“Thank you so very much for including my child, this program broke through layers of anxiety, self-doubt, trauma, and isolation and brought out a side of him I hadn’t yet seen. Now, I see him planning performances, and engaging and, smiling. I am so grateful and I truly believe it was life-changing and possibly lifesaving.”-Parent

Green Fools Theatre is a pioneering force in Western Canada’s Social Circus movement, offering free circus arts programs to at-risk youth. Social Circus is a global initiative that harnesses circus arts, led by professionals, for social transformation. Our work has spanned from local communities to partnerships with major organizations like Cirque du Soleil, and most recently, Cirkaskina. We’ve reached youth in remote areas from Nunavut to Africa and have a strong presence in Calgary, where we’ve run camps for inner-city youth and over 400 Syrian refugee children.

Our deep connection to marginalized communities extends to Indigenous youth and refugees from over 15 countries. Through this work, we’ve seen the profound impact that circus arts can have—building confidence, skills, and resilience. In 2016, our Social Circus camp in Calgary empowered hundreds of newly arrived Syrian refugee children, fostering inclusion and belonging.

Beyond our social outreach, Green Fools Theatre has been a creative hub since its inception. Artists from all disciplines—actors, aerialists, musicians, clowns, and more—are drawn to our collaborative ethos. Our theatre and circus productions combine innovative storytelling, puppetry, and physical theatre to explore social issues, captivating audiences worldwide. With awards, international tours, and acclaimed educational programs, we are proud of the ripple effects of our work on communities and individuals alike.
Social Circus Program: We’ve evolved our Social Circus into a full year program, once a month for 4-hour sessions, allowing us to support youth on a deeper level. Our goal is to guide at-risk youth toward becoming productive, positive members of society. By providing a creative outlet, we aim to prevent issues like depression, gang involvement, and violence. Our program empowers youth, as echoed by one parent:

“Both of my children have special needs, and they absolutely thrived in this program. They made friends, showed leadership, and were excited every week!” 

A Creative Force: Green Fools Theatre takes its work beyond the stage—performing in streets, schools, and festivals across the globe. Our stilt walkers and roving performers bring hand-crafted costumes to life, inspiring audiences everywhere. We believe the arts have the power to unite communities and create lasting change. Whether it’s through theatre shows that address social issues or Social Circus programs that give youth the belief in their own potential, we strive to be a catalyst for transformation.
Mission: We provide a supportive, productive environment in which diverse children, artists, and audiences can be inspired, grow, create, and evolve through our physical theatre and puppet shows, circus instruction, entertainment, and educational programming. We focus on teaching, mentorship, building confidence, skills, self-esteem, and teamwork. We do that through integrity, passion, and commitment.

Vision: Our vision is to create a wondrous world that ignites possibilities through exceptional creativity!
We aspire to be a central creative hub for all artists, a safe space for our at-risk, indigenous, new immigrant, and refugee youth, and an incubator where we play with and integrate circus, theatre, puppetry, mask, and physical theatre to create new and magical worlds.

Values: 
As an organization, Green Fools Theatre is committed to ensuring that the actions of the company hold true to the following principles:

1. Creativity – We believe in inspiring original thought by nurturing imagination and experimentation to create a variety of beautiful art forms

2. Community & Inclusion- We believe in creating a welcoming environment, so that people have the opportunity to grow, learn, feel safe and supported.

3. Mentorship – We believe in sharing our passion and experience by offering training and guidance to our community.

4. Preservation – We cultivate the arts of puppetry, mask, physical theatre, circus and clown. We keep these classic art forms alive through a pedagogy that honors tradition and embraces new explorations of these practices from creation to performance.

Accomplishments: Over the past five years, we’ve reached over 12,000 people through workshops, 6,200 through circus camps, and over 1,000 youth through our Social Circus programs. Our productions have earned awards and international acclaim, with recognition for artistic and social contributions to the community.

Get Involved:   Click here to support Green Fools.

Performers: We’re always looking for new talent for our stilt walking and roving teams.
Donations: Your support helps us bring circus arts to at-risk youth.
Volunteers & Board Members: Join our fun, socially conscious organization, and make a difference.

Our Four Pillars:  
Social Circus – The transformative power of the circus connects education, physical literacy, and social development. Social Circus is more than teaching circus skills: it is a tool for transformation, discipline, and self-expression.   Outcomes include increased self-confidence and self-esteem, a heightened sense of community and support allowing for safe risk-taking, enhanced physical literacy through play and exploration, and skills development in the areas of teamwork, fair play, and empathy. Participants benefit from social support while developing life skills and creativity.

Entertainment – We provide quality entertainment that thrills adults and children alike! Our unique circus and physical theatre performers engage and interact with guests and audiences, creating a magical environment. Our roster of top caliber performers includes unique roving stilt walkers, aerialists, acrobats, magicians, and variety act performers.

Education – We offer workshops and residencies in schools, teaching and inspiring youth through circus, physical theatre, and art. Our educational offerings foster active creative learning aligned with schoolboard curricula and in collaboration with classroom teachers.

Theatre and Creation – Since our inception, Green Fools Theatre has been a creative force: we are a magnet for artists of all kinds. We attract actors, aerialists, clowns, musicians, writers, and designers, creating socially empowering theatre. Our collaborative ethos, creative engine, and fearless approach have made us a potent company with diverse audience appeal. Our theatre work has been an evolving laboratory in which artists create, learn from each other, and grow.  Using circus as a tool, we encourage play and growth within a community. We offer people the tools to focus, take risks while navigating boundaries, and develop trust with one another. We foster self-respect and mutual respect through ground and aerial circus activities and intentional group games. For a more rewarding and holistic experience in circus arts, we also support good nutrition, teach anatomy basics and body awareness, and encourage journaling and other forms of self-awareness and expression.

Community Support
Generous contributions from charitable foundations, granting bodies, and companies have enabled Green Fools to enjoy great success in the past 30 years. Multi-year relationships with Alberta Foundation for the Arts, Calgary Arts Development, as well as project support from Canada Council for the Arts, Calgary Foundation, Rozsa Foundation, Nickle Family Arts Foundation, Alberta Lottery, Cirque Du Soleil, and ATB Financial, are a few examples of highly successful community collaborations.

 
Our Awards  
Green Fools outstanding artistic contribution to our city has been recognized by:
-Over 10 Betty Mitchell Award Nominations for our productions including for: Outstanding New Play, Outstanding Production of a Musical, -Outstanding Sound Design/ Composition & Outstanding Performance
-Winner of Betty Mitchell Award for Outstanding Sound Composition
-Winner Elizabeth Sterling Haynes Award for Outstanding Achievement in Theatre for Young Audiences
-Dean Bareham was awarded the ATB Financial Healing Through the Arts Award at the Mayors’ Luncheon

Board Members – We are always on the lookout for active energetic board members that would like to get behind this eclectic, multi-talented organization. We are looking for members who will be active participants in our Fundraising Campaigns, Board Governance, Long Term Strategic Plans, and Volunteer Organization. We would be a perfect fit for someone looking to join a fun, socially conscious, theatre organization.

“The Green Fools Theatre Troupe is an asset to the cultural landscape of Alberta and Canada. The training they provide for artists and the plays and social events they produce are unique and absolutely unparalleled. This creative juggernaut is ahead of their time and deserves all of the support they have earned from their community and funding partners.”  
David Daley, University of Calgary