THE CIRCUS ARTS CONSERVATORY INC (FORMERLY CIRCUS SARASOTA INC)

Financial Trends

Organization Details

THE CIRCUS ARTS CONSERVATORY INC (FORMERLY CIRCUS SARASOTA INC), founded in 1997, is a community nonprofit in the Education sector that reported $5.2M in total revenue in fiscal year 2022. Expenses of $4.8M left a modest 8% surplus.

Mission

CAC'S EXTRAORDINARY MISSION UNDERSCORES ITS COMMITMENT TO SHARING THE ENTERTAINMENT, EDUCATION AND ENRICHMENT THAT CIRCUS ARTS PROVIDE. THE CAC AIMS TO PRESERVE AND EXPAND THE EXTRAORDINARY 90+ YEAR HERITAGE AND CULTURE OF THE CIRCUS IN SARASOTA STARTED BY JOHN RINGLING IN 1927. COMMITTED TO RAISING THE PERCEPTION OF THE CIRCUS AS THE VALUABLE ART FORM IT REPRESENTS, CAC IS MUCH MORE THAN A CIRCUS. CAC'S VISION AND CURRENT PROGRAMMING SUPPORT THE REGION'S GROWING REPUTATION AS A LEADING CULTURAL, ATHLETIC AND SPORTS DESTINATION. CAC OPERATES PRODUCING PERFORMANCES, EVENTS, YOUTH TRAINING, AND COMMUNITY OUTREACH PROGRAMS THAT SERVE CHILDREN, THE ELDERLY AND THOSE IN CARE FACILITIES AND SCHOOLS. IT REMAINS EQUALLY IMPORTANT TO CAC TO PRESERVE SARASOTA'S UNIQUE CIRCUS LEGACY THROUGH EDUCATION, HUMAN SERVICE AND THE PERFORMING ARTS. THE MISSION OF THE CIRCUS ARTS CONSERVATORY IS TO ENGAGE AND EDUCATE CHILDREN USING UNIQUE AND INNOVATIVE LEARNING PROGRAMS; TO MEASURABLY IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF LIFE FOR INDIVIDUALS IN CARE FACILITIES; AND TO ADVANCE THE EXTRAORDINARY LEGACY AND HERITAGE OF THE CIRCUS. THE ORGANIZATION'S CORE SERVICE LINES INCLUDE: PERFORMANCE: EACH YEAR CIRCUS SARASOTA PRESENTS A MULTITUDE OF CIRCUS PRODUCTIONS THAT EXPAND ALL CREATIVE BARRIERS AND BRING THE BEST IN CIRCUS ARTS TO SOUTHWEST FLORIDA. THESE PROFESSIONAL PERFORMANCES HAVE BEEN ACCLAIMED AROUND THE GLOBE FOR WORLD-CLASS ARTISTRY, WHETHER SHOWCASED IN A ONE-RING, EUROPEAN-STYLE BIG TOP, THE UNIQUE SAILOR CIRCUS ARENA OR AN INTIMATE HISTORIC THEATER. CAC IS A GENEROUS COMMUNITY PARTNER WITH OTHER ORGANIZATIONS, DONATING IN EXCESS OF 5,000 TICKETS TO LOCAL NON-PROFITS ANNUALLY. FOR ALMOST TWO DECADES, CIRCUS SARASOTA'S WINTER SHOW FEATURING AN INTERNATIONAL ALL-STAR LINEUP OF CIRCUS ACTS UNDER THE BIG TOP HAS AWED AUDIENCES IN SOUTHWEST FLORIDA. TRAINING: SAILOR CIRCUS ACADEMY IS AN AFTER-SCHOOL TRAINING PROGRAM FOR STUDENTS AGED 8-18. ORIGINATING IN 1949 AS A SMALL HIGH SCHOOL GYMNASTICS CLASS, SAILOR CIRCUS HAS GROWN INTO A SPECTACULAR, YOUTH TRAINING PROGRAM SERVING STUDENTS IN 4TH TO 12TH GRADES. THROUGH THIS RIGOROUS, INTERDISCIPLINARY AND ATHLETIC PERFORMING ARTS PROGRAM, STUDENTS DEVELOP LIFE MANAGEMENT SKILLS, GAIN SELF-DISCIPLINE AND BOLSTER CONFIDENCE, ALL WHILE LEARNING THE CIRCUS ARTS. FOR ALMOST SEVEN DECADES, THOUSANDS OF STUDENTS HAVE COMPLETED THE SAILOR CIRCUS PROGRAM. STUDENTS TRAIN MANY HOURS PER WEEK WITH DEDICATED COACHES AND VOLUNTEERS TO CREATE PERFORMANCES THAT HAVE BECOME A MAJOR TOURIST ATTRACTION IN THE SOUTHWEST FLORIDA REGION. SAILOR CIRCUS IS KNOWN WORLDWIDE AS "THE GREATEST "LITTLE" SHOW ON EARTH" WITH MORE THAN ONE MILLION SPECTATORS ATTENDING PERFORMANCES OF AMERICA'S OLDEST YOUTH CIRCUS. SAILOR CIRCUS ACADEMY STUDENTS ARE RECOGNIZED AS FUTURE LEADERS AND MAJOR CONTRIBUTORS TO THE CIRCUS LEGACY IN SARASOTA AND BEYOND. OUTREACH: THE HUMOR THERAPY PROGRAM BRINGS JOY, MEMORY STIMULATION AND ENTERTAINMENT INTO NURSING HOMES AND CARE FACILITIES TO IMPACT LIVES AND IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF LIFE FOR EVERYONE INVOLVED INCLUDING THOSE WITH DEMENTIA AND ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE. SENIORS, PATIENTS, THEIR FAMILIES AND STAFF ALL ENJOY THE TALENTS OF PROFESSIONAL CLOWNS AND ENTERTAINERS. THE AGE-OLD ART OF CLOWNING SETS THE STATE FOR THERAPEUTIC INTERACTION THAT REACHES FAR BEYOND SIMPLE ENTERTAINMENT TO FOSTER MEANINGFUL RELATIONSHIPS WITH THOSE IN NEED. FROM THE ONE-ON-ONE BEDSIDE VISITATION AND CONVERSATIONS, TO MEMORY STIMULATION AND PHYSICAL ACTIVITIES, THE HUMOR THERAPY PROGRAM ENHANCES THE LIVES OF ALL ITS PARTICIPANTS. MEDICAL STUDIES CONSISTENTLY DEMONSTRATE THAT LAUGHTER REDUCES STRESS, EASES ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION, DECREASES PAIN PERCEPTION AND HAS A POSITIVE, LASTING EFFECT ON THE BODY'S IMMUNE SYSTEM, HEART AND BRAIN. CAC'S ONE-OF-A-KIND EDUCATION PROGRAM TAKES LEARNING IN THE CLASSROOM TO A NEW LEVEL. OUR TEACHING ARTISTS ENGAGE STUDENTS IN KEY ACADEMIC SUBJECTS LIKE SCIENCE, LANGUAGE ARTS AND THEATER. THESE INQUIRY BASED LESSONS ARE DEVELOPED TO COMPLY WITH THE NEW FLORIDA STATE STANDARDS. SINCE 2012, WE HAVE INSTRUCTED MORE THAN 12,000 STUDENTS IN 40 ELEMENTARY AND MIDDLE SCHOOLS. CAC PROVIDES ALL STUDENTS WITH A SAFE LEARNING ENVIRONMENT THAT ENCOURAGES CREATIVITY AND INTRODUCES STUDENTS OF ALL LEARNING LEVELS AND LEARNING STYLES TO THE CIRCUS ARTS AND SCIENCES. THIS HELPS STUDENTS RECOGNIZE THE IMPORTANCE OF SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY AND MATHEMATICS PROVIDING ALL STUDENTS WITH A KINESTHETIC INTERDISCIPLINARY LEARNING EXPERIENCE. CAC FOLLOWS THE KENNEDY CENTER ARTS INTEGRATION PROTOCOL BECAUSE IT IS KNOWN THAT "WHEN STUDENTS LEARN THROUGH ARTS INTEGRATION, THEY ARE ENGAGED IN EXPERIENCES IN WHICH THEY ACTIVELY BUILD AND DEMONSTRATE THEIR UNDERSTANDING OF BOTH THE ART FORM AND THE OTHER CURRICULUM AREA." LEGACY: IN NOVEMBER, 1927, JOHN RINGLING MOVED HIS CIRCUS HEADQUARTERS FROM BRIDGEPORT, CONNECTICUT TO SARASOTA COUNTY, FLORIDA - THE CIRCUS TRAIN ROLLED INTO TOWN AS IT WOULD FOR THE NEXT 33 YEARS, LEADING TO THE CREATION OF THE VIBRANT CITY THAT SARASOTA IS TODAY. OVER THE YEARS THE RESIDENTS OF SARASOTA HAVE EMBRACED THE CIRCUS COMMUNITY AND FOUND WAYS TO HONOR IT. INITIATED IN 1970 BY THE RINGLING MUSEUM, THE CIRCUS CELEBRITY AWARD HONORS THOSE WHOSE PERFORMANCES REPRESENT THE HIGHEST ACHIEVEMENTS IN SKILL, DARING, AND SHOWMANSHIP. THE CIRCUS "RING OF FAME" WAS CREATED IN 1987 TO RECOGNIZE PERSONS WHO HAVE MADE A SIGNIFICANT CONTRIBUTION TO THE ART AND CULTURE OF THE CIRCUS. THE RING OF FAME GRACES A PARK AT ST. ARMAND'S CIRCLE IN SARASOTA. PEDRO REIS AND DOLLY JACOB-REIS HAVE RECEIVED BOTH PRESTIGIOUS AWARDS. AFTER AN ABSENCE OF MANY YEARS, TODAY SARASOTA CLAIMS ITS OWN PROFESSIONAL RESIDENT CIRCUS, CIRCUS SARASOTA. STEWARDING SAILOR CIRCUS UNDER THE CAC UMBRELLA, BOTH WORK SIDE BY SIDE PROMOTING THE CULTURAL LEGACY OF THIS REGION AS THE PRESENT AND FUTURE OF THE CIRCUS ARTS. THIS EFFORT WAS RECOGNIZED NATIONALLY IN 2015 WHEN THE NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE ARTS PRESENTED CAC CO-FOUNDER DOLLY JACOB-REIS THE NEA NATIONAL HERITAGE FELLOWSHIP, THE NATION'S HIGHEST AWARD IN FOLK AND TRADITIONAL ARTS. THE CIRCUS ARTS CONSERVATORY HAS BEEN RECOGNIZED TWICE BY THE SARASOTA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE IN THE SMALL BUSINESS AWARDS SECTION AS CULTURAL ORGANIZATION OF THE YEAR IN 2012 AND 2016. THE CAC EDUCATION PROGRAM WAS AWARDED THE ARTS LEADERSHIP AWARD IN 2016 BY THE SARASOTA ARTS ALLIANCE BECAUSE OF IT'S INNOVATIVE CURRICULUM EXPANDING IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH FLORIDA. THE CAC HAS A VISION TO BE RECOGNIZED AS THE NATION'S LEADING NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION PERPETUATING THE CIRCUS ARTS AS SOUTHWEST FLORIDA'S HISTORICAL LEGACY THROUGH INNOVATIVE PROGRAMMING. THROUGH EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMMING IN CLASSROOMS, ENRICHMENT IN HUMOR THERAPY AND PRESENTATION OF WORLD CLASS PERFORMANCES, CAC BELIEVES THE CIRCUS ARTS WILL BOTH REFLECT AND EXPAND THE COMMUNITY'S INTERESTS.

Program Service Accomplishments

Financial Overview (2022)

Year-over-Year Comparison

Governance

Special Practices & Reported Activities

Compensation of Officers, Directors & Key Employees

Historical Data