Our Vision
Zip Zap South Africa is a vibrant, uniquely South African social and professional circus, celebrating the Zip Zap spirit on the world stage.
Our Mission
TThrough circus arts we inspire and empower young people from all walks of life to pursue their destinies. We promote social cohesion, create opportunities, unlock potential and transfer skills for life.
Our Story
Zip Zap USA continues the magic of the original Zip Zap Circus in South Africa, which was founded by international circus performers Brent van Rensburg and Laurence Estève.
IIn 1992, Brent returned to his native South Africa after years of exile. He found his homeland facing a critical moment. A divided country at risk of civil war, communities isolated from each other by history, race, and culture, and millions of disenfranchised young people with no apparent future. He and his French wife, also saw the opportunity, as articulated by Nelson Mandela, for South Africa to forge itself into a true Rainbow Nation. They decided to make this opportunity, a reality.
Brent and Laurence began using circus to create a sense of family and community – bringing together young people from vastly diverse cultures and backgrounds to learn, work and play together as equals during their formative years. The school was free to all. Nobody who wanted to be a Zip Zap Kid was turned away.
Today, that family has grown and thrived. There are many circus schools, academies and centres around the world and Zip Zap is excited to be part of a growing international movement of “social circus” organizations traveling similar paths. Zip Zap USA continues the magic that began in Cape Town by creating awareness, managing fundraising, and supporting projects of Zip Zap South Africa.
They began in the crowded, violence-torn townships surrounding Cape Town, hanging a trapeze from a tree. The children gathered, and Zip Zap South Africa was born. The vision was simple: to give kids, who are different from each other in many ways, the chance to discover that they really are not that different at all, in the ways that count. To provide opportunities for kids to discover the possibility of doing something big – something beautiful. Circus provided an ideal framework for that demonstration.
“In the circus, we do things that do not seem possible. We take risks to make something beautiful. And most of all, we do – in a very literal sense – depend on and support each other as partners.” (Brent)
EXPERIENCE THE MAGIC!
Join us for an event in the U.S. Partner with us to bring more circus to more kids! Bring a Zip Zap programme to your community!