Dear Mr. President and Madam Vice-President, Representative,

We, the workers in the American Circus, write to you today with an urgent message. 

We are the artists, technicians, producers, presenters, musicians, fabricators, roustabouts, coaches, cooks, and historians who make this great American art form possible. 

We need your help.  

We are living in an extraordinarily challenging time.  A recent survey of 178 US circus professionals (representing 45 companies and 133 individuals) reported an economic loss of 24.6 million dollars in the last year, on average a loss of 77% of their annual income. 69% of those surveyed report that these financial losses and related career setbacks jeopardize their ability to continue professional activity. 

The history of the American Circus is a quintessential American story, filled with self-starting entrepreneurs making substantial contributions to our economy and culture.

 Having survived a myriad of challenges for over two centuries, the American Circus holds a storied place in our history. A testament to the rich legacy of circus in America, The Smithsonian describes one of the first circus performances in the country as having “dazzled President George Washington and other audience members with athletic feats and verbal jousting.”

Circus in America is used as an icon, as a metaphor, and the word is often misused to describe political and media events that are chaotic and disorganized. The reality is that circus is one of the most highly organized, efficient, and structured art forms on the planet. It has to be - the artists’ lives are often at stake. It’s time to re-think the word circus and its workers who contribute so much to the imagination and economy of our great nation.

Circus is made by circus people - real people, everyday people, ordinary humans doing extraordinary things. We are of all ages, ethnic backgrounds, shapes and sizes, skin colors, and genders. We are artists, we are craftspeople, we are athletes, we are poets, we are builders, and we are dreamers. Some were born into this life, coming from multiple generations of circus artists. Some brought our unique talents and expertise from overseas. Some shifted from competition in elite sports or professional dance to find a new career. All of us are part of a family, a home, and a tradition of work.

Unlike our colleagues in other parts of the world, the American Circus industry has survived with comparatively little assistance from our government. While this art form has received generous government support in Canada, Europe, and other parts of the world, circus workers in America have - often proudly - forged their own path, building companies, shows, and careers without the advantage of traditional cultural patronage. For the first time in American history, as a response to COVID-19, the circus community has unified in collective action to form the American Circus Alliance. Together we petition Washington for the relief, recovery, and recognition of our essential businesses. 

In solidarity with our fellow American Arts Workers, the American Circus Alliance supports the establishment of a Secretary of Arts and Culture in the federal Cabinet; requests that $43.95 billion in relief for the Arts and Culture sector, per the DAWN act (Defend Arts Workers Now), be integrated into the upcoming infrastructure package; and asks for recognition that the arts in America are vital not only to the mental and emotional well-being of our citizens, but to the economy and future of the country.

The arts in America are one of our greatest assets, exports, and economic engines.

We need your support, and your action.

You will never forget your first circus experience, watching a human fly through the air to be caught by another human. The ultimate act of trust and cooperation.   

Don't forget about us. Catch us, we are flying without a net.

Sincerely,

The American Circus Alliance

The undersigned