Holistic Circus Kids Camp 

INTRO

Holistic Circus Therapy (HCT) is a registered and accredited private practice that combines Occupational Therapy with circus arts to address the unique health and well-being needs of individuals and communities. HCT partners with educational institutions, community centers, and disability service providers to enable people, with varying abilities, the opportunity to access and benefit from circus and performing arts programs.

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Holistic Circus Therapy believes that partner collaboration provides an effective multi-discipline health care approach to meet the diverse needs of people of all abilities as well as offer access to, and increase participation, in community arts.

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Research has shown that circus, as a discipline, provides a variety of experiences and activities, which facilitate positive emotional, physical, and mental health outcomes (Maglio and McKinstry, 2008).

> www.holisticcircustherapy.com

Background on Jill Maglio

Jill’s skills as a performer, community circus trainer, mental health worker, project manager, program evaluator, and occupational therapist provide the tools needed to address the diverse needs of populations that can benefit from including a circus arts practice into their lives.

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Jill is an initiator of circus intervention research and is published in the Australian Journal of Occupational Therapy for her innovative work on community circus and life skills acquisition.

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Jill has pioneered the use of circus within the field of occupational therapy for a variety of populations and initiatives. She has developed sustainable and inclusive community circus programs, which are still active in Australia, Cambodia, and the United States.

HOW IT WORKS

Circus promotes a better quality of life using the experience of play, fun, and creative expression.

Emotional Health

Interacting in appropriately pitched circus activities promotes turn-taking, leadership, communication, empathy, expression, trust, and dependability. Grading the tasks individually to have a combination of challenging and achievable components promotes feelings of motivation and satisfaction in engagement, as well as increased self-confidence and self-efficacy.

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Physical Health

Circus skills are graded to match a person’s capacities. Whether you are working on 1 ball juggling or basing a 3 high. This workshop will increase your body awareness, coordination, circulation, strength, tone, and flexibility.

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Cognitive Function

Circus works the brain. The varied activities, equipment, and structured repetition, provide individuals with multiple activities that increase gross and fine motor control, executive functions, visual perceptual abilities, sequencing, sense of rhythm and timing, reactions, coordination, bi-manual hand use, and concentration.

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Social Health

Circus assists in the formation of healthy peer interaction as well as provides opportunities for teamwork. There is a role for everyone. By utilizing an occupational therapy approach, an important part of this program is focused on highlighting each individual’s strengths. All participants are recognized and valued by the group. The ‘life skills’ learned emotionally, cognitively, and physically, all contribute to how individuals function socially as well as their ability to contribute positively to their communities.