Insights
‘Built on love’ – South Africa’s first social circus
ZipZap gives a new perspective on education
Vanessa Curnow-Fortune’s passion for her job as programmes manager at South Africa’s only social circus is infectious. Zip Zap, she says, is an organisation built on love: “Love for South Africa, love for South African people, love for the children of Cape Town and love of circus. It’s about spreading joy for children of all ages.”
Founded in 1992, Zip Zap uses circus arts as an educational tool to teach children and young people important motor skills like coordination, strength and balance, technique in various circus disciplines and a wide range of vocational skills. “The circus offers so many opportunities to learn technical skills,” Vanessa says. “Behind the scenes, stage management, lighting, music direction, costumes, prop-making, or even training to become one the next generation of instructors.”
According to Vanessa, the realities of the social issues facing many of Zip Zap’s young beneficiaries are challenging in the extreme, many of them exacerbated by Covid. “In a city like Cape Town, the demographic was hugely affected by the global pandemic. We don’t just get up, dust ourselves off and get on. The impact has been nothing short of astronomical: most notably, unemployment rates soaring, staggering poverty levels, the list goes on.”
Zip Zap’s purpose is to use the circus as a transformational tool to create social cohesion through its inclusive ethos and, says Vanessa, “become a beacon of hope” to those with limited prospects. “We work with children from very diverse backgrounds and socio-economic circumstances, cultures and religions,” Vanessa explains. “It is essential for us that those things don’t cause divisions. We celebrate, we embrace, we use those differences to create beauty through circus magic.”
The team runs ten programmes - six outreach programmes and four youth programmes - that are provided free of charge. Khula Nathi, which means “grow with us”, launched in 2018 and uses early childhood development principles to provide alternative early learning experiences through the circus arts and related activities. Zip Zap runs the programme in collaboration with six early child development (ECD) centres from Imizamo Yethu and Hangberg, both informal settlements in Hout Bay. “Historically, the area has been home to a fishing community. In recent years, however, bigger fishing companies have entered the market forcing out many small-scale fishermen who are now struggling to sustain themselves. Traditionally, life has been hard. Now, it is even harder.”
The selected ECD centres have committed to a two-year programme with the same group of 30 children: four to five years old in one year and five to six years old in the second year. “With Khula Nathi, we supplement the physical components the children already experience in their respective centres, further developing fine motor skills, gross motor skills, balance or listening – all based on 'learning through play'”, explains Vanessa.
The children travel by bus to ZipZap venues, previously the ZipZap Dome in the Foreshore area of Cape Town and, more recently, at the ZipZap Academy in Salt River, Cape Town. “When they walk into our facility they gape,” laughs Vanessa. “They are wide-eyed and they stop breathing for a second when they first encounter our fit-for-purpose academy, spell bound.”
For these children, Zip Zap opens their minds to new possibilities. “We want to be able to create opportunities for at least some of them and be part of the vision that Madiba had years ago about a Rainbow Nation; contributing to it through one child at a time, empowering and inspiring them to see the world through a different lens.”
Stonehage Fleming is proud to support Khula Nathi. To make a donation to ZipZap, follow this link.