MJCA

FEDEC member since 2023

Mighty Jambo Trust is a charitable organization whose overall goal is to develop the field of arts and culture in Kenya.

It started as an acrobatic troupe known as the Mighty Jambo acrobats in 1995, and was formally registered as a Trust in the year 2009. Mighty Jambo Trust now has its head quarters in Nairobi Kenya, and promotes the betterments of circus arts and culture in Kenya.

Mighty Jambo Trust supports Mighty Jambo Circus Academy in its mission to create professional jobs for the youth through Circus Arts. Their mission is to develop leaders in the circus industry who will be instrumental in the development of their community and the circus arts.

Youth and children from the informal settlements in Nairobi are unable to pay the tuition fee. For this reason, the school relies on contributions from donors, parents, friends, businesses and members of the circus arts community, to the school and it´s student’s needs.

These donations ensure that the programs related to offering financial assistance and health services to students are able to continue intact. Furthermore, the school will retain the best teachers, upgrade existing equipment, and invest in research and development to benefit the communities.

Mission

One of the missions of the academy is to see acceptability of circus art as a way of expression and integration to the community and help artists embrace their talents and become role models who are instrumental in the positive development of their community.

It is also to empower young Circus Artists by giving them tools to express themselves through performing art and to give them the opportunity to improve on their artistic skills so that they can eventually build a professional career in the performing art industry.

The goals of Mighty Jambo Circus Academy are:

• Develop artistic skills to quality professional world class levels, ultimately creating jobs.
• Form arts related projects to rehabilitate disadvantaged children.
• Contribute to the social and cultural development of the society in the widest sense by promoting public awareness, appreciation and access to acrobatics, dance, and contemporary music from Kenya.
• Tap into, and preserve talent and culture through acrobatics as a performing art.
• Advance the skills and opportunities of the artists through training workshops, outreach activities, performances and international exchanges.
• Manage artists and develop new concepts.

Training offered

Acrobatics Technical Training: The program is a two year accredited course for adults who wish to pursue the full advanced training necessary to become a circus artists or trainer in Kenya. This is a fast growing industry in Kenya, it is opening up many opportunities and jobs are available for professionally trained people. In order to achieve this goal, students must commit to an intensive preparatory training.

The duration of the program for adults is 2 years. New students will be able to enroll in the ‘program for adults’ after an initial evaluation.

Candidates should: 

• Show interest in circus art.
• Show coordination, flexibility and body awareness.
• Be in excellent health and have developed physically.
• Demonstrate proficiency in circus arts, dance or acrobatic sport with and artistic component.
• Be available in the mornings, from Monday to Saturday.
• Demonstrate determination, discipline and creativity.

Depending on the initial evaluation, program participants will access to one of the three levels of this program:

1. Basic level: During 3 months, this level is based on physical training. However, this physical preparation is integrated with the introduction to circus techniques and an artistic development component. Participants will develop a solid base from which to move to the intermediate level.
2. Intermediate level: This level consists of solid physical preparation, technical and artistic training in basic circus arts disciplines such as dancing, acting and acrobatics. It takes 9 months. The intermediate level also emphasizes students' overall development. It comprises practical training in the performing arts and in the major disciplines of the circus arts: balancing, acrobatics, Chinese pole (African style) and group acrobatics, as well as a theoretical grounding in related disciplines.
3. Advanced level: This level takes 1 year. It is focused on the development of one specific acrobatic skill or mastering various skills, such as balancing, juggling, hoops diving, acrobatics (group and individual) & chinese pole (African style).

Disciplines taught

Manipulation:

• Juggling
• Balls/Clubs/Rings
• Diabolo
• Hula Hoop
• Table balance
• Antipod

Balance:

• Stilts
• Pedal Unicycle
• Tightrope
• Roller Bola
• Ladder
• Hand to Hand
• Bottle balancing

Acrobatics:

• Human Pyramids
• Acro-Balances
• Tumbling
• Chinese pole (African style)
• Hoops
• Rope Skipping

Aerial:

• Ring
• Tissue/Rope

Movement:

• Dance (African and Modern)
• Clowning

Learn more about this member

Founded in 2008

Management

• Ken Baya 
• Joseph Odhiambo
• Adam Chienjo
• John Otieno Dindy (Founder)
• Consolata Nduta 

Teaching language

English

Localisation

P.O. Box 381 GPO 00100,
Nairobi,
Kenya

Contact

mightyjambotrust@gmail.com
(060) 895-6071
www.mightyjambocircusacademy.com