Circus Center

Circus Center was founded by the iconic Pickle Family Circus in 1984, and has established itself as a pillar in circus arts training on the West Coast, with instruction from an international roster of teachers in acrobatics, trapeze, aerial arts, clowning, and juggling for professional and pre-professional performers. Circus Center presents free performances throughout the year at its uniquely suited facility—constructed in 1929 as the boy’s gym of Polytechnic High School, across the street from San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park—featuring students, instructors, and community members. Circus Center’s youth camps foster health and discipline through circus arts traditions, and the organization intends to launch a cabaret series to showcase and foster the careers of adult performers. A grant to Circus Center will support its efforts to build operational capacity, increase enrollment, and extend scholarship opportunities for youth.