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School of Acrobatics & New Circus Arts 

Description

SANCA is located in Georgetown, an area with limited access to arts and cultural opportunities, especially for children. Founded in 2004 with five students, SANCA has since become the largest circus school in the United States, serving more than 20,700 people annually with highly innovative circus programs and public performances. In addition to circus arts classes and outreach, we host a Circus Artist Residency, offer workshops conducted by international performers, and provide rental space to other nonprofit arts organizations. Learn more about SANCA’s programs and outreach in this short video.

Mission Statement
SANCA’s mission is to improve the mental and physical health of children of all ages and abilities by engaging them in the joyous creativity of acrobatics and circus arts. Our innovative circus arts programs offer rewarding experiences that are physically challenging, socially enriching, and encourage creativity in a safe, supportive, and nurturing environment.
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School of Acrobatics & New Circus Arts
674 S Orcas St 
Seattle 
WA
98108 
(206) 652-4433 

Jo Montgomery 
Executive Director 

Programs

School of Acrobatics & New Circus Arts Programs

It smells like hope. The minute you walk in, the whole place just smells like hope.
—Zach, 15, circus arts & flying trapeze student

SANCA offers year-round circus arts classes and summer camps. We provide youth with a safe, social, constructive environment for unique physical arts education. Many of the youth who need SANCA the most cannot afford to pay.
  • The Youth Scholarship Program provides support to any youth who needs financial aid.
  • No student is denied enrollment due to lack of funds.
  • Twenty percent of SANCA’s enrollment receives tuition assistance.
  • Since 2004, 756 students have received tuition assistance totaling $264,179.03!

With regard to one student, SANCA has literally changed his life. Ian’s newfound confidence and health are one result of his circus successes. —Miriam Reed, First Place School Teacher

Circus arts promote a fit and healthy lifestyle, help build self-confidence, and foster positive social relationships through cooperation and trust. Our Circus Outreach Program for schools and community organizations:
  • Empowers Youth!
  • Reaches low-income, at-risk, and underserved populations.
  • Is offered on a sliding-scale/pro bono basis.
  • Served 800 youth in 2011.
Students and teachers report:
  • Increased confidence, health, and physical ability.
  • Improved academics and interpersonal relationships.

The Youth Company has given me the confidence and the support that made me who I am today. Youth Company has touched my life and I, in turn, hope that through performance I can touch the lives of others around me. —Anna, 17, See Anna’s short video documentary about SANCA.

SANCA’s Youth Performance Program provides youth with a progressive track to develop skills based on traditional and modern circus arts. Participants receive specialized training and perform at major events in Seattle, including the Moisture Festival and Seattle Center’s Winterfest. SANCA has three performing troupes:
  • The Amazing Circus 1-ders (ages 5 to 7)
  • The Magnificent 7 (ages 8 to 11)
  • The SANCA Youth Performance Company (ages 12 to 18).

Recent Successes and Current Challenges

SANCA enjoys a high level of community support, and is recognized nationally as a model of circus arts education and instructor training. SANCA is a member of the American Youth Circus Organization (AYCO) and was selected to host the AYCO Educator's Conference in August 2012. This conference will bring over 100 youth educators and circus professionals to Seattle for five days of workshops about circus-based physical arts education, special needs students, and youth programming.

Our greatest challenge is the poor economic climate. Taking this into account, we did not project growth in 2011. Our community is suffering, and we saw strong indicators in 2011 of how it affects the ability of people to participate in creative arts and physical activities. As recently as the spring of 2011, SANCA experienced the highest student enrollment in our history—811 students; but in the summer for the first time in eight years, we experienced an 11% (91 students) drop in enrollment, while at the same time, requests for financial aid increased by 25% (we granted all requests for aid). This sudden change took us by surprise. With the combined loss of enrollment, increase in financial aid, and other rising expenses, we experienced a deficit of $68,180.

2012 is a critical year for SANCA. Our operating reserves were exhausted in an effort to provide programming and space for a constituency that was, until June of 2011, growing rapidly. General operating funds are crucial to our organization's ability to recover from our deficit, rebuild our cash reserves, and ultimately thrive in this challenging economy.

In order to meet these challenges we developed a lean, manageable 2012 budget that reduces expenses and focuses on new and more diverse revenue sources. We are offering new classes and special workshops, and more opportunities for other organizations to rent space from us. Cost-saving measures include a work-study program for adults who offer skilled and unskilled services in trade for class hours, and asking our patrons to pay by cash or check to help us reduce credit card fees. Our annual February dinner fundraiser netted $70,000 this year, a 46% increase in donations over 2011 for the same event. We have since seen our enrollment numbers stabilize and begin to slowly grow again, with a 2012 spring enrollment of 752.

Evaluation


The School of Acrobatic & New Circus Arts (SANCA) offers skill and performance training in circus arts with a focus on improving the mental and physical health of children.

Proven Success
Founded in 2004 with an enrollment of 5 students, SANCA has grown to the largest circus school in the country, serving 18,366 people in 2010. Even during the recession they experienced exceptional growth from 640 students in weekly classes in 2009 to current enrollment of 811.

Accessibility and Cultural Competency
Dedicated to serving students from all ethnic and economic backgrounds, no one is turned away regardless of ability to pay. 20% of current enrollment currently receives tuition assistance. Circus arts are also especially beneficial to youth with special needs, from ADHD or Sensory Processing Disorder to Autism or physical disabilities. SANCA has been approved by the Washington Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS) as a provider of therapeutic services for clients covered under provisions of the Division of Developmental Disabilities (DDD).

Collaboration
SANCA’s Circus Outreach Program partners with local schools and organizations that serve low-income and at-risk youth. One of the Outreach partners is First Place School, a school for youth struggling with homelessness. The year-long collaboration with First Place provides opportunities for youth to learn about and develop their own performances. In 2010, during SANCA’s professional Circus Artist Residency, the First Place youth worked with the resident artists for a one-month period to develop a showcase performance. In 2011 the Outreach Program and First Place partnered with the Seattle Opera. The youth devised a circus-based version of “The Magic Flute.” SANCA also partners with Treehouse by providing students who come from Treehouse a 50% tuition waver that is matched by Treehouse for the other 50%.

Grant History with The Seattle Foundation:

Grants Awarded through The Seattle Foundation Grantmaking Program:

DateAmountPurpose
There are no recent grants awarded to this organization.

Financials

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