Circus! Circus!

During her study abroad in Chile, Emily Malina (AS/PC ’16) served as an intern with La Red Chilena de Circo Social (The Network of Chilean Social Circuses).  La Red is a grass-roots non-profit organization that essentially acts as art therapy — giving kids and adults a safe space to express themselves, form community and empower individuals through the art of circus.

Emily went to weekly executive board meetings, as well as practices with Circo de Salud. On Fridays she spent the entire day at “La Victoria,” a district known for its historical oppression, to hold circus workshops for the kids. Another important part of her duties was to attend both the convention for adults, as well as the conventions for kids. Eight circuses exist within La Red, each of which are focused on a specific neighborhood (for both adults and kids). “During my time in Chile, I visited each circus and attended training sessions for workshop advisors. Although I worked as a communications intern, working with such a small non-profit, it was important to be adaptable and versatile and give help where help was needed!”

To sum up the experience, Emily said, “This was by far my favorite experience in Chile and it shaped my time there.”

Check out one of Emily’s videos to see some of the fun.