PERSPECTIVE
PERSPECTIVE
Circus volunteers: when
properly empowered they
can turn an under-attended
production without popcorn
into a smoothly run, sold-out
show. Finding the volunteers
who share your vision can
take time and effort, but the
payoff can be long lasting and
rewarding.
In addition to the obvious
benefit of short-term help,
hosting volunteers builds
lifelong friendships, mentors
budding artists, fulfills
people’s desire to contribute
to their community, creates
ambassadors for circus, and
improves the circus experience
for all.
BOTTLE
How
to
Find
&
I
Keep
Volunteers
T
in
the
Circus
W o r l d UP
BY KIM CAMPBELL
HOW VOLUNTEERS MAKE
CIRCUS RUN
Audiences don’t know how
much work goes into a student
showcase. Yet converting
part of the audience to crew
builds appreciation for the
event and makes for a stronger
production. Most importantly,
when you find a volunteer, you
also find a lifelong supporter—
someone who has sweat equity
in your property.
For showcases there are many
volunteer jobs to fill:
• making/altering costumes
• selling concessions
• make-up
• assisting children backstage
• setting up raffles/selling
raffle tickets
• social media outreach
• distributing flyers
• selling show tickets
• set-up and clean-up
• arranging music, props, and
lighting
• photography and video
• hosting cast parties
Circus schools can use
volunteers too:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
bake sales
fundraisers
legal guidance
marketing
newsletters
directors/advisors
clean-up days
The list is long, but the real feat
is finding reliable, enthusiastic,
and committed people for
those jobs.
“What do you look for in a
volunteer?” I asked Terry White,
Triton Trouper Circus director.
“Two legs and a heartbeat,” he
replied in his understated way,
adding, “you take a chance with
someone the first time they
commit to doing something, but
after one or two years you get
a good idea what they can do.”
Located just west of Chicago,
the Triton Trouper Circus has
run entirely on volunteer power
for 44 years, performing back-
to-back shows each March for
an auditorium full of fans. It is
truly a community-run circus,
and the Troupers are not alone.
Out west in Redlands, California
there is a similar organization,
also run entirely by volunteers,
with a history stretching back
to 1929 called The Great Y
Circus. Triton and Great Y
Circus both include senior
citizens and children in their
productions, each is supported
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