In the early 1980s, a group of young street performers, dreamers and self-taught entrepreneurs had the vision and drive to create Cirque du Soleil. Long before the days when they would stimulate the imaginations of audiences, the first Cirque du Soleil Artists performed their shows in the street. If their dream eventually came true—a dream built on boldness, risk and imagination—it was partly because there were older people who believed in them, regardless of their age, image or status as street performers.

 

The rationale and values behind Cirque's social action are grounded in this history where youth, risk, dreams and marginality come together for a better world. Now that Cirque du Soleil has the international reach to forge alliances the world over, it has chosen to commit itself to helping youth in difficulty, especially street kids. We focus on helping these young people by allocating 1% of revenues each year to outreach programs targeting youth in difficulty. To learn more, please download our PDF brochure.