VIRTUAL CIRCUS: The pandemic has not stopped Trenton Circus Squad, which has planned an online fundraising event for next month. (Photo by Donnie Ramsey)

For the first three months of the pandemic, the Trenton Circus Squad closed its doors in order to come up with a new model for interacting with the community and spreading its mission of inspiring youth to take big leaps in life. The result was Trenton Circus Squad virtual, outfitting the organization with cameras, microphones, and production equipment for “Step Right Up! Plugged In,” a fundraiser taking place October 17 at 7 p.m.

The event will take ticketed attendees to each of the partner organizations in Newark, Asbury Park, Camden, and Trenton to watch the young performers in action, see interviews, hear testimonies, and see participants perform in works inspired by the country’s current state of civil unrest.

According to Executive Director Tom von Oehsen, “Each day, the Squad picked up their phones to research topics, focusing on the issues that matter to them, conversing, and creating storyboards of what they learned. The squad has discussed topics ranging from George Floyd and Breonna Taylor to Jeffrey Epstein, catcalling, harassment, and their constitutional rights. These discussions haven’t been easy. Sometimes they struggled to find common ground, many times feeling powerless to the injustice.”

The Squad chose to tackle these tough topics, trying to understand how national and global issues impact their lives. For the fundraiser, they will take their conversations and experiences and express them through the art of circus.

Trenton Circus Squad is a nonprofit dedicated to inspiring youth, with circus, to push themselves to take big leaps in life, and serve the community. Visit trentoncircussquad.org or call (609) 984-8599 for information.