Documentary Film on The Salida Circus for PBS

Have you ever wanted to run away and join the circus? I have. And you could too. Social circus is a powerful and growing movement throughout the world. The mission is to use circus arts to impact social change by creating a neutral space where everyone is welcome. This is circus at its core - kids practicing in dirt lots, backyards, living rooms and parks. In a social circus the only requirements to join are a willingness to try and desire to have fun.

 

The Salida Circus is a social circus birthed in the high mountain towns of Colorado, the life project of knife juggler/unicyclist/stilt walker/mom Jennifer Dempsey. She migrated to the small mountain town of Salida in 2007 after working with the Belfast Community Circus in Northern Ireland, Circo Rum Ba Ba in London, and the Scarlet Sisters Circus in Orange County, California. Jennifer started Salida Circus in her backyard, and now, 15 years later, Salida Circus members have performed thousands of times throughout Colorado, the USA, and worldwide. In 2020 Cirque du Soleil, the original social circus, granted Salida Circus their Employees Choice Award.

 

Over the last 15 years, the program has impacted hundreds of young people and adults, changing lives one circus performance at a time. But, behind the show lights, in between high profile performances , this is still a backyard circus. The Salida Circus remains local and grassroots, where on any given day you will find kids practicing trapeze in a park or riding unicycles to school.

 

You join Salida Circus simply by showing up. You too can become a juggler or stiltwalker or acrobatic clown. Or you can become part of the social circus movement by helping us make a film about it.

 

To celebrate their 15th anniversary, we are making a 26:40 minute film about the Salida Circus. Why 26:40? This is the half-hour time slot for Rocky Mountain PBS, which is excited to premier the film. This film will be broadcast to thousands of households, to audiences who have never heard of social circus.

 

But to make the film, we need your help.

 

 

Films can cost an infinite amount of money to make, but we have honed it down to bares bones. And thanks to the Chaffee County Visitors Bureau and the Colorado Health Foundation, we are well on our way. But we still need to raise an additional $20,000 to reach our goal.

 

Where does the money go? Filming, editing, music rights, mileage, hard drives, postage, etc. The plan is to start shooting the film in March 2022, edit in August and wrap up in September. Who will benefit from the film? The kids who participate in the circus, the communities throughout Colorado where the circus performs, everyone who has ever wanted to become part of the circus movement.

 

All donors will be listed in the credits of the film. Donors giving over $5000 may be listed as Executive Producers. Anyone who wants to make a larger tax-deductible contribution can donate directly to the Salida Circus, a 501c3 nonprofit organization. Contact us for details.

 

We've put together a fantastic team to make the film. Nathan Ward is the director/cinematographer. Based in Salida, Colorado, he's worked on projects in more than 40 countries, won an Emmy in 2021, and screened his films in dozens of film festivals worldwide. The writer/editor, Summer Simpson, has crafted films for clients like The National Geographic Society, PBS, Al Jazeera, The Smithsonian and many more. We'll bring in more of our crew who specialize in sound, color and music to create a film that captures the essence of the Salida Circus.

 

 

Beyond the screening on Rocky Mountain PBS, we plan to show on other PBS affiliates, film festivals worldwide, schools throughout Colorado/New Mexico/California working to create their own circuses, the American Youth circus organization - a national network of social circuses, the Social Circus International network, Cirque du Soleil's outreach network Cirque du Monde, the National Association of Social Workers Conference, the American Circus Educators Annual Festival, the Clowns Without Borders Festival, the Citizens Peace Building Program and many more places.

 

We believe in the magic and power of circus. Please help us share the story of the Salida Circus with millions of new people. Thank you for your time, consideration and support.