Our Story
With the leadership of Shenea Booth, known on stage as Shenea Stiletto, we have been speaking to city and state representatives to advocate for the circus workers in America since 2020. The starting mission was to put pressure on the NEA to recognize circus arts as its own category (read more here) But our sights expanded as we realized that the circus industry itself needs much broader protections and regulations to support the daily labor of the dedicated workers that make up this vast art form.
It is from here that the Circus Arts Guild Of America evolved. We believe as a collective movement that we can better amplify the concerns that have put circus workers at risk. In its first stages, we orchestrated the Performers Safety Act (read more here), laying out the necessary protections to legislate and safeguard the everyday circus worker. The Performers Safety Act continues to evolve in proximity to the successful passage of the Fashion Workers Act and the continued efforts for the Musicians Act. Inspired by the Dancers Alliance, we have compiled an Industry Rate and Working Conditions template as a way to push standardization and/or ground work for fair wage and compliance (read more here).
Join our coalition... both to support the ongoing advocacy work for our industry and to be a part of a growing community that promotes equitable working environments through safety standards, fair wage and contracts, awareness to better diversity and inclusion policies, and arts accessibility in America. Only as a collective force can we build a stronger industry.
