Youth
Programme Dare2Dream
Dare2Dream is a full-time vocational programme which furthers the training of participants interested in pursuing a career in circus, and creates alternative pathways to employment, providing youth with both technical circus skills and essential life skills, while fostering self-confidence, resilience, and a sense of belonging.
The overall objective of the D2D programme is to aid in the alleviation of poverty and contribute to the reduction of unemployment in our country. By using circus arts as a practical medium, participants learn soft skills, social skills, technical skills, artistic development, circus techniques, and teaching skills. With the guidance and support of dedicated Zip Zap instructors, D2D students create and manage their own performances, and work as a team in collaborating to create shows for corporates, public performances and special events. All these skills help prepare the D2D students to teach and coach the younger children, which is an integral part of the curriculum. A ‘professional insertion’ year, as the final year of the programme, aids in bridging the gap between learning and working, provides holistic development, and guides them in becoming both work- and life-ready.
Social Challenge
Marginalised young adults with incomplete educations have very limited job prospects. Most come from poverty-stricken communities where youth unemployment exceeds 50%, with high competition for jobs and low education levels. They face daily challenges that can lead to stress and poor decision-making. Issues such as unemployment, struggles in education, family problems, and harsh judgement by society contribute to feelings of isolation and depression.
Programme Goal
- To empower diverse youth to achieve their goals of careers in Circus Arts.
- Provide an alternative pathway to employment for youth who do not wish to pursue mainstream tertiary education.
- Equip participants for future employment through 4 years of practical work experience in the programme.
- Support the professional development of participants through our Circus, Technical and Teaching modules
- Support the personal development of participants through our self-development module.
- Meet the human capital needs of all Zip Zap’s programmes by creating a pool of fully trained youth who can sustain, expand, and contribute to the curriculum development and expansion of all Zip Zap activities
Impact
During the 2024 programme year, the Dare2Dream (D2D) programme hosted 14 participants. The programme delivered a total of 2 863,5 hours across 4 modules: Circus and Performing (1 122 hours), Technical (26,5 hours), Teaching (400,5 hours) and Self-development (166 hours). An attendance rate of 93% provided evidence of the students’ ambition and dedication in pursuing their goals through the programme.
1 participant from other Zip Zap programmes successfully applied to the D2D programme commencing in 2024.
Physical assessments conducted 3 times across the programme year, helped instructors to assess the fitness levels, progress and capabilities of the participants to ensure minimum standards were met, with 100% of students displaying improvements in physical aspect of the programme. These assessments also informed effective programme content to ensure that overall programme objectives were met. This was complemented by improvements in artistic assessments for 100 % of students, conducted twice during the programme year. Overall discipline and self-discipline (which includes time management, accountability, responsibility, conflict resolution) is an important aspect of the programme, and 91% of students displayed improvement in this regard.
Pro-social behaviours, which contributed to a sense of belonging for the students (which includes teamwork, acceptance, helping, sharing, communication) was also very visible within the cohort.
During the year 5 students were invited to train and perform with Zip Zap’s professional performing troupe on tours to Mauritius (January 2024), USA (September – October 2024) and France (November – December 2024).
6 students delivered impressive performances at their year-end artistic evaluations to a panel of external adjudicators representing funders and professionals in the performing industry: Adele Blank from Free Flight Dance Company, Sifiso Kweyama from Jazzart Dance Theatre, Raymond Dreyers from the Department of Cultural Affairs and Sport and Zip Zap co-founders Laurence and Brent Van Rensburg.
6 students who remained in training benefited from intensive training under the tutelage of the Circus Specialist and performed in a contemporary rock circus show, A Piece of Us (12-22 December 2024), which was conceptualised and produced in just 3 months. These achievements are testament to the drive, determination and dedication of the students in pushing beyond boundaries, embracing opportunities to showcase their talent, and being excellent ambassadors for Zip Zap!
The students performed in 2 shows with a total of 20 performances.
Beneficiaries
Instructors
Circus hours
Technical Training Hours
Hours spent Teaching
Hours spent on Self-Development
A Shining Star
Zalton Jacobs
Zalton 23, hails from Ceres and currently resides in Woodstock, a suburb just outside Cape Town city centre, with his sister and her family. While exploring extracurricular sports, he was introduced to Zip Zap by a social worker. Having faced both social and academic challenges, Zalton was hopeful that Zip Zap would provide the support he needed. In 2022, he joined the Dare2Dream programme, encouraged by a fellow student.
Zalton has transformed from a quiet loner into a confident team player. His growth in both confidence and skill has made him well-liked and respected by his peers.
He remains committed to developing his talents and works tirelessly to improve. Versatile in his abilities, Zalton has performed in hand-to-hand, club juggling, and acrobatic acts, excelling as both a solo and group performer. His stage credits include several Zip Zap productions, including Slapstick (2022), VOOMA! (2023), Kaleidoscope and A Piece of Us (2024).
Zalton’s dedication, discipline, and perseverance were recognised when he was named the 2023 Student of the Year at the Zip Zap AGM in August 2024. This accolade has inspired him to push even harder, refine his craft, and pursue his dream of performing on global stages as part of Zip Zap’s professional troupe.
Our Beautiful Shell
OBS is our on-site residence, a shared and safe accommodation space for Zip Zap students who face challenges commuting to attend training.
In 2024, the OBS residence was home to 7 Dare2Dream students and welcomed 10 international interns from Germany, Canada, Finland, and Belgium, alongside 3 sessional coaches from Portugal, Canada, and France. This initiative fosters cultural exchange and helps young residents develop key life skills, adaptability, and independence. Thanks to the unwavering support of our sponsors, the residents enjoy a safe, secure, and comfortable living space that allows them to focus on their personal growth and development.
OBS is more than just accommodation—it’s a home. Residents are provided with all the essentials for a comfortable and secure environment, including bedding, appliances, laundry facilities, Wi-Fi, and more. Nutritious meals are supplied through in-kind donations from our retail partner, Woolworths, ensuring everyone is well taken care of.
Beyond meeting basic needs, OBS plays an essential role in preparing Zip Zap beneficiaries for independent living. The residence promotes a cosmopolitan atmosphere where residents actively participate in household chores, organisation, and maintenance, fostering a sense of responsibility and community.
At its core, OBS embodies Zip Zap’s values: Accountability, Family, Honesty, Joy, and Respect. It creates a warm, family-like environment that encourages community involvement and cultural integration. Residents are invited to cook together, share meals, and support one another, especially when away from their own families. Language and cultural exchanges naturally arise during these shared moments, enriching the experience for all. One of the greatest successes is the lifelong friendships it fosters. A standout initiative was a collaborative cooking and language exchange project. When language barriers emerged, residents began a weekly tradition of preparing and sharing meals from different countries, creating a relaxed space for language practice and cultural appreciation.
OBS is not just a residence; it’s a place where connections are made, independence is nurtured, and the spirit of community flourishes.
Social Challenge
Challenges related to access to tuition and accommodation can create barriers for young people aspiring to build careers in circus and the performing arts., which not only hinder their ability to pursue their goals but may also contribute to rising youth unemployment and poverty.
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Programme Goal
Remove the accessibility challenges to give participants the opportunity to experience communal living in the context of the Dare2Dream programme.
Impact
Residents share living space with people from varied socio-economic, cultural, and religious backgrounds. Responsibilities are shared and residents are held accountable to each other to ensure a safe, clean, and harmonious existence. Developing good inter-personal and social skills, and fostering good self-discipline, are critical to successful cohabitation and maintaining mature relationships. Open, honest channels of communication, consideration for others and managing conflict are also vital to ensuring social cohesion within the residence. Good self-management and understanding the demands of independent living enables residents to set achievable goals and improve decision-making.
Beneficiary
International interns & guest teachers
A Shining Star
Lukhanyo Samson
Lukhanyo lives in the Cape Flats and faced harsh daily living conditions such as taxi violence, gangsterism, huge levels of unemployment and poverty. Because his immediate family environment was not conducive to his maintaining the level of focus and discipline required by the D2D programme, he successfully applied to live in
the residence. This experience has taught him valuable coping skills and constructive relationship building, which helped him to rebuild relationships within his family with whom he is now reconnected. It also gave him good insights into what is required to sustain a household independently.
Our Beautiful Shell is a happy meeting place, a home-away-from-home fostering lifelong friendships.
For more information on how to join one of our programmes, email
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