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AYCO

American Youth Circus Organization

Partner member

Since 1998, AYCO has been promoting the participation of youth in circus arts and supporting circus educators.

AYCO's main activities are:

  • Providing information and training,
  • Connecting and convening,
  • Advocacy,
  • Setting standards and guidelines for safety for the circus sector in the USA,
  • Developing Social Circus in the USA,
  • Supporting educators and organizations via the American Circus Educators Association (ACE) branch, founded in 2014.

In support of these aims, AYCO and ACE:

  • Produce the alternating biennial American Youth Circus Festival and ACE Educators’ Conference,
  • Host regional circus festivals and showcases,
  • Foster communication among circus arts educators and organizations,
  • Collaborate with other circus networks around the world,
  • Publish American Circus Educators Magazine,
  • Provide circus arts coaches with training procedures and guidelines for safety standards,
  • Promote youth circus activities through positive media coverage and regular newsletters,
  • Advocate for increased support for circus education,
  • Send member ambassadors to circus performances around the USA,
  • Support studies about the positive outcomes of circus,
  • Develop social circus via the Social Circus Initiative.

Members

400 members, which range from individuals to organizations:

  • youth,
  • adult,
  • circus educators
  • circus schools,
  • therapeutic circus programs,
  • social circus,
  • recreational circus,
  • community circus,
  • pre-professional training programs,
  • professional training programs.

Affiliation

  • Americans for the Arts

Learn more about this member

Founded in 1998

Management

  • President: Jesse AlFord
  • Executive director: Tara Jacob

Location

American Youth Circus Organization – AYCO
PO Box 482
Ithaca, NY 14851
United States

  • © AYCO
  • © AYCO
  • © AYCO