Tangle's first studio space!

Lauren Rile Smith is organizing this fundraiser.

Donation protected

Hi! We're Tangle Movement Arts, a Philly-based circus arts company taking a big leap as we celebrate our 10th year of boundary-pushing performance-- into our own full-time studio! To make this happen, we're asking for your help...

The big news
Tangle Movement Arts is an aerial dance theater company based in Philadelphia, PA. Since 2011, we've created circus arts shows with a contemporary twist-- focusing on ensemble-based aerial performances that center female strength and queer stories. As we enter our 10th year, we have exciting news to share: Tangle is about to move into its own creative home, our first full-time rehearsal studio! This is a big leap forward for our company-- expanding possibilities for us and for circus arts in Philadelphia-- and we couldn't be more thrilled.

What needs to happen first?
With nearly 10 years of Philadelphia-based circus performance under our belts, Tangle already owns much of the aerial equipment we'll use in this space-- from carabiners and swivels to trapezes and silks-- however, converting the studio itself into a space with rigging that can support aerialists will be an expensive project. Preparing our studio for aerial rigging will involve a number of steps, including hiring a structural engineer and aerial rigger to design the system needed to allow us to safely hang our trapezes, aerial silks, and other circus equipment, purchasing all the necessary components, and installing the system. In addition to the aerial rigging, we'll also need to purchase new pulleys and a number of other pieces of specialized hardware to make it all work.

Thank-you gifts
For every donation over $15, we'll name a carabiner in our studio after you! These essential pieces of aerial rigging hardware lift us up and keep us connected -- just like your support.

Every donation over $50 can get a Tangle merch package-- a brand-new Tangle t-shirt, 2 stickers, and a mix CD of our favorite music from shows past! (To be eligible to claim this gift, you'll need to contact us and share your shipping address, via this form.)

All donations over $100 will be eligible for a random lottery for a private trapeze lesson with Megan Gendell. Megan is an internationally performing trapeze artist , sought-after coach, and frequent Tangle guest artist. (To be eligible to claim a spot in this lottery, you'll need to contact us and share your name, via this form.)

All donations over $150 will be eligible for a random lottery for a professional aerial photoshoot with Mike Ermilio of Michael Takes Pictures. Mike is Tangle's company photographer and Philadelphia's premier photographer of aerial performance. (To be eligible to claim a spot in this lottery, you'll need to contact us and share your name, via this form.)

All donations over $175 will be eligible for a random lottery for a private aerial workshop for a group of up to four people with Tangle founding company member Lee Thompson, whose warm, beginner-friendly teaching style is beloved across Philadelphia. (To be eligible to claim a spot in this lottery, you'll need to contact us and share your name, via this form.)

All donations over $250 will be eligible for a random lottery to help name or design a new invented apparatus for Tangle's next show! From the "chandelyra" to the "triple hammock," innovative aerial equipment is a hallmark of Tangle's shows. Get in on the action with us! (To be eligible to claim a spot in this lottery, you'll need to contact us and share your name, via this form.)

Can you be part of it?
A new studio is a big project for a small performing arts company. We're excited to take it on, but we're asking our community to help make this possible. If you've ever been moved by a Tangle performance-- or if you simply love the idea of queer, feminist contemporary circus-- a donation from you would mean the world to us!