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Circus Partnership Agreements- Circuspreneur Podcast
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#Circusagreements #Circuspartnerships #Circuspreneur #CircusBiz
Partnerships are the lifeblood of many circus acts, but what happens when things don’t go as planned? In this episode of the Circuspreneur Podcast, host Shenea Stiletto dives into the importance of partnership agreements for circus professionals. From protecting creative work to ensuring financial fairness, these agreements act as a safety net for both business and artistry.
What You’ll Learn
- Why partnership agreements are essential in the circus industry
- Common challenges: injuries, relocations, financial disputes, and creative conflicts
- Key protections every agreement should include:
- Roles & responsibilities
- Income & expense sharing
- Intellectual property rights
- Exit and buyout strategies
- Real-world scenarios where agreements prevent chaos and preserve trust
Why It Matters
Without clear agreements, partnerships can unravel, leading to lost income, broken trust, and disputes over creative ownership. With agreements in place, performers can focus on what matters most—artistry, collaboration, and building lasting careers.
Call to Action
Subscribe to the Circuspreneur Podcast for more insights on balancing creativity and business in the circus world. Don’t forget to like, comment, and share this episode to support fellow circus professionals.
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Transcript
Introduction to Partnership Agreements
00:00:02
Circuspreneur Podcast
Welcome back to the Circuspreneur podcast, where we dive into the business side of circus arts, performance, and the creative economy. I'm your host, Sinead Stiletto.
00:00:14
Circuspreneur Podcast
And today we're going to talk about something that doesn't always make it into rehearsal spaces or behind-the-scenes conversations, but it should. Partnership agreements for circus duos and trios, or Band King Act,
00:00:31
Circuspreneur Podcast
You know, I've discussed this a bit on the Think Like an Acrobat series.
The Necessity of Contracts
00:00:36
Circuspreneur Podcast
And, um you know, this is something that I think is just so important and essential. And I've had a few things come up ah recently that made me want to do a whole new dedicated episode to circus partnerships and contracts in our industry because I think it does not get spoken about enough because let's face it,
00:01:00
Circuspreneur Podcast
When you're flying through the air together, balancing each other's bodies or putting your trust in a partner's hands, you want to make sure that trust extends beyond the stage. And, you know, I can't really, you know, bring that home and enough. And this episode is going to be a little bit more structured ah for me.
00:01:20
Circuspreneur Podcast
It'll kind of remind you of my Think Like an Acrobat series that I used to do where I used to break down things in the industry on the biz side. you know, kind of like point by point.
Episode Structure and Focus
00:01:30
Circuspreneur Podcast
um And so I'm going to be pulling from my notes a lot more today because I want this to be a very ah straightforward episode where you get really helpful tips and not just, you know, fully just my opinion and kind of me going off into like a little tangent, which I usually like to do for the authenticity
00:01:55
Circuspreneur Podcast
of this podcast because that's the energy that I like to bring. I want us all to feel like we're having a normal circus conversation and not something that's like overly
Importance of Agreements in Circus
00:02:05
Circuspreneur Podcast
produced. But circus is an art form built on collaboration and trust.
00:02:09
Circuspreneur Podcast
Whether you're an acrobatic duo, an aerial trio, or a clown partnership, the success of your act depends on everyone pulling their weight. But here's the reality. Partnerships don't always last forever.
00:02:23
Circuspreneur Podcast
People move on Injuries happen. Creative visions change. Oh my. And sometimes business or money disputes can tear even the closest teams apart. Believe me, I know.
00:02:37
Circuspreneur Podcast
That's why a partnership agreement is just as important as rigging checks or insurance coverage, It's your safety net for the business side of circus.
00:02:47
Circuspreneur Podcast
I cannot stress that e enough. So let's break it down.
Key Elements of Partnership Agreements
00:02:54
Circuspreneur Podcast
A good partnership agreement should cover roles and responsibilities.
00:03:00
Circuspreneur Podcast
Who's the flyer? Who's the base? And who handles bookings? Do you rotate roles like creative direction or social media management?
00:03:10
Circuspreneur Podcast
You should write it down. Number two, finances. How do you split income from gigs? Who pays for costumes, props, rehearsal space?
00:03:22
Circuspreneur Podcast
Is there a shared account? Number three, intellectual property. Who owns the choreography and act you create together? What happens if one person leaves?
00:03:33
Circuspreneur Podcast
Can they perform the routine solo or does it stay with the group? And number four, exit strategies. What if one partner wants to leave?
00:03:45
Circuspreneur Podcast
Do they give 30 or 60 days notice? Do they get a buyout of costumes or equipment? Number five, conflict resolution. Agree in advance on how to resolve disputes.
00:03:59
Circuspreneur Podcast
Mediation or arbitration can save friendships and careers, like OMG.
Consequences of Lack of Agreements
00:04:09
Circuspreneur Podcast
Here are a couple of scenarios that show why agreements matter. Imagine a duo creates a beautiful aerial six silks routine. They get bookings all over the world, but one partner decides to leave the act and start working with a different flyer.
00:04:27
Circuspreneur Podcast
Familiar? Without an agreement, who owns the act? Can they keep performing the exact same routine under a new name? Or,
00:04:39
Circuspreneur Podcast
Think about a trio where one partner buys expensive props like a sear wheel or teeter board. If the trio breaks up, who keeps the equipment? A partnership agreement answers those questions before they become conflicts and you should do it if you are listening to this and on the fence or in the middle of something that you think is not heading towards the most positive direction and you can do this in the midst of a partnership agreement but you should definitely do this
00:05:17
Circuspreneur Podcast
prior to getting into one. No matter how close you are, no matter how long you've been around, please take my advice.
Balancing Trust and Protection
00:05:26
Circuspreneur Podcast
Circus is both art and business.
00:05:28
Circuspreneur Podcast
As artists, we focus on trust, artistry, and collaboration. But as business people, we need to protect our time, our money, and our creative work.
00:05:39
Circuspreneur Podcast
A well-written partnership agreement protects your friendship, protects your art, protects your future bookings. Think of it like a contractual rigging system. You wouldn't perform without checking your safety lines.
00:05:54
Circuspreneur Podcast
Don't build a career without checking your business lines.
Drafting and Legal Consultation
00:06:00
Circuspreneur Podcast
So here's some takeaways. The big takeaways. If you're in a duo or trio, sit down and draft a partnership agreement right now.
00:06:09
Circuspreneur Podcast
It doesn't have to be complicated. Start with roles, finances, and ownership of your act. And if things get serious, work with a lawyer who understands entertainment or performing arts law.
00:06:23
Circuspreneur Podcast
Remember, protecting yourself legally doesn't kill creativity. It frees you to focus on the arts.
Evolution of Circus Partnerships
00:06:34
Circuspreneur Podcast
So...
00:06:36
Circuspreneur Podcast
everyone, this is one of those episodes that, you know, i should do every week and because with the state of where our industry and what it has become, you know, previously, and this is me just waxing a little bit philosophical ah however you want to put it you know, in the past you would get with one partner,
00:07:00
Circuspreneur Podcast
in a resident show or, you know, as a circus family or even just a partnership that kind of came together naturally at a circus school or in some kind of, you know, way that circus does.
00:07:11
Circuspreneur Podcast
And you would just stay together for, you know, 10, 15, 30, 40 years. You know, there's just some really long lasting circus partnerships out there.
00:07:24
Circuspreneur Podcast
And, you know, that's just, that's what you would do. that's that was, you guys would just stay together. Nowadays, it's not like that. You might have like five or seven or 10 different partners in a year.
00:07:40
Circuspreneur Podcast
And in some times those are very positive and and successful exchanges. I'm not saying that they're all negative, right? It's just that that is a lot of overlap and changeover within an environment that is still a business, right?
00:07:58
Circuspreneur Podcast
You know, um you're signing a lot of contracts within that amount of time. There could be a lot of miscommunications. People's feelings change. People's feelings get very involved.
00:08:09
Circuspreneur Podcast
You know, every single person is different. And that's why a contract protects you, right? When emotions break down, a contract is there as your safety net. Right? And I cannot trust this enough.
00:08:23
Circuspreneur Podcast
And this has been glaringly brought brought brought to my attention recently in a way that I felt like I needed to, again, dedicate an entire episode to it.
00:08:36
Circuspreneur Podcast
um And I could go, you know, for a very long time. But I would stress that if you are on the fence again about doing this, don't be...
00:08:48
Circuspreneur Podcast
You're not wrong for wanting to have stipulations that protect you, ah you know, with your work. And it doesn't mean that there's not love there. It doesn't mean that there's not a lot of respect there. It doesn't mean that there's not a lot of, you know, adoration there.
00:09:06
Circuspreneur Podcast
And doesn't mean that you're not family. But it makes it so that you will be family after that contract.
Protection of Reputation and Relationships
00:09:13
Circuspreneur Podcast
Because... It will be that you still have your circus family intact, which for so many of us becomes the ultimate family and becomes more important than your blood family and those relationships that will, again, affect your livelihood for years to come that you want to make sure that you are protecting that. And you also want to protect your reputation through having a partnership agreement because unfortunately, sometimes when things break down,
00:09:45
Circuspreneur Podcast
Or people do not treat you well, because again, partnerships can break down for a whole host of reasons. You know, I have spoken very, you know, intimately and delicately on my podcast, you know, on a podcast episode um long ago about, you know, the very, you know, unfortunately negative experiences I've had in partnerships where, you know, there were, you know, physical problems.
00:10:13
Circuspreneur Podcast
ah things that have happened um you know over the years where I was not treated well and how that can happen and how that unfortunately can be something that happens quite a bit in our industry that can go very unspoken.
00:10:28
Circuspreneur Podcast
And sometimes you don't you're not in the space or the powerful position to be able to protect yourself or defend yourself in those situations. And then people are able to get away with those things and go on and do other partnerships.
00:10:43
Circuspreneur Podcast
And so that is why I wanted to speak to this. And if you never listened to my Me Too in Circus, I would highly suggest that you go back ah to that episode and listen to how i spoke about my experience in a very, I would say, poetic way.
00:11:04
Circuspreneur Podcast
I spoke in a very poetic way, but it it dealt with some very serious
Trust in Circus Partnerships
00:11:09
Circuspreneur Podcast
themes. Um, in our industry that I have witnessed many, many, many times, or that I have heard of through others, and that I've also experienced myself, unfortunately. um And I also counter that to say that I've had phenomenal interactions in the circus, in partnership as well. And I have been in partnerships ever since I was very little as an acrobat, as a competitive acrobat. And so partnership to me
00:11:39
Circuspreneur Podcast
is so sacred and it's something that you have to do so well because there is so much honor in how you treat someone that you work with and that is depending on you for their safety and their livelihood.
00:11:54
Circuspreneur Podcast
And the level of trust that should go into that and the level of care ah is to me the focal point of, should be the focal point of every single partnership that you are in No matter how casual it may be because you can be in something like a regular relationship, which I, you know, have discussed this on the Think Like an Acrobat series previously too, how you can go from being very casual with someone to being very serious with them in a span of something very, very quickly. You know, you can get a really phenomenal offer within a casual circus um duo and now the stakes are super, super high.
00:12:35
Circuspreneur Podcast
You didn't imagine that you would be seeing this person five days a week and doing two shows with them. And can your partnership sustain that without an agreement? You know, I've seen some very tricky situations happen over the years um where had people had, I think, circus partnership agreements, they would have...
00:12:57
Circuspreneur Podcast
been able to come out of that less scathed on both sides, because it's not just about like blaming one person or another, even though sometimes it is very much one person's fault or a couple of people's fault, right? If they're acting shady or if they are being abusive or things like that, right. That are just like instant deal breakers. Like it's beyond a contract at this point, we're just completely severing ties.
00:13:20
Circuspreneur Podcast
But in other situations, you know, I've seen where partnerships, if they had had a partnership agreement, prior to entering into a contract presented to them by a company, they would have made out much better in the future.
Desire for Longer Partnerships
00:13:33
Circuspreneur Podcast
you know Their partnership would have probably survived and flourished a lot longer.
00:13:38
Circuspreneur Podcast
And you know there's been ah you know unfortunate cases where I've seen circus partnerships that you know should still maybe even be around today. but companies and things like that got in the way and decided that they saw more value in that partnership being broken up and staying together. And I always want people to stay together.
00:13:59
Circuspreneur Podcast
I'm that person. Like I said, i come from a background, in sport where, you know, you stay with that same partner for years and you cultivate a bond and, you know, and a closeness.
00:14:13
Circuspreneur Podcast
And again, there is there is a spoken respect and an unspoken respect. And I don't think that I can use that word enough, especially in talking about circus partnership agreements and how they can change the course of your career, I think.
00:14:29
Circuspreneur Podcast
And again, how I do not think that we encourage those enough in the industry and that we all, you know, and I'm guilty of this too. Like, oh, everything is cool. Everything is fine. Like this, these people mean me well, this person means me well, like, you know, like we've spoken about it several times. Doesn't seem like anyone's confused about what we've agreed upon here.
00:14:51
Circuspreneur Podcast
And then things change and suddenly someone's decided that they want to flip the script and they want to change things on you know, again, are not defined in a, you know, a, an, ah and a binding contract between you both. It's, it's maybe spoken or, you know, at least nowadays we have text messages, which, you know, again, are admissible in court in some cases, if you need to say, I actually did say that.
00:15:19
Circuspreneur Podcast
Yes, I did. You know? So again, just, this is to me, I think the way where you don't have things end in needless drama or in tit for tats, or in breakdowns of friendships, bonds, partnerships, family relationships. Because again, i have seen that too, um in our industry and circus and in performing arts and entertainment where, you know, families have to go at it.
00:15:46
Circuspreneur Podcast
Yeah. Like, you know, like you didn't like you didn't think you needed a contract with your brother or your sibling or your sister or anything like that. Like all we do is a carry in. Like, why do we need that?
00:15:57
Circuspreneur Podcast
You know, but I think especially in this day and age where our industry is just so different and so multifaceted and things go so fast and contracts go so fast and exploiting feels
Complexity of Agreements
00:16:09
Circuspreneur Podcast
so normal. I think at this point as well, where people I've become very comfortable at at exploiting talent and exploiting someone's skill or ability. um And I think that you should remind yourself that you're not utilizing any partnership as a means to an end.
00:16:24
Circuspreneur Podcast
Obviously, sometimes things are stepping stones and we're not going in the same direction at the same time or at the same pace. And that can be painful, but that can also be something that is just handled with a lot of care and a lot of grace and a lot of honesty.
00:16:39
Circuspreneur Podcast
um and I think, again, coming back to things that are legally protective is a very smart way to go in that. And I don't say this as someone who has done things perfectly well myself. That's why I think sometimes you can speak on things so well because you learn so many difficult and challenging lessons yourself.
00:17:02
Circuspreneur Podcast
And I always say this in the podcast that I would like for no one else to experience any hardship that I've experienced in the past or in the stories that I've heard of others that have suffered unnecessarily, i think. I'm always saying as well that these are not perfect solutions, right? you know um Some of these things can get kind of complicated and some of the things might seem great on paper, but living these are much more complex, especially in an environment that is so open to interpretation and certain things that you know can't necessarily be owned outright.
00:17:40
Circuspreneur Podcast
But again, having defined work agreements, I think is, you know, definitely a tool that we should be using more in our industry so that we can save one another from the stressors of disagreements or of, again, misunderstandings that get taken too far or things that get taken out of context or or, you know, or life transitions, you know, things that just happen that bring us to different levels. And we have to, i think, you know, have some guides, you know, our industry can be very like, we just make it up as we go.
00:18:25
Circuspreneur Podcast
And so many of us, you know, are used to existing in that as well as existing in some level of structure, of course, because Contracts are our things. That's why I love discussing, you know, gigging and negotiating your price and, you know, making sure you know what causes are in your contracts, um and not waiting until your contract is expired or, you know, your show ends
Learning from Past Challenges
00:18:49
Circuspreneur Podcast
unexpectedly. And then suddenly you're looking and reading your contract for the first time.
00:18:53
Circuspreneur Podcast
And those are painful realities that happen all the time and have happened all the time. And things that, you know again, leave leave us open to exploitation. I'm not saying that that is like you know targeted exploitation. It's just you exploit yourself because you didn't read something.
00:19:14
Circuspreneur Podcast
You just didn't know. You know, you just didn't realize or you just don't realize how much power you have in and in a situation, right? Like you don't realize how much power you have to make decisions that could be better for you.
00:19:28
Circuspreneur Podcast
And that could protect you more, protect your health, protect your money. which is so important in this industry, protect your integrity and again, protecting your reputation and protecting what others know of you and protecting your ability to move forward with your work and with things that you've worked very hard on.
00:19:49
Circuspreneur Podcast
um And that goes again, both ways. It's not just about respecting one person, in the situation, it's about respecting everyone that's involved in this situation. And some of us handle respect better than others. And some of us handle business better than others. And some of us handle, you know, our emotions better than others. Some of us handle you know, being diplomatic better than others. And so let's, you know, build on our strengths, but also, you know, build, you know, again, safety nets for our weaknesses and where we're not strong because everyone has blind spots and you can't think of everything. I can't think of everything, but contracts exist for a reason.
00:20:32
Circuspreneur Podcast
That's why companies keep making them more and more ironclad. every single performance and show that you go into, because everyone just keeps on trying to outdo each other in terms of savviness.
Attention to Business Matters
00:20:43
Circuspreneur Podcast
And, ah you know, again, there's nothing wrong with that, but it definitely calls us all to be better and to be more attentive and to be more professional. and to pay more attention to important matters and important language and see, again, how much we can also protect ourselves as the performers and the entertainers and the artists that, you know, um put ourselves out there and put ourselves on the line and sometimes for others, you know, day in and day out.
00:21:16
Circuspreneur Podcast
And so, we want to make sure that those commitments are preserved properly. So this was a special episode again. i'm your host, Shanae Stiletto. Thank you so much, Circuspreneurs, for hooning and I'm just laughing so much because I really felt called today to um to put this out there and to make this episode. And I think, again, I'll be um discussing even more on the interpersonal dynamics in the circus and partnering and how important it is um to, again, know your rights, define your rights, and um you know have a healthy functioning partnership.
Future Discussions and Personal Experiences
00:22:01
Circuspreneur Podcast
because our our industry is all about that, even if you're a solo performer. But definitely if you're in a partnership or you work with multiple people, you definitely know it's a different breed of performing um than when you are a soloist. And as somebody who has done both, like myself, I've worked with, you know, Ban Kiin, you know, so many duos over the years and then worked solo for many years as well. So, you know, I've worn all those different hats and all those different dynamics and have learned through all of them in so many different ways. So,
00:22:31
Circuspreneur Podcast
Tune in to the next episode coming out soon, everyone. And until next time, please stay safe and stay healthy.