Hereinspaziert – dein Zirkus zum Mitmachen

CABUWAZI is a space for circus, dance, theatre, music and language. In the afternoon courses, school project weeks and holiday workshops we promote individual forms of expression, social skills and creative abilities for children and young people between the ages of 4 and 19. In a joint artistic and social process, the CABUWAZI artists regularly create performances in the CABUWAZI tents and for outdoor venues. Our circuses shape the cultural life of the neighbourhoods they are based in – through shows, guest performances and many other events.

CABUWAZI stands for a lively, cosmopolitan Berlin and is committed to supporting a dedicated, tolerant youth community. Therefore, CABUWAZI works actively in the prevention of violence and addiction and sees itself as a place for social integration, cultural education and the promotion of individual health.

CABUWAZI has six locations in five districts of Berlin. All locations offer various circus programs like afternoon training sessions for children and young people, holiday workshops as well as shows and events. In addition, weekly school and daycare projects are held in our tents and we regularly cooperate with refugee and emergency shelters throughout Berlin. Particularly, CABUWAZI Beyond Borders is involved in comprehensive projects, working with refugee children and young people with a mobile team. The Kita-Mobil complements our mobile offerings.

To ensure that this kind of circus has a future, we are conducting training in circus pedagogy at the CABUWAZI Circus Academy Berlin. Further training for young people as well as for teachers and educators is also part of the academy’s program.

Besides workshops, training courses and our commitment to social circus, the circus tents are also rented out as event locations and are available for celebrations of all kinds.

Circus pedagogy as a method that offers many approaches to affect the individual needs of children and to provide unique experiences for the participants.

Circus is essentially diverse: as an art form, it offers varied role models and the opportunity to develop and live different strengths and talents. Along with expressive clowns, the circus also features strong and agile acrobats, skillful jugglers, meticulous tightrope walkers, courageous trapeze artists, impressive unicyclists and many more.

Boards that mean the world:
Besides the diversity of these artistic disciplines, performance is one of the core elements of circus education. These unique events, where the learners perform to an audience in a show with light, costume and music, helps them to experience and build their own character – and teaches them a special skill set: to proudly present themselves and their learning outcome, to receive applause, to feel stage-fright, to overcome their own fears and also to deal with failure – to name but a few.

We particularly want to promote the joy of movement. Sensory and physical experiences are essential so we can consciously experience and handle our body. Children actively experience their environment and body when they balance, climb or jump and at the same time feel the physical strain with its effects on heart, breathing and muscles. On top of that they learn at an early age how to assess unknown and sometimes risky situations and how to adapt their behaviour accordingly. We want to enable them to assess their own abilities, so they can adjust to possible dangers and flexibly align their actions to specific situations.

Movement as a counteraction to digital worlds

Social media channels have become an indispensable part of children and young people’s lives – that is unquestionable. Nevertheless, our circus should be a place where children and young people “live the moment” and can concentrate only on themselves, their skills and needs.

At CABUWAZI children and young people can not only choose from a variety of disciplines -what suits them best – but also influence the content and artistic style of their shows and have a say in artistic decisions.
Our training methods have a tangible effect on their personal development as well as on the development of social skills, as they discover their own identity through co-determination, acting in a heterogeneous group, learning artistic forms of expression, discovering strengths, and developing their ability to empathise. In this context, they also learn the value of reliability, consideration and communication skills.

We see the meeting of many different people – whether in terms of, sexual orientation, gender identity, social status, physical, mental and spiritual ability, ethnicity, body, age, origin, migration background, religion or worldview – as enrichment. It trains children and young people in dealing with diversity, breaks down prejudices and prevents racism and exclusion from arising in the first place. Through inclusive cooperation, we want to facilitate a warm and welcoming arrival not only in our training groups but also in Berlin and in society.

We understand education as a process of free and self-determined development of personality, which takes place in someone’s confrontation with the world and its appropriation. We see CABUWAZI as an extracurricular space of learning: our program can be attended voluntarily; we pay attention to a holistic and process-oriented mediation. It is essential that our services are accessible to all children and young people regardless of their parent’s financial situation. This is achieved by working in a participatory manner and adapting the programme to the needs of the young artists.

Studies show that humans have their most creative phase as children. Meanwhile, social-science assumes that this childlike and creative production of meaning can later be superseded by the logical and taught knowledge-based production of meaning. To develop one’s creativity is therefore a benefit that strengthens the human being throughout life. To educate oneself aesthetically, to get to know different forms of expression and to participate in creative processes strengthens the self-confidence of children and young people. They learn to participate, to express themselves and feel that they can make a difference with their creativity and their own artistic expression. In addition to their aesthetic perception, all senses, fine motor skills and body coordination, as well as concentration and stamina are stimulated and promoted.

Whether in training, in discussions about new show topics or in decisions regarding costumes: We always strive for an open dialogue with our CABUWAZI kids and respect their ideas, opinions and views. We think that they have a strong influence in the way our circus-life is structured. On the one hand, the opportunity to get involved strengthens their independence and self-esteem. On the other hand it’s a possibility to evaluate whether the children and young people feel comfortable with us.

LAG Zirkus Berlin-Brandenburg e.V.
The Landesarbeitsgemeinschaft Berlin-Brandenburg was founded in 2003 and supports circus educational work with children and young people through the exchange of information and experience as well as counselling of children and youth circuses in Berlin and the State of Brandenburg.

BAG Zirkuspädagogik e.V.
The Bundesverband Zirkuspädagogik was founded in 2005 and is an association of children and youth circus groups and circus pedagogues in Germany. Among other things the BAG develops quality standards for the training of circus educators with a corresponding recognition procedure and promotes the development of circus education through further training and exchange.

Paritätischer Wohlfahrtsverband Berlin
The Paritätische Wohlfahrtsverband Berlin, as the umbrella organisation of the independent welfare sector, represents over 760 independent non-profit organisations and self-help groups, which it advises on legal, business and social issues. It advocates the rights of people in need of help and the promotion of civil society.

Landesvereinigung Kulturelle Jugendbildung Berlin e.V.
The LKJ Berlin is a professional umbrella organisation of 43 member organisations with about 400 facilities for child and youth cultural work in various fields. It represents the interests of its members at state level. For this purpose, the InfoPoint is the contact point for all questions concerning the financing and promotion of projects.

Educircation
The international network aims to improve the training quality of trainers in social and youth circus projects. As part of the CIRCE project, professional circus trainers are trained in workshops, training sessions and meetings. Educircation is supported by the EU programme ERASMUS.

Caravan
Founded in 2008, the international network for the social and youth circus comprises 30 circus facilities in Europe, Africa, Asia, America and the Middle East. Its aim is to use circus art to promote personal and social skills and to promote social change.

Zirkus macht stark
The association “Zirkus macht stark – Zirkus für alle e.V.”, founded in 2012, is a nationwide association dedicated to supporting and promoting socially and educationally disadvantaged children and young people with the means of circus education. The association is partner of the support programme “Kultur macht stark. Bündnisse für Bildung” of the Federal Ministry of Education and Research and passes the funds on to local alliances that implement circus projects for this target group.

In our CABUWAZI Beyond Borders project, refugee children, teenagers and young adults have the opportunity to gain an insight into circus artistry and discover personal strengths, experience social interaction in a community and create positive connections with their new surroundings. Since 2015 the team of CABUWAZI Beyond Borders has been conducting project weeks, workshops and ongoing circus courses directly in refugee accommodation.

In addition to that, CABUWAZI Beyond Borders is on the road throughout Berlin, working in first aid facilities, clearing houses, emergency and community shelters for refugees, thus building up a Berlin-wide network.

Since spring 2017, the project has had a permanent place at CABUWAZI Tempelhof. On the circus grounds, children and young people from Berlin accommodation facilities can take part in inclusive circus weeks, attend open training sessions, courses for beginners and advanced students and present their new skills to an audience in a final circus show together with other children and young people. Since then, the three circus tents on Tempelhofer Feld have also regularly hosted inclusive project weeks with “welcome-classes” from all over Berlin as well as holiday schools with German language support.

e do not strive for top artistic performance in our activities, but rather create a playful space in which self-confidence can develop and children, teenagers and young adults are enabled to actively shape their needs.

A special focus of our circus training for refugee children and young people is the promotion of German language skills: Our circus language concept – a playful form of language teaching – enables both the acquisition of initial knowledge of the German language and the deepening of already existing knowledge.

The main aim of these lessons is to enable the participants to feel comfortable and express their needs and feelings through the unbiased use of German language. We want to awaken in them the desire to get involved with the German language. In order to achieve this, we do not use the usual form of teaching, but adapt the language teaching to the special challenges and helpful vocabulary of the training.

The programme results from the combination of the mobile projects in the facilities for refugees and the circus educational offer on site.

Our mobile team carries out its outreach work in the accommodation facilities (currently in Spandau, Charlottenburg and Marienfelde). The team initially offers movement games and circus courses on site to give the children and young people a positive start in their new surroundings.

The courses on the site include regular circus training in each discipline, open training, school project weeks with the welcome classes and holiday workshops.

In inclusive groups children with refugee background and local children train together, which helps to normalise common, partnership-based experiences. In addition to the artistic skills, playful concepts and interacting with the local children facilitates and supports their access to and practice of the new language.

Through the “CABUWAZI Welcome Circus” (EU-funded programme) and “CABUWAZI Circus of Life” (federal funding by BAMF and BMFSJ) projects, we provide circus education in residential facilities for refugees and on the Tempelhof Circus grounds, in order to enable the children, teenagers and young adults to have their first positive contact with their new surroundings and the German language. Furthermore they benefit from a comprehensive personal, social and linguistic skill development and experience a sense of participation in the social normality or beyond their isolating residential facilities.

Open workshops and weekly courses

In a group of around 15 children and teenagers, the participants train in different disciplines such as trapeze, trampoline, acrobatics, clowning, juggling or various balance disciplines. The regular training takes place on the circus ground of CABUWAZI Tempelhof. It is important that the groups are mixed: Children and teenagers from refugee families train with local children from the surrounding social environment.
In addition, we offer daily open trainings for children and young people (from Monday to Friday). The workshops, courses and project weeks are conducted by qualified circus educators and pedagogically experienced artists.

Holiday school

Holiday school at CABUWAZI give children from accommodation facilities the possibility to learn German in a playful way and to grow as a person through artistry.

A holiday school lasts 10 days, i.e. two weeks from Monday to Friday, and is run for 12-15 participants by two circus trainers and a language trainer.

Our language acquisition aims to enable the children and young people to introduce themselves, express their needs and actively participate in circus and social life.

In the subsequent circus training, the students can directly apply their new knowledge while they get to know and experience different artistic disciplines (juggling, acrobatics, trapeze, balance etc.) and artistic genres (music, dance, acting).

At the end of those two weeks, they present their acquired skills and artistic talent in a final show for parents, neighbours and staff – either in their accomodations or the circus tent on our site.

Many thanks to the German Children and Youth Foundation for financing the holiday programme for refugee children.

Circus knows no borders and is an intercultural place where people from different cultures and social backgrounds meet and work together. International exchange and various youth meetings have always been a solid and important part of CABUWAZI’s work. Through diverse musical, creative and movement-oriented activities, young people can discover new roles and develop artistic, acrobatic, music and clowning skills. They improve their perception, coordination and tactile sensitivity. In addition, teamwork is encouraged. Furthermore, we encourage teamwork, because working together towards one goal or a good result activates the participants not just in an artistic field, but also areas like planning, organisation and event management – useful professional skills. During rehearsals for performances they also learn to take responsibility for themselves and their group and causally develop cognitive and motor skills, learning competence, initiative and entrepreneurial skills, cultural awareness and cultural expression. By discovering their own strengths, weaknesses, abilities and inclinations, the learning process is stimulated, promoting the development of key competencies.

Mirtos – Berlin

A central goal of our cooperation with the Greek partner Youthnet Hellas, which has existed since 2014, is the reduction of intolerance and right-wing ideas. Many of the young people are confronted with other cultures and mindsets for the first time and learn to deal critically with their own prejudices. This exchange programme particularly addresses young people who have no access to further education. What both groups, Greek and German, have in common is their lack of prospects, threatening or existing unemployment and resignation.

Molcad – Berlin

“Wir schenken uns ein Lachen” („We give each other a smile“) is an international youth exchange between CABUWAZI and young people from the village of Molcad in Belarus. Since 2015 the participants regularly slip into new roles and work on their own shows, applying the means of circus and theatre education to incorporate a variety of artistic elements. We use the creative methods of dance, theatre and circus pedagogy to work with young people on topics such as recycling and upcycling.

Circus overcomes borders

For many years, international youth encounters have played a major role at CABUWAZI Altglienicke. Within the initiative “Circus overcomes borders” we have opened our circus on several occasions to children and young people from many countries and, in return, have been guests at youth encounters, for example in Israel and Palestine. Furthermore we are in close contact with groups from Costa Rica (Circo FantazzTico), Brazil, Mexico, Chile, Belgium, England, France, Spain, Italy, Denmark, Poland and others. These interchanges broaden young people‘s horizons by showing them other perspectives, other stories, cultures, arts and disciplines through people with the same interests and the language of circus. This in turn allows them to better understand political and religious issues.

An enriching experience not only for the children but also for the circus educators – on a professional and personal level.

Israel – Berlin

The best way to learn about the world is to cultivate friendships around the globe. With this in mind, CABUWAZI Marzahn conducts regular exchanges and visits with the Israel Circus School. The same basic conviction also led to a cooperation with the Albert and Friends Instant Circus, through which we were part of the cultural programme of the 2012 Olympics in England. And our participation in international competitions – for example, at festivals of the European Circus Schools at the Honnelles Circus School in Belgium – is also based on this idea.

At the moment we have ten young people as European volunteers at CABUWAZI, in addition to federal volunteers from Germany – all working together with a lot of energy and motivation. They present current impressions and experiences from their everyday life on our blog: evscabuwazi.tumblr.com

CABUWAZI is also a sending organisation for young people from Berlin who would like to do a long-term European voluntary service.

The European Voluntary Service offers participants the opportunity to develop personally and professionally. In our projects the volunteers gain new ideas and experiences, get to know other perspectives and points of view – while developing personal strengths and job-specific skills.