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Social circus programs are expanding worldwide; however, little scholarship exists on their impact. Ecuador offers one of the world's largest government-sponsored programs, reaching almost 25,000 people annually. Aimed at promoting social solidarity and inclusion, programs are currently offered to street-involved youth, as well as children from marginalized communities and adults with disabilities. Identified tensions include the balancing of artistic versus social goals; integration of traditional social work approaches with social circus techniques and methodological challenges in evaluation. This program shows great promise and merits comprehensive interdisciplinary research, particularly regarding its impact on healthy equity. [authors summary]