Founded in 2013 , Circus Stars is a specially designed circus-training program for children on the autism spectrum and is based on the Gold Coast ( South East Queensland ) in Australia . I started the program after completing my Masters with Honors degree ( 2012 ) where I wrote my honors thesis titled " How circus training can enhance the wellbeing of children with autism and their families ". Prior to this I had worked extensively in the Youth Circus sector in Australia as Head Trainer and Artistic Director at Flipside Circus ( Brisbane , Queensland ), which saw me working with various communities ( refugees , youth at risk , indigenous youth ) using social circus as a tool of engagement and opportunity . In 2010 I began working with children diagnosed with autism , in a program that saw me teaching circus with an occupational therapist that provided some insight into the inner workings of autism . I was both astounded and excited to see the huge developmental leaps the children were making , hence why at the end of 2010 , I said goodbye to Flipside Circus and hello to research / academia . I wanted to create some documentation that could support the practice that I was becoming so engrossed in .
At this point in my career , at the time of undertaking postgraduate study , I had been a circus performer ( an aerialist and flyer ) and circus trainer for well over a decade and I had continued performing and teaching circus throughout my Master ' s study . As much as I enjoyed and still enjoy the challenges and intellectual stimulation of academic life , I had no intentions of drifting off into academia completely , I had always planned to enter back into the circus industry in a more in-depth manner once my research was completed . The opportunity to develop my thinking and philosophy around my own teaching practice as a circus trainer , and to think critically about circus as an art form within the framework of university research , sparked a more determined goal to open my own circus school where I could provide a more specific space for autistic children to engage in the benefits of social circus . And so after graduating with first class honors in 2012 , I went on to open my own circus school solely dedicated to children with autism in , Circus Stars . As mentioned earlier I had spent close to a decade working in a leading role at Flipside Circus ( which is one of the largest youth circuses in Australia ), so I had the experience and understanding of how to run a circus school and a large national industry network . I also had the benefit of trouble shooting what worked and didn ’ t work for me during my time there , so when it came to opening my own circus school I was well versed in how to run a youth circus company and how to safely and effectively teach a wide variety of circus skills .
Circus Stars is driven towards providing an inclusive and supportive training environment , where children and young people can find their own place to learn and thrive . Throughout my career I had the enormous privilege of being mentored by the one and only legend , Dr . Reg Bolton . Reg influenced me in many ways and so as a result the Circus Stars program is based around the essence of his hand analogy of why circus works for children : to have fun , to take safe risks , to build trust and work as a team , to encourage individuality , and to work hard on our skills . Circus Stars aims to provide a flexible learning environment , where children can participate in various skills at their own pace and skill level , this allows them to develop as individuals , while still belonging 18