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CIRCUS ARTS TRAINING IMPROVES QUALITY OF LIFE: USF SARASOTA-MANATEE FACULTY PRESENT PAPER AT INTERNATIONAL HUMANITIES CONFERENCE IN ITALY

“The circus brings entertainment, but it can also improve the quality of life, and improve communication and social skills,” said Deborah Ducett an instructor and coordinator for the University of South Florida Sarasota-Manatee School of Social Work.

She and Assistant Professor Dr. Jane Roberts recently presented their paper called Circus Arts in the Socialization of Developmentally Disabled Students in Tuscany, Italy. Scholars at the conference were looking at a range of critically important themes especially those with practical value.

Roberts said, “USF was asked to consult and guide in the project, which was the topic of the paper. The project, already established by Circus Sarasota at Loveland Center of Venice, ran from December 2003 to May 2004.

A grant from the Gulf Coast Community Foundation of Venice funded the data collection and tracking, and allowed the partnership with Circus Sarasota. The design was already in place to do statistical analysis of the results of the program.

"Circus Sarasota came to us with a therapeutic and educational mission,” said Roberts. They needed scientific empirical study to confirm that circus arts are therapeutic and to determine the effectiveness of the results of using circus arts therapeutically. We provided research consultation and an analytical review.

The dual purpose of the study was to answer the questions of what the adult student socialization outcomes are in the presence of circus arts training, and how and to what extent do the teens benefit from socialization through circus arts?

The study assessed social skills in adult students at Loveland Center, which is a day facility for developmentally disabled adults. It also measured communication style and apprehension in at-risk teens in The Gulf Coast Marine Institute program, which is a last- chance community service program.

The 42 adult developmentally disabled students were ages 25-65. They typically lived with caregivers and had some cognitive deficits such as Down syndrome, mental retardation, dementia, or traumatic brain injury.

The 12 teens in the study were fulfilling the terms of their probation with the Department of Juvenile Justice in a diversion program requiring them to complete community service hours. The teens were 15-18 years old, mostly male with a mix of ethnicity.

In the Loveland Center group, Roberts devised a measure of social interaction skills and asked, “Do they socialize in the general milieu at Loveland more?” Of the adults 75 percent said they'd participate again, enjoyed the program, and felt that it enhanced their quality of life. The Loveland staff observed and found improvement and progress in both physical ability and mental response in the short time of the study.

In the teens, Ducett and Roberts found no change in communication apprehension. However, a change in communication style - how comfortable the teens were in communication - was noted. For example, the typical styles of communication fall into three types: authoritative, collaborative, or avoidant. Most teens were authoritative or avoidant at the beginning of the study. Collaborating and compromising behavior increased and they became more engaged with other people. The teen’s responses went typically from one of apathy to enhanced compassion.

"What's important is that it helps people to see that at-risk teens are not hopeless. One positive experience like this can turn people's life around," said Ducett. "It shows the capacity to be successful in life can be restored somewhat."

"Twenty-five percent of the population in the U.S. are at-risk adolescents," said Roberts. “This adds to the scientific study of at-risk youth. Empirical research shows this can make a difference."

Derrick Mayes, the executive director at Gulf Coast Marine Institute, noted a rise in students’ self-esteem and confidence, and he felt that learning about empathy and compassion increased.

"The implication is there for future study on empathy and altruism," said Roberts.

The study confirmed what Pedro Reis, cofounder of Circus Sarasota already knows: that learning can be an act of transformation. According to Reis, the circus is an art form at the highest level.

Reis has one of the only nonprofit circuses. His early kinship with the circus environment led to these projects in the community. He believes that quality circus programs serve the community and bring out the most positive attributes in people.

Reis’ program “Laughter Unlimited” is geared towards seniors, improving the quality of life through humor.

“Funding for the program is needed in order to continue to serve the community,” said Reis.

Founded in 1997, Circus Sarasota is committed to continuing the legacy and broadening the artistic contribution of circus - through performance, education and integrated community arts programming.