Zip Zap Circus
Zip Zap dates back to 1992 when Laurence Esteve accompanied Brent van Rensburg on a visit to her fiancé’s hometown. Brent and Laurence, both professional trapeze artists, set up a trapeze at the V&A Waterfront offering the curious and not too faint at heart a pay-as-you-go swing. Inspired by the phenomenal response, the idea of starting a circus school in Cape Town began to take root. Soon the idea began to grow into something concrete. Combining Laurence’s background in business and Brent’s affinity for teaching, the two set out with nothing more than their dream to start a circus school and the desire to make it come true. But the couple recognized a circus school in South Africa had the potential to go beyond the basic training of circus skills. The trust, commitment and teamwork required for circus could help foster social change in South Africa and from this the school’s orientation became self-evident.
The school envisioned was one that would teach practical circus skills for the development of children from all walks of life. ‘Our objectives were made clear to us by the circumstances in South Africa,’ explains Laurence. ‘To entertain audiences of all ages and cultural backgrounds and enhance the lives of young people who would otherwise never have been exposed to the circus arts.’
These objectives focused the initial direction of the circus as one open to all children free of charge. The circus school, initially called Dare to Dream, began to take form as workshops in Township schools teaching trapeze, trampoline, floor acrobatics, and circus comedy routines.
‘We wanted to use the circus as a medium to bring children together,’ explains Laurence, ‘The skills the kids perform in the circus ring are manifestations of essential lessons of trust and respect that are the backbone to making a show a success.’ From the school workshops Laurence and Brent developed a base strong enough to stage a circus show and the circus school evolved from there. For their first Grahamstown Festival performance in 1994 Dare to Dream became Zip Zap, and since then the circus has dazzled audiences in shows throughout Cape Town, as well as abroad for various festivals in Denmark, France, Switzerland, Germany, Australia and the United States.
The Zip Zap kids have honed their circus skills in several inventive, makeshift warehouse spaces. Although not ideal, financial considerations have restricted Zip Zap in terms of resources, but certainly not in terms of spirit and drive. In general, however, making ends meet has presented Brent and Laurence with a juggling act all its own. ‘It’s always been a struggle,’ admits Laurence, ‘We want to maintain the school’s mission of free access; finding the means to do this has been key. While government funding will allocate a lump sum to specific educational projects outside primary education, it rarely commits ongoing funds to help non-governmental specialized or tertiary education projects grow and develop. As a result, NGO education projects like Zip Zap must seek private sector financial support.’
‘Our goal is to establish a National School of Circus Arts that will include teaching in drama, dance, music, mime as well as welding, woodwork, music editing, lighting design, set design, costume design and stage management, while still offering South Africa’s young children a chance to learn basic circus at no cost,’ says Laurence.
Now that the circus school has existed for a decade with the help of private interest, the results of the skills learned have become evident. Some of the older students have turned professional and are working in Europe, America and South Africa, some form part of teaching team and the next batch of performers is currently training to enter the professional circus next year. The techniques and professionalism acquired through circus training have landed Zip Zap performers roles in Capetown’s growing film industry in such areas as stunt work, TV appearances, and commercials. Additionally, a group of older performers have acquired such trade skills as welding and carpentry through carrying out in-house maintenance work as well as building and repairing equipment. This knowledge has subsequently translated into outside rigging contracts. In short, the school is not only providing a venue for fun, it is equipping South African youth with a marketable set of skills from which they can enter the work force. The results are real.
When asked what advice they could pass on from their experience with the circus school, Laurence and Brent agree. ‘Believe in your project. Perhaps Zip Zap is a drop of water in a big lake. But if other people believe in what we are doing, we can work together to make a difference in South Africa. Kids that would maybe have never met, come together to become the best of friends, learn special skills, build trust. They leave Zip Zap as employable individuals. We believe that each drop counts.