ZirkuTopia e.V.

ZirkuTopia e.V. is a non profit organisation on regional level in northern Hesse. ZirkuTopia e.V. practices the magic of inclusion. Since 1993 we develop and organize in Kassel and surroundings inclusive cultural offers for children and youngsters in the field of circus and theatre in cooperation with the Youth welfare department, KJBW and the Health department of the City of Kassel. Main aim of our organisation is to realize inclusion. Our target groups are all youngsters with and without handicaps, deprivation or any disadvantages. Young people with and without physical, mental or psychological handicaps or social deprivation together are practicing circus skills to present them finally on a public stage and to receive a big applause for that. The aim on the individual level is to reduce the fear of and to create a natural cooperation. On the level of society we make inclusion visible and experienceable. We orientate our work towards the following guiding principles: • Nobody is perfect in everything, but everybody can do something especially well • In our work we highlight the individual strengths, because: we work with talents instead of shortcoming. The aim on the individual level is to reduce the fear of and to create a natural cooperation. Our most important projects are: - Zirkus Buntmaus, 5 groups, who meet weekly in Kassel, - 2 circus groups in cooperation with the network “Wesertor” (a district of Kassel’) with children, youngsters and parents, weekly for everybody - 1 open circus group (meeting weekly) in cooperation with “Wilde Warte” (a project of the “Kinder- und Jugendförderung der Stadt Kassel”, 1 open circus group (meeting weekly) in cooperation with the “ Erstaufnahme Niederzwehren” for refuges (children’s and parents) - the inclusive circus camp (1x a year) - international inclusive circus camps in cooperation with KJBW ZirkuTopia e.V. is a particular cultural offer for the region. Our circus-performances at the end of the circus camp and other projects and activities reach more than 3000 spectators every year and we work with some hundred participants.