Hawaii`s Volcano Circus

Our mission is to organize, and maintain a company of performing circus artists for educational, instructive and entertainment purposes while owning and operating a cultural and educational center for arts and agriculture

Seaview Community School

55 local youth attend our K-6 HAAS assisted learning program. Classes are offered in Circus, Visual Arts, Music, Hula, STEAM, Gardening and more!

Hawaii Island Community Circus Unity Project

The mission of HICCUP Circus is to promote the healthy development and resilience of children using the time-honored skills and traditions of the circus.

Photo by Rhianna Mercier
Seaview Performing Arts Center for Education

SPACE, our 3,500 sqft open-air pavilion is home to the HICCUP Circus, Out on a Limb, community health and wellness classes, & the HAAS Seaview Community School. Its mission is to creatively promote sustainable community development in Puna Makai.


GOALS


Use circus and the performing arts as a tool for individual, social and community transformation

Promote education opportunities  that are modular, flexible and accessible

Maintain SPACE and it’s programs as a fun, safe place for families and people of all walks of life.

Mitigate the challenges of our rural location by providing infrastructure and opportunities for community engagement and cohesion


What’s New



Board of Directors


Henrik Bothe

President

Co Founder of Hawaii’s Volcano Circus 1987, International Circus Artist

Maja Nilssen

Secretary

Originally from Sweden Maja Nilsson has trained at circus schools in Denmark, Sweden and Russia, specializing in aerial rope. Also a street performer, she spends her summers performing throughout Europe with her one woman comedy contortion show and her winters living in Kalapana with her family and training at SPACE.

Morgan Langham

Executive Director

Morgan has been a part of the HVC family since 2012. Raised in Talkeetna Alaska’s Green Light Circus, Co-Founder of The Roustabout Circus, 6 years in the whaling villages of northern Alaska running the Circus on the Slope program, She now calls Kalapana Seaview home.

Cheryl Taylor

Director

Founder of Cirque San Jose Cheryl has taught circus arts, dance, horse vaulting, and sport acrobatics for over 50 years. Teaching everyone from preschoolers to world class athletes at competition level

Our founder, Graham Ellis, retired in 2015 after over 30 years of leadership and service to our community through H.I.C.C.U.P. and Hawaii’s Volcano Circus. We send Graham our deepest love and gratitude for all he has achieved in bringing this gift of Circus Arts to Puna Makai and beyond.


History

HVC International Circus Arts Festival (1984 to 2003)

bringing hundreds of international professional circus arts performers to the Big Island of Hawaii to celebrate circus arts.

Puna Performing Arts Festival

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

Malama Ka Aina (2004) &  Malama I Ke Kai (2005)

Bringing together over 20 different community groups, HVC has coordinated music, acting, dance, acrobatics, juggling, clowning and circus classes at sites designated by participating community groups.

Le Chic (2008 to 2012)

A saucy annual variety show that began at SPACE but could not continue before we get the proper permitting to do public events there.  The show was held at Kalani Honua in 2012, but since then has been on hiatus.

Seaview Performing Arts Center for Education (SPACE) (2007 to Present)

HVC currently manages a 3500sqft performing arts pavilion in Puna Makai.  The culmination of over 20 years of proactive community outreach programs, performances by Hawaii’s Volcano Circus (HVC), and its flagship education program HICCUP Circus.  SPACE is supported by members of title holding organization Village Green Society (VGS, or Belly Acres)

Seaview Community School(- Present)

An assisted home school program provided by an innovative local charter school, Hawaii Academy of Arts & Sciences (HAAS).


We invite you to get involved with SPACE…

We are a local grassroots community-based performance arts center. As a non-profit organization, our funding comes from income from programs (such as the HICCUP Circus and the HAAS Assisted Home School program), donations from our supporters, and from public and private grants.

We are always in need of support but the following is a list of particular needs we currently have:

  • Grant Writing
  • Special Projects and Building Maintenance
  • Class Instruction (open to all skills relating to performance and circus arts)
  • Costume Design and Repair
  • Fundraising Coordination
  • Events planning and producing