Volunteering
ZIP ZAP – a uniquely South African social and professional circus family.
Come and dream with us…
Zip Zap was born in 1992 from a simple dream, a trapeze bar in a tree, a costume box and a rusty car. Today Zip Zap is registered as a Public Benefit Organisation welcoming 3 000 children each year through 9 different programmes.
As the Zip Zap story was founded on an initial love story between the two co-founders, so it continues to unfold as one. The love can be felt in every corner of this extraordinary social circus. It is felt on stage, on the training floor, throughout nine programmes and between every beneficiary, alumni, staff, international intern, board member and show audiences. Once you join the Zip Zap family, you are embraced by a sense of belonging, that lasts a lifetime.
Volunteers play an essential part in Zip Zap. Not only do they bring an array of skills, they also share the workload and often bring new ideas. Thank you for considering coming to share your skills, time and knowledge with us! We welcome volunteers from all over the world for not less than 3 months with an opportunity to extend for another 3 months.
Zip Zap offers the following:
- Accommodation in Zip Zap shared onsite residence
- Meals
- Laundry facilities
- Wifi
- Access to the facilities to train during free time
- Letter of reference
Volunteers can participate on a part-time or full-time basis and get involved in a wide range of activities including admin support, cooking, filming, photography, assisting coaches in training programmes, event and show production (planning, to-do lists, team building), and infrastructure tasks such as cleaning and venue setup. Training programmes run from Tuesday to Saturday, while the office team operates Monday to Friday. Each volunteer receives a weekly schedule tailored to their skills and the current needs of Zip Zap. This is a fantastic opportunity for cultural exchange in a vibrant social circus and performing arts environment.
Zip Zap is eternally grateful to all our volunteers
Adele Blank
Adele Blank is a renowned South African dancer and choreographer who has trained, performed, and taught both locally and internationally. She began with the Cecchetti method of classical dance and performed with the Johannesburg City Ballet before moving into contemporary dance under Sheila Wartski.
Her studies took her to the USA, UK, Europe, and Israel, and in 1984 she became Director of Dance and Choreography at the Performing Arts Workshop. In 1987, she founded the Free Flight Dance Company, which she still directs.
Since relocating to Cape Town in 2002, Adele has trained Zip Zap students and choreographed several shows. Her mentorship was instrumental in Zip Zap’s 2018 production at Artscape.
Katherine Hilderbrand
Katherine discovered Zip Zap in the early 2000s and was moved by its power to spark pride and joy in children facing tough social conditions. She saw circus as a tool for transformation.
For over 20 years, she has worked in monitoring and evaluation of HIV and TB services in South Africa and across Africa with MSF and UCT/CIDER. Her experience underscored the need to offer hope and dreams to youth.
Through reading sessions, films, and discussions, she supports D2D students in gaining broader skills beyond circus, to help them find jobs after graduation.
Althea Garcia
Althea met Brent and Laurence in 2001 when their children started at the same play school. They soon became neighbours and friends.
A lifelong dancer, Althea became a certified BalletRIP instructor in 2017 and began teaching in 2018. After Sabine attended a few of her classes, she invited Althea to teach the Dare2Dream students. Althea gladly agreed and now leads a monthly BalletRIP class focused on core strength and movement.
She loves seeing the students come alive with the music and believes everyone can dance with a little encouragement. Althea feels privileged to be part of Zip Zap’s journey.
Paulina Pfreundner
Germany
Guillermo Leon
Mexico
McKenna Phillips
USA
Keen to be a part of the magic?
Contact us
info@zip-zap.org
Donate
We rely entirely on donations to change lives. Our students don’t pay for any classes.
Donate today and dream with us →
