Circus Training for Autistic Children: Difference, Creativity, and Community

Abstract

Circus training can benefit children diagnosed on the autistic spectrum and their families. In 2010, as Head Trainer at Flipside Circus in Brisbane, Kristy Seymour developed a method for using circus as a therapeutic tool for children with autism. In this article, she and Patricia Wise work between experiential and theoretical positions to explore how circus can open up a new world to such children, enabling them to take risks physically and emotionally, and to stretch the capacities of their bodies in an environment that enriches their social development. Seymour and Wise deploy the idea of ‘chaosmos’ from Deleuze and Guattari, Pope, and others to argue that, counter-intuitively, children with autism benefit from the environment of creative chaos that attends circus. Through Agamben's work on being and singularity they discuss how circus values difference and inclusivity, building community in ways also captured by Probyn's notion of ‘outside belonging’. Kristy Seymour has worked for over sixteen years in contemporary circus as an aerialist, trainer, artistic director, creative producer, and choreographer. She has a significant profile in the youth circus sector, and is completing doctoral research on Australian contemporary circus in Griffith University's School of Humanities, Languages and Social Science. An Associate Professor in the same School, Patricia Wise is a cultural theorist whose publications range over cultural policy and urban studies, inflected by interests in spatiality, materiality and gender. This article reflects a parallel concern with cultural practices in communities of difference, as does a recent co-publication on the value of participatory music for the welbeing of detained asylum seekers.

Circus Arts Therapy® fitness and play therapy program shows positive clinical results.

“…Although there are personal accounts and testimonials from experts in the field of play therapy, as well as anecdotal evidence from practitioners who incorporate aspects of circus arts in therapeutic and/or social settings (see Bolton, 1999; Maglio & McKinstry, 2008, and interviews in Seymour, 2012) that argue for the utility of circus arts in a play therapy setting, the current study provides data-driven, longitudinal evidence that circus arts is a viable and effective type of play therapy. That statistically significant findings of this study validate previous testaments that circus activities can improve physicality, teamwork, and following directions.…”

“…Seymour (2012) discussed the therapeutic benefits of circus arts based on interviews with circus trainers, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, and other professionals. According to an interview with circus trainer Jessica Radvan, circus provides an opportunity “to develop balance and coordination through the use of their bodies in a direct, physical way—it’s their hands that hold onto the bar and keep them from falling, it’s their feet that step onto the trampoline and first make contact with the mat once they’ve jumped” (p. 43).…”

Circus-specific extension of the International Olympic Committee 2020 consensus statement: methods for recording and reporting of epidemiological data on injury and illness in sport

“…Circus arts has proven artistic and cultural relevance to contemporary society and holistic health, social and educational benefits. [8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15] As with any physical activity, its practice presents a risk of injury. A literature review reported injury rates ranging from 7.4 to 9.7 per 1000 performances or athlete-exposures in professional circus artists, 3 16 17 and injury incidence estimates in circus arts students ranging from 0.3 to 3.3 5 18 injuries per 1000 exposure hours.…”

Interrupting ‘the Other’ Childhood: On Social Circus in Asylum Accommodations

“…Trust and emotional safety (Bessone 2017; Cadwell 2018) are aspects identified as cornerstones of social circus, regarding both progress in training and the social atmosphere created. Moreover, in their analysis of social circus for children with autism, Seymour and Wise (2017) suggest that social circus is an '[…] opportunity to step into a world where risk and defiance of the "norm" are encouraged; where imagination and aspiration are expected to be operating at full forcealmost 'out of control' […]' (Seymour and Wise 2017: 89). Circus is an art form that demands for practitioners to be 'themselves', to do tricks in their own way and on their own premises.…”