Peace Lyra Project

The "peace lyra" was invented/designed by Dr. Montana Miller (Department of Popular Culture, BGSU), who is a former professional circus aerialist. Dr. Miller conceived of, organized, directed, edited, and performed in this video as a fundraising project for Ukrainian circus students. The video incorporates the skills of circus performers and students based at the New England Center for Circus Arts in Brattleboro, Vermont, and has been distributed/promoted online through NECCA’s social media since April 2022.

This fundraiser benefited approximately 1000 displaced Ukrainian circus students and staff from the Kyiv Municipal School of Variety Acts and Circus who have fled the war. The students, many of them under 18 and without their parents, are being housed at various circus schools and companies across Europe. Funds from the Peace Lyra project contributed to help house, feed and clothe them as they seek refuge and strive to pursue the circus arts in the midst of tragedy. This project worked in collaboration with the following organizations: Prague’s Cirk La Putyka and Ukraine's Displaced Children of the Arts.