About the learners:
Markos, originally from Eritrea, moved to Ethiopia as a child and received his education at a social circus school supported by a French social circus initiative. In his early twenties, he sought international protection and found asylum in Slovenia. Despite being in an asylum home, Markos immediately began utilising his circus artistic skills to contribute to society. He expressed his motivation for volunteering as a circus artist, stating that it made him feel connected to the community and brought positive energy to the city. Since 2017, Markos has been living and working in Ljubljana. He currently holds a job at McDonald’s, but his passion lies in giving back to the community through his artistic career. He showcases his diverse circus skills in various shows and actively participates in projects aimed at children and young people, assuming the role of an educator. Markos acknowledges that his involvement in the circus has taught him valuable skills in working with people, engaging audiences, making new connections, and communicating effectively.
More about Markos:
Camilo Acosta Mendoza was born in Colombia and discovered clown art in 2007. Even if the had a stable career as an engineer, he decided to perform and research clowning on the streets of Bogota. In 2012, he travelled to France to further his experience in this discipline. From 2013 to 2015, he completed an 18-month training program in public art creation. Since then, he has been experimenting with the energy that clowning provides and using performative arts to participate in the pre-creation and re-evolution of humanity. For the past 10 years, Camilo has been residing in Slovenia and uses his clowning skills for community engagement, street performances, and as a tool for intercultural dialogue.
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About the project:
Markos and Camilo carried out workshops, or “circus interventions,” in two communities in need. The first was a collaborative effort with Cona Polje, which brought young people from disadvantaged families to participate in an interactive workshop. The second workshop was held in a refugee camp in Logatec, where children from refugee families took part. These interventions were guided by the principles of social circus, which uses arts as an educational alternative to help at-risk youth.
