We 'quit' our jobs to join a circus, right here in Singapore

Get Out!! is a bi-weekly video series where our hosts go out and discover new things around Singapore.

This week, join Le En and Ke Xin as they find out whether they have the talent and skills to quit their jobs to join Circus In Motion, a circus arts company based in Singapore.

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Who knew running away to join the circus is an actual possibility in Singapore? In the case of Circus In Motion (CIM) however, you won't have to run very far. 

What began as a community programme for kids-at-risk turned into a 13-year adventure for Senior Social Circus Instructor Benjamin Teo, 28, whose mentor, Jay Che, founded the company.

From practising at void decks when the programme first started out, Che, 41, a trained social worker, saw a viable business opportunity and set up the social enterprise in 2007. Today, his company organises community and school-based programmes, and gets engaged to perform at events.

Teo himself was once a delinquent youth who struggled in school and had several brushes with the law. But he shared that being in the programme when he was 15 kept him focused and "out of trouble".

According to Teo, while there is a "high demand" for circus acts in Singapore, supply is still relatively low. Many circus practitioners learn the craft recreationally, but few actually have the professional calibre to perform.

The most-requested acts at CIM? Surprisingly, it's none of the dangerous stuff. Folks would rather see performances involving juggling and the diablo (an hour-glass shaped prop balanced on a string connected to two sticks).

Good news if you're female — you're more likely to pass through the gates as a permanent hire, as "we always have a lack of female performers", said Teo.

If you're looking to turn circus-performing into a career though, be warned that injuries are a part and parcel of the job.

Although he's juggled with knives, the worst injury Teo sustained was from unicycling, when he suffered a "deep cut" of about 7cm-long and 1cm-wide, after the pedal cut into his skin during a fall. 

So, the question we all want to know — does the job of a circus performer in Singapore pay well?

Said Teo: "We do make money, if not we would have shut down already. But the projects that provide the best experience, fulfilment and impact are not those that earn us the most money." 

By that, he means having the opportunity to work with kids and youth, and being able to meet people from all walks of life — from the less well-off to upper management at multi-national companies.

What keeps him going? 

"[It's] the satisfaction that we have brought enjoyment to clients, beneficiaries and people around us... and that we can make the world a happier place, even if it's just that little bit," said Teo. 

If you're curious to find out if you have what it takes to be a circus performer, everyone's invited to try out the stunts for themselves. CIM holds weekly public workshops on Thursdays at their headquarters in Kallang.

You simply have to drop them a message on their Facebook or Instagram pages beforehand, just in case they happen to be out for an event. 

Said Teo: "Anyone can learn the skills, talented or not. We believe that effort is more important than talent. Talent just makes the learning process easier."

Where: 2 Kallang Pudding Road, Mactech Building #09-08, Singapore 349307

 

candicecai@asiaone.com