Community Service Programs

Hawaii's Volcano Circus

Educating Children & Adults Through the Performance Arts

HVC Community Service Programs & Events

	Puna Performing Arts Festival
	Healthy Hawaii Initiative Pahoa Program
	“Naturally High” Drug & Tobacco Prevention Program
	Lifecycle Recycling Information Program
	HVC’s International Circus Arts Festival

Puna Performing Arts Festival

HVC created the Puna Performing Arts Festival to stimulate community involvement, to offer circus arts education and improve self-esteem amoung youth in Hawaii's Puna District.

HVC coordinated months of classes at selected sites designated by the participating community associations. HVC also recruited adults, including a number of parents, to assist teaching youngsters aged 8 and up, in performance arts including acting, dance, acrobatics, juggling, clowning and circus skills.

Part of the program intent is to foster ongoing youth participation in performance arts and to establish the HVC-led youth training efforts and performance as a recurring feature. The collaborative effort reflects the community's desire to work together to address juvenile delinquency and academic performance problems endemic to the region. The broader objective is to build community connectedness and trust (also known as "social capital") by engaging youth, parents, and community organizations in a productive, performance arts program that is a part of an important local cultural event.
The following community groups and associations collaborated with HVC to present the Puna Performing Arts Festivals:

	Rufaro School of Marimba
	Dragon's Eye Theater
	Malamalama Waldorf School
	Kua O Ka La Public Charter School
	Pahoa Elementary, Intermediate and High School
	Pahoa Hip Hop Dancers
	Spirit Voices
	Yoga Oasis
	Halau Hula Ka Makani Hali 'Ala o Puna
	Pahoa Farmers Market Association
	Hawaii Academy of Arts and Science Public Charter School (HAAS)
	Hawaii Paradise Park Owners Association
	Seaview Estates Community Association
	Kehena Subdivision Parents Association
	Shivalila/Kapoho Community Association
	Nanawale Community Association
	Leilani Community Association

2005: Malama Ka Aina

In 2005, the Puna Performing Arts Festival presented Malama Ka Aina (Taking Care of the Land) for 2 nights at the Leilani Community Center. Over 120 performers, mostly youth, took part in this show.

2004: Malama I Ke Kai

Leilani Community Center hosted Malama I Ke Kai (Taking Care of the Ocean) in 2004. Approximately 100 youth were featured in two performances.

2002: All Together for the Ho'olaulea

In 2002, the Festival was held at the Pahoa School Gymnasium and entitled All Together for the Ho'olaulea. Each of the two performances featured 60 youth.

Healthy Hawaii Initiative Pahoa Program

HVC presented the Healthy Hawaii Initiative Pahoa Program from 1998 through 1999. The goal of the program was –

“to promote the healthy development of children and the community using fun activities to increase physical fitness, and create sustainable programs through which tobacco prevention education can occur”

Activities included a total of 60 weekly after-school Hiccup Circus programs organized in five different locations. Youth learned stiltwalking, unicycling, juggling and acrobatic skills and participated in a local parade.

Parents and adults participated in teaching children, making props, costumes, banners and decorating floats.

“Naturally High” Drug & Tobacco Prevention Program

From October 1995 through January 2001, the Hiccup Children's Circus presented "Naturally High" in 149 performances in Elementary and Intermediate schools across the Big Island, Oahu, Maui, Molokai, Kauai and in the Bay Area of California with tremendous success.

The target population were grades K through 8 with over 48,000 students attending performances and many more reached via newspaper, magazine and the television show, Hawaiian Moving Company.

Program features include:

	Target audience of Elementary and Intermediate school students in the form of assembly performances in public schools
	Use of circus arts to send message of “tobacco use education” and “positive alternatives to smoking"
	Dynamic theatrical presentation featuring juggling, unicycling, stiltwalking, magic and balancing skills blended with music and drama
	A performing troupe comprised of six Hiccup Circus children aged 8-16 years,
	‘peer teaching peer’ technique to ensure maximum audience involvement in the drama and in its tobacco use prevention messages

Evaluations from more than 800 teachers and counselors indicate that the project makes a valuable contribution to prevent youth and young adults from beginning to use tobacco.

Lifecycle Recycling Information Program

‘Lifecycle’, presented during 1998, was a unique inspirational drug prevention assembly program in the same style as our acclaimed "Naturally High" presentations. It used an environmental theme that encouraged involvement in volunteer community projects like litter cleanup, recycling and fundraising.

The story taught students about overcoming physical and social adversity, staying committed to a task and not quitting, and activities that build self-esteem. Teachers easily incorporated the factual information about the environment and recycling into classroom instruction.

Lifecycle features included:

	dynamic theatrical presentation of original music, juggling, unicycling, stiltwalking, magic and balancing skills
	performing troupe of ten Hiccup Circus children aged 7-16 years
	total program duration of 45-60 minutes
	promotion of positive alternative to drug use

HVC’s International Circus Arts Festival

For 17 consecutive years from 1984 to 2003, HVC organized the annual International Circus Arts Festival, bringing hundreds of international circus arts performers to the Big Island of Hawaii.

Workshops in a wide range of performance arts presented by world class teachers were attended and greatly appreciated by members of the public.

Performances by world-class entertainers were held at a number of Big Island venues including:

	the Hawaii Theater
	University of Hawaii – Hilo Theater
	Kuhilu Theater
	The Palace Theater
	the UH High School Theater
	the Akebono Theater
	Spencers Beach Park Pavilion
	Seaview Estates Pavilion
	Volcano Village Theater

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