NECCA Receives Match from Jane's Trust Toward Campaign Goal of $2.5 million Progress on NECCA's New Building On Target

"This [NECCA] is a good business plan. This creates jobs, economic development, opportunity, but most importantly, it changes kids' lives." - Vermont Governor Peter Shumlin

BRATTLEBORO, VT - January 2, 2017 - New England Center for Circus Arts (NECCA) is pleased to announce receipt of a $75,000 matching grant from the Jane's Trust. Jane's Trust offered NECCA the matching grant at the end of 2015. NECCA supporters met the challenge and the match was received in December.

The total raised to date is now $1.3 million toward the $2.5 million goal.

"From the beginning of this campaign four years ago, NECCA has been like The Little Engine That Could, defying all expectations," says campaign director Lisa Barnwell Williams of Chanticleer Consulting.

"But even as we take a moment to savor how incredibly far we've come, it's important to recognize that we're only halfway there. I encourage every friend of NECCA, friend of circus, friend of Brattleboro to think hard about how you can help us reach our $2.5 million goal."

NECCA's capital campaign "Everyone's Home for Circus" will fund the newest custom-built circus arts trapezium building in the United States, built and located in Brattleboro, Vermont.

Brattleboro's Cotton Mill has been home for the young start-up. As the number of students and classes grew, and NECCA's national and international reputation also grew, it became clear that NECCA needed a new home.

NECCA broke ground on the trapezium building in September 2016 as part of the first phase of the project, which is anticipated to be ready for occupancy by July 2017.

Progress on the new building is coming along smoothly after three months of construction with the footings and foundation walls now complete. Remaining on schedule, there's another six months to go. Design and construction company Trumbull-Nelson, is currently backfilling the building in preparation for the steel installation. Special attributes like the foam pit and trapeze pit have been poured and are in place. Pending weather delays, a crane is scheduled to arrive Tuesday, January 3, in preparation for four loads of steel that will arrive Wednesday as the structure goes skyward. By the end of January, the building, roof steel and mezzanine will be completed. Application of the membrane to the roof and sides will follow.

All in all, the trapezium building will be 8,600 sq. ft. incorporating a gymnasium for circus arts training and performances, plus administrative offices, lobby and reception. The trapezium will have a ceiling height of almost 40 ft., a tramp wall and trampoline. The trapezium will allow year-round, indoor flying trapeze training as well as fabric/silk, jugging, contortion, unicycle, partner acrobatics, German wheel, teeterboard and more.

The entire facility is designed to match the high level of technical training the center offers, and created to be welcoming and inspiring for all. The trapezium is handicapped accessible with discrete studios for youth and special needs students so that outside stimulus can be minimized. It will have high rigging points so professionals can come to Brattleboro to train and share their knowledge and creativity with local students, and it will have a clear span, flexible performance space that highlights the students and gives local audiences intimate access to some of the world's best circus arts. It will offer communal spaces to allow local youth to mingle with international performers, and enable wheelchair-bound dancers to connect and collaborate with other acrobats.

Phase two will be a smaller building that will include additional training studios as well as work and creative space for staff and coaches. We will continue refining phase two in 2017 and work on developing plans for funding and eventual construction.

NECCA plays an important role in identifying and training the next generation of circus performers and circus instructors. NECCA's programs are dependent upon state-of-the-art facilities. Aspiring professionals simply cannot develop the expertise they seek without maximum ceiling heights, top-quality equipment, and around-the-clock access to practice sites.

Circus performers and teachers around the nation and the world look to NECCA as a leader, but as schools in other cities develop superior facilities that can support more comprehensive curricula, NECCA's strength in coaching, philosophy and professionalism may not be enough to maintain its leadership role without state-of-the-art training facilities.

The New England Center for Circus Arts, (NECCA) is a 501(c) (3) non-profit circus arts center offering programs for professionals, students seeking a professional career, and therapeutic and recreational programs for people of all ages. NECCA is in the process of building a new facility in Brattleboro that will be the newest custom-designed circus arts trapezium building in the United States.

Photo Caption: Foundation walls are up ready for steel installation 12/30.