Breaking Circus: A Case Study on Community, Art, and Integration

Breaking Circus, based in Kjipuktuk (Halifax), Nova Scotia, is not your typical arts entity. It serves as a catalyst for social change, cultural integration, and community health, offering circus as a form of artistic expression and, more importantly, as a way of fostering belonging and inclusion. As the founders explain: “Circus was our internet [in the past], bringing the world’s marvels to everyone’s doorstep. We started with a vision of creating art, but over time we’ve evolved into something much bigger—a community-driven movement. What we do here goes beyond circus—it’s about healing, finding community, and breaking barriers, not just physical ones. We don’t just teach circus arts—we teach life skills, confidence, resilience. Our mentorship program is designed to help people transform, both personally and professionally.”