Cape Town might be known for its stunning landscapes and rich cultural history, but it’s also a city where many young people face significant challenges. Cape Town’s youth have to navigate several tough realities, including poverty, gang violence, and limited access to education and job opportunities. These harsh circumstances may explain why a recent study by Western Cape researchers found that a third of 10- to 14-year-olds living in Cape Town and the Winelands have experienced symptoms of depression.
Zip Zap’s uniquely South African circus family aims to offer a safe and supportive environment where youth can discover their potential and achieve their dreams. Through our diverse range of programmes, we provide opportunities for Cape Town’s youth to build confidence, develop life skills and, hopefully, one day pursue careers in the performing arts. Our nine programmes are designed to nurture and develop future circus talent from the ground up. It all starts with our outreach programmes for young children. We then have our more focussed youth development initiatives and, finally, our programmes aimed at nurturing and developing our existing talent and encouraging these young people to pursue circus careers.
2nd Chance is a great example of our outreach work. 2nd Chance introduces circus arts to children from schools, NGOs and other institutions located in underserved areas, teaching them teamwork and discipline in a safe, fun, environment. The goal is to inspire participants to consider alternative futures and to expose them to possible career opportunities in the performing arts space. In 2024 alone, the 2nd Chance programme engaged 1 629 participants from Western Cape Education Department (WCED) schools across the Cape Town metropole through 35 workshops. Most of these schools are situated in under-resourced and under-served areas in Cape Town, where access to extra-murals is often very limited.
Similarly, our Ukwanda programme (formerly Simunye) provides a safe training space where participants can play, learn, train, collaborate and create together. The idea is to improve teamwork and develop positive social behaviours. Understanding that many talented young individuals cannot afford the costs associated with learning circus skills from trained instructors, Ukwanda provides a focused approach to learning and is a feeder programme to the more advanced Zappers programme.
While the goal and structure of these programmes may differ, our intention is the same – to use circus-arts as a tool for youth empowerment, social transformation, and community upliftment. As our country celebrates Youth Month, join us in transforming the lives of young South Africans. Your contribution is tax deductible. Donate to Zip Zap, today!
