Mid-America Circus Center

Building a Home where Joy takes Flight

An opportunity for St. Louis

In a 1,000-square-foot facility in St. Louis, young people are learning to fly.

They are building strength, discipline, creativity, and trust — discovering confidence and belonging through the circus arts. What began fifteen years ago as a bold belief has grown into one of the Midwest’s most distinctive nonprofit circus and theater organizations.

Today, Kinetic Tapestry stands at a pivotal moment. Demand is strong. Enrollment is growing. Performances sell out. Students and professionals travel to St. Louis to train.

The opportunity now is to build a permanent, purpose-designed home that matches the organization’s momentum — and positions St. Louis as a central hub for circus arts education and performance for decades to come.

Mission

Kinetic Tapestry transforms lives through the circus arts. We aim to cultivate a love for the circus arts among young people and inspire the next generation of performers to find purpose for their talents.

For more than 15 years, Kinetic Tapestry has inspired, trained, and connected people of all ages and abilities through programs that cultivate courage, creativity, discipline, leadership, and teamwork. As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, Kinetic Tapestry offers both recreational and advanced training alongside original performance experiences that unite audiences through artistry and joy.

Since 2014:

Nearly 60,000 audience members have experienced Kinetic Tapestry performances in the U.S. and abroad.
More than 4,260 students have trained in its programs.
Each week, 150+ participants engage in 70+ classes and private lessons.

This growth has occurred within a carefully managed, modest footprint — demonstrating both community demand and disciplined leadership.

A Distinctive Model

Kinetic Tapestry blends circus disciplines with performer-centered theater arts — including clowning, character development, and expressive movement. This approach emphasizes storytelling, collaboration, and human connection rather than competition.

Programs serve beginners and professionals alike, creating a rare ecosystem where emerging students train alongside working artists in a culture of mentorship and artistic excellence.

The quality and breadth of instruction have established Kinetic Tapestry as a destination. Students travel not only from across the Midwest, but from across the country to participate in intensives, workshops, and specialty training offered in St. Louis. Families and professional artists seek out the organization for its technical rigor, theatrical integration, and strong safety standards.

A purpose-built facility would elevate this national draw.

While premier circus centers exist on the coasts, there is no comparable professional-grade circus training facility in the central United States. Located at the geographic crossroads of the country, St. Louis is uniquely positioned to serve traveling circus performers and touring artists as a central rehearsal and conditioning hub.

Artists performing across the U.S. could utilize the space to rehearse, refine acts, cross-train, and maintain peak performance between tour stops — without returning to coastal training centers.

This represents not only a local expansion, but the creation of regional cultural infrastructure.

Excellence and Safety You Can Trust

Circus is built on trust — between performers, instructors, and the systems that hold artists safely in the air.

Kinetic Tapestry is likely one of only two studios in the St. Louis region with ETCP-certified riggers on staff. The Entertainment Technician Certification Program (ETCP) is a nationally recognized credential representing the highest standard in entertainment rigging and safety practices.

The ETCP Certification Council includes leaders from:

Cirque du Soleil
Disney Theatrical Productions
Encore Global
Live Nation
NBC Universal
PRG (Production Resource Group)

This distinction aligns Kinetic Tapestry with the most respected organizations in the global entertainment industry.

For families and artists, this means professional-grade systems and responsible oversight.
For partners and investors, it signals disciplined operations and uncompromising standards.

Leadership and Sustainability

Kinetic Tapestry is guided by experienced leadership, professional instructors, and an engaged board committed to long-term stability. Growth has been measured and responsible, with programming expansion aligned to capacity and resources.

A permanent facility would significantly strengthen the organization’s financial model by:

Increasing earned revenue through expanded classes, camps, and intensives
Hosting regional and national workshops
Providing rental and rehearsal space for touring artists
Expanding performance capacity
Supporting specialized training partnerships

These diversified revenue streams position Kinetic Tapestry for long-term sustainability, reducing reliance on contributed income over time and ensuring operational resilience.

A Mission with Global Reach

Kinetic Tapestry’s impact extends beyond St. Louis.

Since 2016, the organization has led an annual international outreach trip, offering performances and workshops free of charge in partnership with local organizations serving underserved communities.

Kinetic Tapestry has brought circus arts to refugee camps, orphanages, rural schools, churches, and community centers in Spain, Egypt, Switzerland, Nicaragua, Puerto Rico and Guatemala — with Japan planned next.

In 2017, just months after Hurricane Maria, Kinetic Tapestry became the first St. Louis arts organization to travel to Puerto Rico, bringing performances, supplies, and encouragement to families recovering from disaster.

These are not tours — they are service missions grounded in a belief that joy, dignity, and hope belong to everyone.

The Challenge

Kinetic Tapestry’s growth and impact have outpaced its current space.

All programming operates within just 1,000 square feet, with limited ceiling height and constrained floor area. Several youth programs maintain waitlists, and advanced disciplines such as aerial arts, flying trapeze, and German wheel require tall ceilings and professional rigging systems that the current facility cannot fully support.

At the same time, the St. Louis region lacks a purpose-built circus training and rehearsal facility. Without such infrastructure, collaboration and artistic exchange remain limited.

The organization has reached the edge of what is possible within its current footprint.

The Opportunity:
A Permanent Home

Kinetic Tapestry is exploring the development of a 10,000-square-foot, purpose-designed circus arts facility in Missouri — one that matches its proven momentum and secures its long-term future.

The proposed facility would include:

Nearly 40-foot ceilings for aerial performance
Year-round indoor flying trapeze — a one-of-a-kind offering in Missouri
Dedicated training areas for acrobatics, partner work, German wheel, juggling, and unicycle
Strength and conditioning space
An intimate performance venue
Professional-grade rigging designed to national standards
A large space with a high ceiling for specialized training for Firefighters and EMT's to practice high-risk rescues at-height. Kinetic Tapestry will provide the space at no-cost to the municipalities.

This facility would anchor Kinetic Tapestry’s programs and position St. Louis as a regional hub for circus arts education and performance.

Preliminary Campaign Scope: $3.95 Million

Kinetic Tapestry is exploring a campaign goal of $3.95 million to design, construct, and equip the new facility — including working capital to ensure a strong operational launch.

Preliminary priorities include:

$400,000 – land/building acquisition and site preparation
$2.5 million – construction and interior build-out
$800,000 – specialized equipment and performance infrastructure
$250,000 – operational ramp-up and program expansion

Invitation to Help Shape the Vision

Kinetic Tapestry is conducting a confidential feasibility study to gather insights from community leaders, philanthropic partners, and key stakeholders. Feedback will inform strategy, leadership structure, campaign positioning, and timing — ensuring the vision is ambitious, achievable, and built for lasting impact.

The demand is real.
The leadership is proven.
The safety standards are nationally recognized.
The opportunity is uniquely timed.

Now is the moment to determine how best to scale this vision — and build a home where joy truly takes flight.