Bindlestiff Family Cirkus’ Columbia County youth programs, including Bindlestiff’s Cirkus After School at the Hudson Department of Youth, the Hudson Juggling Club, and Bindlestiff’s Summer Cirkus August intensive, have received support in the amount of $2,500 from the Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation’s Hudson Schools Arts & Humanities Endowment Fund.
This means that, as always, youth from the Hudson City School district have free access to high quality out-of-school time programming. Bindlestiff’s Cirkus After School uses skills like juggling, stilt walking, tumbling, partner acrobatics, prop manipulation and physical comedy to help youth to become stronger learners, community members, and leaders by encouraging them to express themselves creatively, challenge themselves physically, and work inventively with others. Our projected outcomes are aligned with Social Circus theory, as recognized by the American Youth Circus Organization, which proposes application of instructional and cooperative techniques from the world of circus arts to help accelerate desired outcomes in youth development, therapeutic or community development settings.
The community is invited to “Winter Cirkus” at 4 pm on Monday, January 22, 2018 as students from Bindlestiff’s Cirkus After School program at Hudson Department of Youth show their individual skills and group creativity. This free show will feature group acrobatics, juggling, unicycling, stilt walking, and more surprises from the Big Top- as well as showcasing participants’ commitment, goal setting, and collaborative achievements. Students will also present a pre-show for the professional cast of Bindlestiff Family Cirkus’ matinee performance at Helsinki Hudson on March 18, 2018. For more information about youth circus opportunities, email stephanie@bindlestiff.org or call 518-828-7470.
Bindlestiff’s Columbia County partners include: The City of Hudson Department of Youth, Hudson Hall, Hudson City School District’s Afterschool Program, Operation Unite, the Morris Memorial, and Greater Hudson Promise Neighborhood’s Hudson Out of School Time Collaborative. Our funders also include The Galvan Community Foundation, The Stewart’s Foundation, The Rhinestrom Hill Community Foundation, and the Hudson River Bank & Trust Foundation.
