There’s no clowning around behind the scenes at the Zip Zap Circus School, because it requires many partners to fund this non-profitable organisation and the amazing work they do for the youth through their performing arts training centre. Global Kinetic – a leading software company in Cape Town – makes it possible for Zip Zap to operate in the modern world by providing all the hardware, software, computing, IT, cabling, CCTV and alarm equipment that the circus needs for its day to day work. Martin Dippenaar, the MD of Global Kinetic, was so impressed and inspired by the work that this enterprising circus school does that he not only booked the circus’s Dome for a Global Kinetic end-of-year party in 2014 but he also secretly trained for many weeks to be able to do a surprise trapeze act for his dumb-struck colleagues at that party.
As Zip Zap is about to move to new office premises in Salt River, the need for fast, efficient communication is essential to the circus school’s operations. Founder of Zip Zap, Brent van Rensburg says: “We have 24/7 consultancy from Global Kinetic; we get everything we need and, what’s more, they support us by coming along to some of our shows too. Their support is heartfelt and we appreciate it massively.”
This partnership has been in place for over three years and allows Zip Zap to focus on its core activity – training and inspiring around 1500 young and underprivileged people every year. Through circus training for beginners to advanced learners, Zip Zap runs eight programmes, four outreach programmes and a ‘Dare to Dream’ professional course, all of which help break down social barriers and enable these young people through performance, technical and life skills training. Many of the learners – who are taught for free – go on to become successful performers overseas.
The Zip Zap Circus School is just one of the many ongoing Global Kinetic Corporate Social Investment projects.
About Global Kinetic
Launching a rocket from a lighthouse?
Achieving the seemingly impossible, a group of highly fuelled people work together at Global Kinetic to spearhead and develop brilliant products, including some that seriously disrupt the market. One of the coolest places to work, this company has the nicest people creating amazing apps and products, which they do with flair and sheer professionalism, mixed with a dash of fun.
Steeped in expertise*, Global Kinetic makes both end-users and their clients equally happy because they get the stuff right every time. They designed and created the world’s first fully immersive gamified children’s mobile banking app in Unity for Standard Bank as one example; in another they designed and developed PayToday, the Venmo for Southern Africa. They’ve built slick and powerful mobile banking experiences for Old Mutual, Bidvest Bank and many more.
Global Kinetic is a leading software engineering company with a team of just under 100 tech-savvy and inspired developers, designers and creatives. They have great offices in Century City as well as in Palo Alto in the US.
About Zip Zap
Zip Zap is dedicated to supporting and conducting training in circus arts and performance as a powerful tool for social transformation, youth empowerment, team building and community upliftment. The programs provide opportunities for young South Africans from very different backgrounds to play, learn and live together using the medium of circus training and performance to model and demonstrate the possibility of true coexistence.
Zip Zap operates predominantly within the Western Cape. However, as the annual calendar of events varies from year to year, Zip Zap periodically tours internationally and nationally presenting performances and/or skills transmission programs.
The Zip Zap children have performed for presidents and world leaders. They have done 27 international tours and numerous international media showcases. Kids, who began as six-year-olds swinging from a trapeze tied to a tree, are now professional performing artists working in Europe and North America. Young people who grew up on the streets are now skilled and valued artists and technicians in the entertainment and film industries. Best of all, these kids have become teachers themselves. They are ambassadors and role models for others, demonstrating dramatically to young people and the wider public the possibility of a new way of treating each other.
Issued by Wired Communications on behalf of Global Kinetic.