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Circus is increasingly being used as a developmental and remedial activity for children. However, it is in the paradoxical nature of circus that it operates in a way both mysterious and easily accessible. This thesis proposes that circus as education is more effective when both teacher and student have a better understanding of circus as an art form.

To explain this I first introduce six 'elements' of childhood, whose absence often seems to result in an incomplete personal maturity. I then conduct a wide exploration of both the real and the imagined circus, showing how these elements occur or are evoked there, and I establish a correspondence or 'homology' between the two entities - childhood and circus. The discoveries shed light on the aesthetic code of circus itself, leading to the conclusion that circus works as an artform because its essential composition recalls profound experiences of childhood.

I argue that contemporary Western childhood presents unexpected hazards, mostly involving passivity and over-protection. In other parts of the world, and in some Western populations, childhood has other problems, linked to deprivation, exploitation and physical danger. In either case, a child involved in circus activities has a chance to make good some deficits, by experiencing constructive physical risk, aspiration, trust, fun, self-individuation and hard work. My hope is that this dissertation will contribute some strength to the case for well-designed programmes of circus activities for young people, in both formal and informal settings. [author summary]

Circus as a community theatre medium undoubtedly produces positive results for both the individuals involved and the community in which it resides. This dissertation examines the impact of those results when the “community” is an educational setting. Five descriptive case studies of in-school circus programs are explored in the study. These schools are all located in different socioeconomic areas and serve culturally diverse students and communities across Australia.

The nature of circus is also examined; particularly the elements of risk and the perceived sense of danger that are associated with successful circus. These aspects are recurring, necessary elements in the discussion of in-school circus programs. Other recurring themes outlined in the results include:

- an increase in the physical fitness of participating students;
- individual and community pride as dominant student, staff and parent reactions;
- a new “positive” utilisation of space;
- an alignment of individuals’ projected and actual selves;
- the development of peer tutoring systems and new ways of learning;
- a new public face of the participating schools which, in turn, creates a new climate within the schools - which includes an overall decrease in violent and anti-social behaviour in the school, the home and the community.

All five of the descriptive case studies are considered successful by the staff, students and parents interviewed. Success in this case is measured in terms of popularity, both within the school and its wider community, and in the decrease of various anti-social and identified destructive behaviours.

These results are examined under the categories of physical, psychological, mental, scholastic and sociological benefits. The data also emphasizes a number of obstacles to successful circus programs, and offers suggestions for overcoming these obstacles. The principals and practices extrapolated from the data collected provide a framework for how “circus works” within an educational framework.

The results of the study and their subsequent discussion, highlight the personal and communal benefits, and illustrate the notion that “circus works” as a tool for evoking change and empowering youth. The notion of risk is illustrated as intrinsic, and essential for successful implementation in schools. Risk is also identified as the element that needs to be managed in order to alleviate obstacles to the instigation and continuation of circus programs within schools. [autor summary]