Launching today in New York, Circus Now is a month-long series of advocacy events celebrating the American contemporary circus in seven US cities: New York, Philadelphia, Chicago, Minneapolis, St. Louis, San Francisco and Seattle.
Organised with the support / alliance of some sixtyish US circus organisations, the events also coincide with the launch of Duncan Wall's book The Ordinary Acrobat, a memoir of his time at the École Nationale des Arts du Cirque in France, and a history of the circus leading from the start of the form all the way through to its diverse contemporary manifestations.
One of the actions tied into Circus Now's events has been the launch of a petition calling for American funding bodies and venues to recognise the legitimacy of circus as an artform and social force. While targeted at point of delivery on US institutions, the petition will be handed over with a packet of information attesting to the growth of circus in other countries — which obviously is a stronger argument if the petition happens to be flooded with international support. You can sign here.