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Forecasting the Social Return on Investment Associated with Children's Participation in Circus-Arts Training on Their Mental Health and Well-Being.
A mixed method approach was adopted for this study. Key stakeholders were children aged between 8-14 years. Children were surveyed (n=23) and participated in focus group (n=55) interviews, prior to and after, six months of circus-arts training.
The questionnaire used was the internationally validated Kidscreen-27. The focus group interviews asked children their beliefs about how circus made them feel and benefits of participating in circus-arts training.
The SROI analysis found that for every one dollar invested, $7 of social return may be generated due to participation in a circus-arts program. Improvement occurred across four key areas concerning children’s mental health & well-being; stress relief, self-esteem, confidence and socialisation.
Findings from this study indicate the value of investment in the performing arts, highlighting the importance the circus-arts on children’s mental health. Associated impacts to improving children’s self-esteem, confidence along with relieving stress are identified as decreasing the potential costs of treating associated illnesses: such as depression and anxiety. Improvements in socialisation have been linked to costs associated to social dysfunction: such as crime victimisation and incarceration.