Upswing exists to entertain, inspire connection, share urgent ideas and tell new stories in extraordinary ways.
Our purpose is to amplify and celebrate the skills, ideas and stories of diverse communities, unite people from different backgrounds and encourage them to discover the potential in themselves and each other.
To do this, we focus on 7 main goals:
Make circus diverse and innovative – to push the boundaries of what circus can be, who can create it and what impact it can have both on and off stage.
Share memorable experiences – to create surprising and inspiring moments that our audiences can share and remember together.
Create lasting connections– to use the stories we tell to connect people with their local area, streets and buildings, as well as each other.
Meet new audiences – to take circus out of traditional spaces and meet new audiences where they are, both online and offline.
Nurture creativity – to ensure everyone has the opportunity to discover, create and play through our creative engagement programme.
Develop talent – to create opportunities that support circus professionals in their career growth, with a focus on emerging Global Majority practitioners.
Grow ethically – to place fairness, sustainability and inclusion at the heart of our decision-making, helping us to make the right choice in partnerships and fine-tuning of our organisation as a whole.