Since its inception in 20XX, Performers Without Borders has helped over 10,000 children to build confidence, become empowered, learn team-working skills and overcome social barriers.
We believe that teaching young people new skills has many benefits and can contribute to improving their situations in many positive ways. There is a growing body of research showing that well-designed circus skills courses can be particularly good at being inclusive of all abilities and can be physically and mentally beneficial to a wide range of individuals. At PWB we have a group of workshop leaders who are particularly skilled at working with financially, physically or mentally disadvantaged kids. Whether they be orphans and vulnerable children in countries of high child poverty, or kids in deprived areas of the UK, or children with physical or mental disabilities who already engage with other organisations in the UK. Please browse our website or get in touch for more details.
Performers Without Borders (PWB) is a UK charity dedicated to empowering children and young people—especially those experiencing systemic barriers—through learning circus skills and performing arts, both locally and internationally.
As an organisation, we remain non‑partisan and do not take public positions on international political conflicts unless they directly relate to our mission. Charity Commission guidance is clear that while charities may engage in campaigning in support of their charitable purposes, such activity must not become the charity’s driving purpose or veer into political advocacy.
We believe strongly that no child should be harmed as a result of conflict. We support inclusive, safe arts spaces free from intimidation or discrimination and embrace dialogue that is respectful and constructive.
Members of our community—volunteers, artists, and staff—are free to express their personal views. These personal expressions do not reflect PWB’s position.
We remain focused on what we do best: teaching, empowering, and bringing joy to young people through the performing arts, wherever we can safely and responsibly do so.
Performers Without Borders (PWB) has two main areas of operation.
PWB-International
We send a small group volunteers to work with our Partner Organisations (e.g. schools, orphanages, community groups) in the Philippines, India, Nicaragua, Kenya and various refugee camps, where they spend 1-5 months engaging with the children and developing their skills. The volunteers also undertake day trips and shorter projects with aligned organisations nearby.
Find out more about our tours
Working with young people facing systemic barriers in the UK, usually via a Partner Organisation that is already in contact with these individuals. We aim to engage with any 5- to 27-year-olds who are physically, mentally, socially or financially part of underserved communities.
So far we have worked with deaf and blind children, looked after children (LAF), newly arrived asylum seekers and refugees. With more on the horizon!
We are also slowly conducting research into the benefits of learning circus skills, attending many conferences and working alongside the UK Circus youth sector leaders.
Find out more about PUK
This video comes from the work we have done in India for 10+ years, Nicaragua for 4+ years and Kenya for 3+ years. Our tours take the form of teaching circus skills and how-to-teach, in order to build a lasting and permanent legacy. We have also previously visited Sierra Leone, and some of our partner organisations have formed their own troupe of circus performers and have regular weekly skill shares and perform at local events.
PWB is a volunteer-run charity that believes in the transforming power of learning and performing the arts. The idea for Performers Without Borders was first developed by Jonny Forbes and Matt Morris in India during the spring of 2006.
While Jonny was studying in India and Matt was finishing a voluntary project, they met up in Varanasi. Sweltering in the summer heat, they formed the idea to fuse their shared interests in performance skills and community development. From this beginning they have found that there is great interest and enthusiasm from the performing community; they are now working to ensure that PWB will be a success.
PWB celebrated its 10-year anniversary in the summer of 2017 (see video above). We worked with various orphanages and schools for OVCs in India for 10+ years, Nicaragua for 4+ years and Kenya for 3+ years. Our tours take the form of teaching circus skills and how-to-teach, in order to build a lasting and permanent legacy. We have also previously visited Sierra Leone, and some of our partner organisations have formed their own troupe of circus performers and have regular weekly skill shares and perform at local events.
In 2018 we launched PWB-UK to teach young people facing systemic barriers in the UK and have delivered several grant and self funded projects across the country to deaf and blind children, looked after children (LAF) and SEND groups.
In 2023 we started a new 5-year project in the Philippines working alongside the UN SDSN (United Nations Sustainable Development Solutions Network, Youth Division). It is our hope that this self-sustaining programme will be the pilot project of continued work across the globe in partnership with the United Nations. We have developed our first documentary from this project, which is soon to be released!
Our volunteers raise money for the tour and donate their time free of charge. However, we purchase and fix up equipment and pay a small stipend for our administrative costs – and this needs funding!
Therefore, as a small (but growing) charity, PWB is reaching a stage where we require greater funding to expand into the next planned stage of our strategy. As such, we are looking for suitable trustees and new sponsorship sources, whether they be from funding bodies, benevolent corporations or individual donations. Please search our website or get in touch for further details, and please join the FAB500 by donating as little as £2 a month or more and become “officially” fabulous.
