"I dare not guess; but in this life Of error, ignorance, and strife, Where nothing is, but all things seem, And we the shadows of the dream"
PB Shelly, “The Sensitive Plant”

Just like the paradisal garden of Shelly, our earth is an emblem of perfection but one, which is being incarcerated to human actions. Look anywhere and you would find upheaval, turmoil, conflict-between countries, between people, between man and nature and within one’s own self. Yes there is the chirping of the birds, the blueness of the sky, the warmth of the sun, the twinkling of the stars, the blooming of the flowers and gushing of the wind that still are joys to behold, but to say that we are happy and content would be overstating the truth. This is an era of disillusionment.

Fortunately, there are people who are striving hard to fight this feeling of gloom and despondency. Such people come from all walks of life and “Circus for Change” is a salute to that indefatigable spirit. Dreamtime Circus and Swechha¬-We for Change Foundation comprises of people who have devoted themselves to reduce the misery and suffering of the earth and her people by way of grassroots level advocacy, raising awareness about social, cultural and political issues or by bringing smiles to the faces of many by entertaining them through their creative performances.

About Dreamtime Circus
The Dreamtime Circus is a troupe of fire dancers, jugglers, aerialists, clowns and musicians travel the world to share the uplifting experience of the circus with the peoples of the world. During their travels, the troupe aims to support local organizations working on vital environmental, health, and humanitarian issues that impact the communities they visit. The Dreamtime Circus was founded by fire dancers and non-profit organizers Chris Dunn and Kara “Kfire” Voss in 2005 when they first started performing in villages throughout Indonesia. Since then, the Dreamtime Circus has grown from 2 to thirty performers and their debut performance, “Between Worlds”, played to five sold out audiences in San Francisco, California as well as a packed circus tent at the world famous Burning Man Festival in the United States. The success of these shows, help the troupe raise the funds necessary to launch their first tour in India from October 2007 through March 2008.

About Swechha
Swechha – We for Change Foundation is a Delhi-based non-governmental organization that was launched in the year 2000 as the “We for Yamuna” campaign. Within months, it was able to mobilize more than 500 volunteers who shaped up as one of the strongest voices on Yamuna in Delhi. The campaign eventually transformed into a full-fledged NGO. Today, it comprises of professionals, consultants and students from various fields such as social work, management, media and science.

Apart from ‘We for Yamuna’, the organization has been working in the field of environment and education. It has designed and has been successfully running programs on life skills, personality development and social citizenship in leading schools of Delhi. These programs have now become an integral part of the main curriculum in Sri Ram School, Vasant Valley, Sanskriti, Modern School and two NDMC schools. The year 2001 was proclaimed as the International Year of Volunteers by the United Nations General Assembly for increasing the recognition, facilitation and promotion of volunteering. UNV was designated as its focal point and since then Swechha has been working in close partnership with the UNV.

About the Core Partnership
The coming together of Dreamtime Circus and Swechha symbolizes the fusion of advocacy and creativity and a common goal for effecting social change. While one of the key objectives of the various endeavours of Swechha is to help people and primarily the youth to rediscover their relationship with the environment and to empower them to reflect on the consumption based lifestyle of modern times and its ill-effects; Dreamtime Circus epitomizes daring, innovation and a will to make the world a more humane place through creative arts and in whatever little way one could. While Swechha promotes volunteerism in a big way, the performers at Dreamtime hope to further the cause of volunteerism by performing for free wherever they travel in India and in doing so, they wish to aid local civil society groups in their work.

Objectives of Circus for Change
• To promote “out-of-the-box” methods for raising awareness
• To spread the message of “One Earth, Your Earth” which essentially means that political, cultural and economic boundaries notwithstanding; this earth is undivided and there is a need for each one of us to be responsible towards it without thinking about our personal gains.
• To help local NGOs in their efforts to uplift the society through performances and workshops by Dreamtime Circus. It would also help the NGOs, especially the ones in rural areas to attract media attention and get publicity for their present as well as future projects.
• To collaborate with artists, activists and performers from different countries to promote inter cultural learning and share experiences and good practices.

About the Tour
From October 2007 through March 2008, the Dreamtime Circus will tour India and perform for free in cities, villages, schools, and refugee communities throughout the country. Wherever a circus need be, a circus shall be! Performances will include an array of circus arts, music, and storytelling, and will communicate positive messages of hope, dreams, and respect for the earth and all humanity. In addition to performing, the Dreamtime troupe can hold workshops to teach a variety of basic circus arts to kids of all ages. These performances and workshops will provide a unique and creative venue for partnering organizations to raise awareness about their issues. There’s nothing like a circus to attract a captive audience! The tour will cover Delhi, Rajasthan, Himachal Pradesh, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Orissa, West Bengal, and Uttar Pradesh.

For Further Information, Please Contact:
“Circus for Change” hopes to attract and creatively engage as many organizations and individuals as possible during the course of its tour. We are hoping to create a wave of dreams, hope, enthusiasm and solidarity that would encompass some of the key cities and places in India.

If you or your organization wishes to be a part of this endeavour, please get in touch with: