Kevin O'Keefe, AYCO's president, regularly communicates to the youth circus community through his updates, affectionately known as "The President's Poppykash". The following are previous editions...

10/13/03
THE PRESIDENT'S POPPYKASH
Greetings!

Erin Maile and I recently settled back to life after the AYCO Festival 2003. It took some time to come down from the incredible exhilaration (and exhaustion) of the four-day event. It was three times the size of our first festival and a success in every way. AYCO and our host Circus Juventas were proud and honored to host fourteen troupes and over forty teachers and 225 participants. More than the numbers though was the feeling that the festival created. There is a vibrant national circus community and we are a part of it. Whether the mission is professional, pre-professional, recreational, social service related, cultural awareness or some other creative application of circus the underlying theme of the festival was that we all belong. After all circus is big enough for everybody.

Personally, the greatest moment came in the future of AYCO meeting. First, to see forty or so people in the room that cared about the health of our young organization was heart warming. The high degree of participation and promise for more in the future took a load of our all-volunteer skeleton staff's weary shoulders. What became clear in the months and weeks prior to the festival was that we could no longer organize an event this big within the current structure of AYCO. What was clear after that meeting was that there was interest and action to grow that structure. An AYCO board meeting is planned for more exploration of our mission and structure for Oct. 24-26 in St. Louis.

Two of the participants' responses to the festival bear repeating. From one adult "I have found a path for the remainder of my working life" And from a teenager, "I left the stage with a euphoric feeling that I belong." We all may work in circus for different reasons. One of those for me is the value that this work has for others. I proposed in our opening meeting at the festival that it was Circus herself that called us together. I think now she is very happy.

Going to the AYCO Festival 2003 was a hero's journey for all of us. We left home, confronted obstacles i.e. fear of failure, death, and went back home with a gift to be shared. We are all heroes for the work we do. And we are humbled and honored to have tapped into the deep spirit of Circus and our national circus community that feeds us all.

With a full heart and deep gratitude,

Kevin

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11/13/02
THE PRESIDENT'S POPPYKASH
Greetings!

I recently returned from St. Paul, Minnesota after spending a few days at Circus Juventas with Betty and Dan Butler. On the plane ride home I thought, " I got the juice there to go on." It is hard sometimes being the only youth circus in a large area. There are few examples to learn from and bounce ideas off of, no shoulders to cry on when the funding doesn't come through or the rigging can't be fixed or the parents are upset.

Support is just one of the intangibles of the AYCO. The juice to carry on, to know that even if we are individual voices in the wilderness, that there is a youth circus movement in this country. That we are a part of it. That AYCO is the telephone line that keeps us connected to the next tent down the road. In my heart I know that what we do matters not just to ourselves and our families but to the children who lives we change and the greater culture at large.

When I look at the basic message of TV and pop culture I am sickened. Their consumerist message in always in service of some corporation's bottom line. I am rarely seduced by their program. But what about my 14 god-daughter Chiara? What other messages are available to her? What youth circus offers the greater society is something vastly different. The difference between a McExperience and the real thing.

Join us at AYCO Festival 2003 as we continue to make a difference.

Red Nosedly,
Kevin

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10/30/01
THE PRESIDENT'S POPPYKASH
Greetings!

At the First AYCO Festival an incredible thing happened. Individual circus artists and organizations discovered a circus community right here in the America. It felt like a collective sigh of relief was expressed by all attendees at finding so many like minded people. As master circus teacher, Hovey Burgess said at his workshop, "I've known many of the people here at the AYCO festival over the past 30 years but never have I seen them all together in one place." Concurrently there was a new sense of purpose in finding ourselves part of something bigger than our organizations. The rich diversity of our circus community was another theme expressed by many in their feedback. AYCO Festival 2001 was the circus gathering place; the place where circus artists, teachers, scholars, the public and interested novices get together to share, perform and celebrate. For those who haven't joined AYCO yet I'll repeat what I said to Carlo Gentile of Circus Minimus, "You belong here. This is your national circus community and no matter what level you are at or think you are at there is a place for you inside the AYCO ring."

The theme of this years festival was "Celebrating our Youth and Honoring our Teachers". The outstanding success of the AYCO Festival 2001 was due to the spirit of adventure that led so many to take the risk and join the circus in the first place.

Special thanks must go to Jackie Davis, our AYCO secretary for the past two years and current Office Manager. I'd be remiss if I didn't also thank the incredible Erin Maile O'Keefe who put in countless hours and great creativity in coordinating the AYCO Festival 2001.

See you at 2002?

Red Nosedly,
Kevin

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6/26/01
THE PRESIDENT'S POPPYKASH
Greetings!

It feels wonderful to have the support of so many talented and dedicated circus artists continuing the vision of this organization. I'm looking forward to focusing on some of the long-range goals of our organization: an alliance with European festivals and organizations, curriculum development and outreach to other groups and individuals.

I was struck by the common ground that all our different organizations stand on. Some of us work in schools, tents, and theaters or under the open sky. Some focus on pre-professional youth, low income or any one who can pay tuition or receive a scholarship. Some tour with a show; others tour to create the show within the community. Some of us do the show once others tour for 6 weeks. We are seemingly different types of circus organizations but with the underpinnings of the similar principles. To me, some of these are:
1) Respect for the integrity of the child as a learner and collaborator.
2) Respect for the learning process of ourselves as we seek to expand our knowledge and process.
3) Fondness for the form of circus and the freedom within its structure.
4) Experience of the community building and transformational power of circus.

Two conclusions I've come to:
*We as a group are more intelligent than any of us is as an individual.
*What brings us together is stronger than what could tear us apart.

RED NOSEDLY,
Kevin

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