It is that time of year again–when Cirque du Monde, the social outreach division of Cirque du Soleil, choses it’s grant recipients for the year. This is the third edition of the Cirque du Monde Grant in Canada, and the 2nd edition in the USA. Organizations can apply with a project under one of the two following categories: special project and organizational development.

In a previous publication describing the mission and work of Cirque du Monde, Cirque du Soleil stated: “Born in 1995, Cirque du Monde is a Cirque du Soleil program that promotes circus arts as a means of intervention with at-risk youth, an approach known as social circus. Cirque du Monde focuses its actions on training for practitioners, support for social circus organizations and advocacy on the benefits of social circus. In 2015, 500 social circus organizations have been identified, in 70 countries, having a direct impact with 200,000+ young people at risk (2015, portrait du cirque social, Cirque du Soleil).” The aim of the Cirque du Monde Grant is to support and contribute to new ideas, approaches, types of intervention, services, products, work tools, planning, and processes, to foster a positive and coherent social change within the field of social circus and with a focus towards underprivileged youth. Cirque du Monde representative Patricia Letarte, ...