Nicholas Candy

 

Circus education in Iceland is very new. After the foundation of Sirkus Íslands in 2007, the training and teaching became regular and the Æskusirkus youth circus was established.

 

A rough curriculum for the school has been formed and the young school is in constant development. In order to ensure the consistent development of the school into the future, a solid grounding in educational theory pertaining to circus needs to support its growth. The research compiled in this paper is an ad hoc collection of developmental and psychological theory that connects the core elements of circus training with our youth.

 

By connecting to flow theory, recent research in motivation, character, and success, we can stretch and strengthen the teaching methods that we already have. The curriculum growth can also be strengthened by examining how other schools and networks have been developing and by the experience of past circus academics.

 

The result of this paper is a compilation of history, theory and experience. It is essentially a road map for the future stretching and strengthening of circus teaching in Iceland.

 

Video of circus teaching in Borgarholtsskóli grammar school