Hawaii’s Volcano Circus (HVC) strives to provide a home for a vast array of cultural artists, along with entertainment for the community.
HVC’s objective is to organize, conduct and maintain a company of performing circus artists for educational, cultural, instructive and entertainment purposes, while owning and operating a cultural and educational center for performing circus artists.
Morgan Langham, executive director of Hawaii’s Volcano Circus, said she has been bringing community, education and entertainment to Lower Puna since 1987.
“When I was a kid in Alaska, my mom ran a community circus, so when my dad moved to Puna in 2009, my family naturally became part of the HVC family,” she told Big Island Times. “The amazing part about the circus is that you can find family anywhere in the world you go. Circus people are so welcoming.”
She added that when founder Graham Ellis left the island, a lot of really amazing people stepped up to keep the circus going.
“HVC partners with HAAS to host the only school program in lower Puna,” Langham said. “This makes it so that families can continue to live here. Lower Puna also doesn’t have an official community center, but HVC manages S.P.A.C.E. (Seaview Performing Arts Center for Education). SPACE is a 3,500-square-foot open-air pavilion that provides a welcoming place for people to gather, learn and grow.”
The Seaview Performing Arts Center for Education (SPACE) hosts the HICCUP (Hawaii Island Community Circus Unity Project) Circus, Aerial Arts Hawaii and HAAS Assisted Homeschool program.
Langham added that the social circus was one of the most profound ways she found to build community and empower people.
“It’s the legacy passed down to me by my family and creating a place for people to learn and laugh is the way that I can help make the world a better place,” she said. “Our organization is a great choice for your support because not only do we bring laughter and community to people, but our home is in an underserved community that really needs it. The spectaculars we create reach out to all the islands of Hawaii through our touring shows and workshops, and we touch people’s hearts of all ages.”
Hawaii’s Volcano Circus has been a 501(c)(3) nonprofit since it was established in 1991 and has been entertaining and educating the community since 1987.
