by the Erasmus+ Programme of the European Union that in Latvia is administered by The Agency for International Projects for Youth. This publication reflects only the viewpoint of the author.