Cape Town’s Zip Zap Circus School will celebrate the official opening of its new home in the Founders Garden of the Artscape Theatre complex on Thursday 7 August 2008.

Executive Deputy Mayor Grant Haskin will be there to officiate the special occasion.

The Zip Zap Circus School has a long history of giving street people and other marginalised youth an opportunity in life.

The initial aim of the school is to provide innovative cutting edge professional training and entertainment, providing opportunities for youth to fulfill their potential and contributing towards the building of a healthy nation.

The Circus dates back to 1992 when Laurence Esteve accompanied Brent van Rensburg on a visit to her fiancé's hometown.

Both professional trapeze artists set up a trapeze at the V&A Waterfront offering the curious and not too faint at heart a pay-as-you-go swing.

Inspired by the phenomenal response, the idea of starting a circus school in Cape Town began to take root.

They combined Laurence's background in business and Brent's affinity for teaching and set out with nothing more than their dream to start a circus school.

The couple recognized a circus school in South Africa had the potential to go beyond the basic training of circus skills.

Trust, commitment and teamwork required for a circus could help foster social change in South Africa and from this the school's orientation became self-evident.

This circus school that was envisioned was one that would teach practical circus skills for the development of children from all walks of life.

'Our objectives were made clear to us by the circumstances in South Africa,' explains Laurence. 'To entertain audiences of all ages and cultural backgrounds and enhance the lives of young people who would otherwise never have been exposed to the circus arts.'

Zip Zap Circus in Cape Town:

Date: Thursday, 7 August 2008
Time: 17:30 for 18:00
Venue: Founders Garden behind the Artscape Theatre
Location: Cape Town

Parking will be provided on Table Bay Boulevard and DF Malan and Jan Smuts Streets (with direct access to the Founders Garden).

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