We are so excited that you’re interested in our youth outreach classes at Uprise Circus for teens and tweens. If you have any additional questions, please email [email protected]
A 2-hour social circus class; every class is tailored for individual learning, nothing is repeated, so we encourage you to attend as many as you can.
Thanks to a grant we received, this program is FREE for all participants. We also welcome donations so that we may continue our programming.
Our outreach program is for 11-17 year olds. There are some exceptions, if you feel you may qualify for an exception email [email protected].
Priority is given to students who are one of the following: living in poverty, a person of color, a member of the LGBTQ+ community, or struggling with mental health.
Your class will be held at 11797 Rim Rock Trail, Austin, TX 78737. Drive through the gate and park along the driveway. The rig will be on the left side before the building.
What is your age limit?
While we don’t have a set age restriction, anyone who wants to participate must be able to 1. fit into our standard-size safety belts and 2. listen and keep attention throughout class (usually around 6yo).
What should I wear/bring?
All participants should wear form-fitting athletic clothing. If this is your first class we suggest that their pants cover the back of their knees (no jeans) for comfort. Yoga or dance style clothing is good if you have it.
Bring water! We are an outdoor facility and recommend staying hydrated during class.
What is your weight policy?
We are committed to working with people of all abilities, sizes, and backgrounds to experience the transformative power of circus.
In order to safely participate in the high-flying portion of a class, students must wear our safety belts and have the grip strength to hang from a 1″ bar for 20 seconds, which can be affected by things such as weight or previous injuries.
Fortunately, we have many circus activities to offer students who are not able to swing on the flying trapeze at the time of their class.
Where is it?
Outdoors in very south Austin (near Dripping Springs) at 11797 Rim Rock Trail, Austin, TX 78737
What if I’m afraid of heights?
No problem! We work through many fears with our flyers and you never have to do anything you don’t want to do.
What is your COVID policy?
Masks are required when Austin is a HIGH Stage of Covid restrictions. Austin’s Stage Tracker can be found at this link. All of our staff has been vaccinated.
Please arrive 15 minutes early to find the location and complete the liability waiver before class time. You can also fill out our waiver in advance.
Those under 18 will need a parent or legal guardian to sign their safety waiver which can be done online with the link below.
Uprise Circus is a nonprofit social circus organization.
Social circus is an intervention tool that uses circus arts for fostering personal and social development. It uses alternative pedagogical methods to work with youth who are marginalized or at social or personal risk.
Over the past two decades, members from the American Youth Circus Organization (AYCO) have learned about the power of circus arts to play an effective role in accelerating youth and community development. Social Circus practitioners support participants as creative change-makers through the collective development of self-esteem, solidarity, and trust.
Our expertly trained staff and volunteers primarily serve underserved teens who are low-income, part of the LGBTQ+ community, and have diverse abilities, through flying trapeze experiences.
Additionally, Uprise Circus hosts private classes, corporate events, and trapeze parties for which all funds collected are allocated to their programs supporting disadvantaged teens.
As a result, we give children the chance to rise up to their true potential.
This project has been financed in whole or in part by the City of Austin’s Elevate Grant Program.
