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Circus Upsala

Founded 10 years ago by Larissa Afanasyeva in Staint Petersburg, the circus neglected children takes one of the few NGOs in Russia and offers them an alternative to the street. The goal is to reintegrate through circus education and orderly living conditions of normal schooling.

Every three years the circus builts up a new group. In this time the employees go from Upsala Circus go on the road and into social institutions, such as crisis centers, soup kitchens, make small shows and invite the children to join circus Upsala.

Each year the group produced a nearly hour-long circus spectacle with which they go on tour in the summer to Russia and Europe - most recently, they also come to Switzerland. In the play, the children's problems are to be addressed - every body makes its contribution according to abilities and history. Thus, the Upsala Circus linked professional circus and theater arts with social work.

"All phases that a person goes through in his life, are important. Probably nothing is unimportant, only important factor is that you do not get lost."
Larissa, Director Upsala Circus