Circus Use by Occupational Therapists: A Collective Case Study

Abstract

Background: Circus use by occupational therapists is an emerging practice area with limited evidence. Purpose: The study is aimed at exploring occupational therapists’ current use of circus and identifying the potential for broader applications addressing both individual and community needs. Method: Purposive sampling was adopted to recruit eight circus-using occupational therapists to participate in this collective case study. Semistructured interviews yielded qualitative data, which were coded and thematically analyzed. Findings: Circus is being used primarily to address performance capacity limitations but with an awareness of its potential to address broader community and sociopolitical needs. Analysis yielded two distinct “cases.” The first, individual-focused circus, exemplifies how circus is used to address performance capacity, while the second, community-focused circus, describes current and envisaged future circus use as community development. Conclusion: There is potential to move toward a more occupation-focused and community-driven use of circus in sociopolitical contexts. Further exploration is needed into the therapeutic benefits of circus use by occupational therapists. The inclusion of educational content that builds students’ capacity to adopt community development approaches in practice, alongside enhanced understanding of collaboration benefits between occupational therapists and “activist” disciplines, is paramount, if we are to address occupational injustices and promote occupational rights.