1. Holistic Circus Therapy offers an innovative and unique approach to teambuilding unlike any other in the
corporate market. At its essence, circus itself is the perfect working model of successful corporate
teambuilding: The successful and sustainable art of circus is a direct result of collaboration between different
skillsets and interconnected roles working together toward a common goal. Holistic Circus Therapy’s
corporate team building workshop provides a platform that affords people of diverse skill sets, personality
traits, and cognitive strengths the opportunity to collaborate and engage in activities that enable the life skills
needed for cohesive and harmonious productivity.
Holistic Circus Therapy’s mix of circus disciplines is specifically tailored to promote personal wellbeing and
create positive relationships between colleagues, as well as bridge the gap between policy creators, executors,
managers, and service recipients.
BENEFITS
Leadership and Communication
Interacting in appropriately pitched circus activities promotes turn-taking, leadership, communication, empathy, expression, trust, and
dependability. Grading the tasks individually using a combination of challenging and achievable components promotes feelings of motivation and
satisfaction in engagement, as well as increased self-confidence and self-efficacy.
Perseverance and Stamina
Circus skills are graded to match a person’s capacities: Whether you are working on 1-ball juggling or 3-club partner passing in a 3-
high, this workshop teaches participants how to increase energy and transfer that physical power into mental prowess.
Creativity and Innovation
Creativity is marked by the ability to make connections between many sources of information and knowledge. The varied activities,
equipment, and structured repetition of circus provide individuals with an opportunity to take their brain to the gym: Increasing
communication between the right and left hemispheres promotes the stimulation of ideas and assimilation of knowledge. Executive
functions, visual perceptual abilities, sequencing, sense of rhythm and timing, reactions, coordination, bi-manual hand use, and
concentration are all challenged and strengthened.
Engagement and Collaboration
Circus provides opportunities for teamwork and assists in the formation of healthy peer interaction within groups. In circus, as in
business, there are multiple interconnected roles coming together to create efficient and effective results. By utilizing an occupational
therapy approach, an important part of this program is focused on highlighting each individual’s strengths while ensuring that all
participants are recognized and valued by the group. The emotional, cognitive, and physical life skills learned improve how individuals
function interdependently, as well as their ability to make positive contributions in a group setting.

2. OBJECTIVE
To build capacity, teamwork, and creativity among participants using circus-based activities which promote
problem solving, reciprocation, verbal and nonverbal communication, empathy, trust, and positive risk taking.
ACTIVITIES
 The Mindfulness of Manipulation
Object manipulation is an excellent form of meditation that enables connections to occur between
the more logical hemisphere of the brain (left), and the more emotional (right). Coordination and
bimanual hand use is strengthened through repetition and practice of specific motor skills.
Participants increase their physical and cognitive abilities while learning techniques to transfer into
persevering through challenging tasks within a corporate environment. Manipulation activities
explored include hula hooping, poi spinning, Chinese yoyo, ball juggling, ring juggling, scarf juggling,
clubs, and partner and group passing patterns.
Instruction is accessible and pitched at the appropriate level for each individual to ensure a fun and
successful experience for all. The use of HCT’s adaptive juggling equipment and scaffolding teaching
techniques enable all participants to experience a flow state while challenging gravitational force.
 Capacity Building through Clowning
This workshop takes participants through a comedic mind–body journey of games and activities
achievable for all levels; each activity encourages verbal and nonverbal communication,
reciprocation, problem-solving, and planning behaviors.
The activities involve running, jumping, crawling, balancing, and possibly the most challenging of
all… stillness. A mix of physical and cognitive effort, paired with positive risk taking results in
transformation utilizing the powerful medicine of laughter.
Inspired by the renowned work of Augusto Boal and clown doctor Clare Bartholemew, this
experience promotes an exploration and awareness of different states of being, empathy,
teamwork, and humor within an emotionally and physically safe environment.

3. BACKGROUND
Jill Maglio, MS, OTR/L, is the founder of Holistic Circus Therapy which combines occupational therapy
with elements of circus arts, dance, and theater. After ten years of performance and teaching experience,
Jill embarked on five years of research and study in Europe, South East Asia, and Melbourne, Australia
where she earned a Master of Occupational Therapy Practice degree from La Trobe University with an
emphasis on circus as an educational and therapeutic tool.
Jill returned to the United States in 2010. Since then, she has worked to legitimize circus as an effective
intervention that mirrors and supports evidenced-based practices used by occupational therapy
professionals to increase physical and cognitive capacities, as well as strengthen emotional and social
health. Her work is published in the Australian Journal of Occupational Therapy.
Jill is a pioneer in her field. She has been invited to share her innovative research and practice models
internationally at academic and circus conferences throughout Europe, Asia, Australia, and the U.S. From
2009 to present, Jill has assisted in the development of sustainable and inclusive community circus
programs that remain active in Australia, Cambodia, and the United States. In 2012 and 2014, Jill trained
health and circus professionals in England, Ireland, Wales, Australia, and the U.S. on creating accessible
circus programs for people with learning differences and special needs.
In 2013, Jill took a group of accomplished corporate adults to Tulum, Mexico to facilitate an experience of
play, laughter, and circus skills learning. Seeing how this experience transformed the attendees and
opened new doors for them has inspired her to share the magic of play with more adults through
corporate team building workshops.
Safety and sustainability is given the highest priority in all
Holistic Circus Therapy workshops and lectures.
For more information please contact:
Jill Maglio
jill@holisticcircustherapy.com
973-722-4670
www.holisticcircustherapy.com
www.flowartsretreat.com