"Professionalization of Circus Art and Social Circus in Chile, through the School of Circus Arts."

The Circus of the World originated from the initiative of Cirque du Soleil and Jeunesse du Monde, which in 1995 in an International Cooperation project with the Corporación el Canelo de Nos conducted circus workshops for Chilean artists, mainly actors and dancers, with the object of applying it in the help of children and young people with social problems. A key to this is to consider art as a transformative space, in addition to installing the concept of "new circus" as a performing art. Today the entity is divided into three areas of action: a social area, where the Circus works with children and young people of varying vulnerability, to enhance their socio-emotional skills; an academic area, which includes the School of Circus Arts, the only professional in Chile, with eight generations graduated, whose members are developed in the country and abroad and, a production area, whose mission is to promote the new circus as a performing art through various shows, with national and international tours. Within the social area, one of the great direct beneficiaries has been girls and boys from the entire Metropolitan Region, from communes such as La Pintana, El Bosque, Puente Alto, Renca, Cerro Navia, Lo Prado, Lo Espejo and, Estación Central, but also Ñuñoa, Las Condes and La Reina, as well as some provincial cities such as Iquique, Lebu and Frutillar. It has started from the understanding that risk is not only linked to poverty, but to a system that often violates the rights of children. The boys arrive through agreements with municipalities, schools, foundations and, other organizations. The primary purpose of the "School of Circus Arts" is to consolidate the work carried out by El Circo del Mundo-Chile, offering continuity and professional projection to different young people. The School is also an academic opportunity of excellence, unique in the country, for all young Chileans or those from the region who wish to make circus their profession. It also provides technical training and methodological training to those artists or monitors who want to use the circus as a means of personal and social development. The general objective of the School is to train circus professionals and promote this discipline as a performing art nationally and internationally. Its specific objectives are to train multipurpose professionals in circus techniques complemented with other performing arts; Offer comprehensive training in theoretical, methodological and, practical tools for social intervention and, Provide the Chilean cultural environment with the professionalization of Circus, as a performing art. The curriculum of the School of Circus Arts is approved by the World Federation of Circus Schools (FEDEC), an international body that brings together the best circus schools and universities in the world. Regarding the profile of the graduate, it involves the professional handling of various techniques of the New Circus with a high artistic level. The Ability to manage and administer social programs and application of social intervention methodologies typical of El Circo del Mundo, with a high impact on children and young people in different social settings.