A letter from Erica Rubinstein, Education Director It’s hard for me to wrap my head around the fact that the studio has been closed for over three weeks. I oscillate between a broad range of feelings including loneliness, hope, anxiousness, enjoyment of the little things and fear of not knowing when we’ll know more. I’m trying to keep a few daily habits like a morning cup of coffee, going for a daily walk or two and not looking at any news sites or social media after 8pm.  What also keeps me going is inspiration from continuing to work with such an amazing team. I appreciate that the Cir ..read more

ANNOUNCEMENT FROM THE CIRCUS PROJECT BOARD OF DIRECTORS After a difficult and painful decision-making process, we regret to announce The Circus Project Board of Directors approved a resolution on July 19, 2022 to close the nonprofit. Thorough review and analysis of the financial situation revealed a continued decline in funds over the past several years, in part due to an increase in rent and facilities, expanded programming, and instability from the Covid-19 pandemic. This decision is difficult to make. The Board explored numerous options in hopes of continuing The Circus Project’s 14-year h ..read more

Dear community, I’m pleased to share that Deniz Conger has taken the helm as Interim Executive Director at The Circus Project! It’s been a delight to work with Deniz, who is already hitting the ground running.  Deniz brings a wealth of experience in nonprofit management, fund development, strategy, and social impact. She comes to us with a deep knowledge of the needs and inner workings of arts and health organizations, as well as a strong commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion (I’ve included her bio, below, so you can learn more about her). I’m so thrilled to have her shepherding ..read more

We are so happy to announce that applications are open for the next Living Room Circus, a showcase opportunity for performing artists of all disciplines, focused around the themes of risk, innovation and experimentation. This Living Room Circus will be on June 17th, at the Outdoor Domes, our open-air performance venue located at Zidell Yards. To be considered, submit this application no later than Saturday May 14th, 2022 We believe circus is multidisciplinary – any performance art is welcome to apply. Past performances have included aerial, acrobatics, and juggling, and also music, poetry ..read more

To our community, As many of you know, Kirsten Collins has announced her departure as Executive Director this June after more than five years of guiding the success of The Circus Project. We’re incredibly grateful to Kirsten for her invaluable leadership and contributions to the local circus community. The search process for our next Executive Director is officially underway, and I have some exciting updates to share with you! The board has hired Nonprofit Professionals Now, led by Agnes Zach, to facilitate the search process. We’re thrilled to have Agnes’ guidance and expertise as we lay th ..read more

We just finished the first season of the Outdoor Domes! Thank you for all of your support as we executed one of our most ambitious projects to date! This one-of-a-kind structure provided us a safe, outdoor place to gather and learn this summer. The Domes are closed for the winter season, but stay tuned for updates about summer 2022! We’re so excited to reopen the Domes for another full season of programming and performances. Read the full report here. 78 Summer camp students 113 hours of summer camp 137 hours of classes 18 private lessons 10 events & performances Over 1,000 event atten ..read more

To our community, I’ve got some news to share with you. The Circus Project is starting a big leadership change. Erica Rubinstein will be moving out of the programming leadership role in November (and will remain on staff as a coach). And, I am in my last year as Executive Director and plan to leave this role by June 1, 2022.  We’ve both been thinking about this for a while, as we started at the same time 5 years ago this fall. We’re both ready for new professional challenges and personal changes (and the past year especially has been….draining).  It’s also healthy for the organizatio ..read more

Portland families are invited to apply for summer camp scholarships and join sliding-scale classes August 5, 2021 (PORTLAND, OR)—Portland-based nonprofit The Circus Project announced that it received a $80,000 grant from K-12 Summer Learning Fund of The Oregon Community Foundation to support free and low-cost circus classes for youth this summer.   With this support, The Circus Project expanded capacity in the remaining summer camps and earmarked one-third of the spots specifically for scholarship students.   Summer camps are held at The Circus Project’s new outdoor circus ..read more

At the 17th Ave Studio (1420 NW 17th Ave) The Circus Project’s main entrance is wheelchair accessible. There is a 17-foot long concrete ramp to access the front door, which is 33 inches wide (and somewhat heavy). There is also a back entrance to the building.  To enter from the back, there is a 43-foot long concrete loading ramp, enter the door (41-inches wide, somewhat heavy) proceed down the hallway and turn left, and the back door to The Circus Project will be on the right.  This is a shared hallway with multiple businesses, and also the access to additional building bathrooms ..read more

The Outdoor Domes are here! The Outdoor Domes are The Circus Project’s new, satellite location. This unique circus studio is based on two geodesic domes, that are specially reinforced for aerial and connected with an arch for performances. It provides a total of 13 new aerial points! The domes will function as a class space during the day and convert to an outdoor performance venue in the evenings. The Outdoor Domes will increase access to circus training while gathering in our indoor studio is limited due to the current health crisis.  It will also provide a needed expansion for our pro ..read more