With its community struggling against poverty, the pandemic, and environmental perils, the Brazilian social circus school Circo Crescer e Viver saw their work cut out for them. Their newest projects have seen the circus switch to solar energy, establish local partnerships, and give back to their community through  initiatives to help make Rio’s neighborhoods greener.

The Crescer e Viver Circus School (Circo Crescer e Viver) emerged in the city of São Gonçalo, in the metropolitan region of Rio de Janeiro. 17 years ago, it moved to the Cidade Nova neighborhood in the center of the state’s capital. As it is a project focused on the social circus, the institution’s work goes far beyond the development of an artistic language; it also has a very deep socio-family element. It is this element that has led the school to become a territorial institution—that is, in addition to being a sociocultural institution, it is a school totally linked to the territory where it is located. The community served by the school includes Cidade Nova, Estácio, and Catumbi, which are neighborhoods in the central region of Rio de Janeiro. In March 2022, the school announced its complete transition to renewable energy sources...