Philly Fringe 2025: Cannonball presents International Black Indigenous Circus Week

When policy impacts artistry

In 2024, I attended the inaugural International Black Indigenous Circus Week (IBICW) during Cannonball’s section of Philly Fringe Festival and witnessed absolute acrobatic artistry. I loved Twin Eclipse’s ephemeral Black Joy piece and the collaborative spirit of IBICW’s After Dark event. I'm not surprised Rebel Arts received a Five Star Fringies Award or that Twin Eclipse had honorable mention. Sometimes, Black performers have to work harder to get noticed. But when they’re noticed, people acknowledge the decades of hard week.

This year I had prioritized Circus Abyssinia, a UK-based Ethiopian act, as a must-see. Other acts on my list included Joi of Dance’s The Death Circus (September 19-21); the ode to Hispanic Culture cartas de amor a Puerto Rico by dance collective Chronic Presents (September 17); Ankole Circus’ show NFRW/T which investigates queerness and gender duality with Afro-diasporic musical influences (September 15-16); and Daisie Cardona’s Ashes and Iron aerial show that peers into Philly’s Kensington neighborhood (September 15).

While all of these acts and more will be present the week of September 15, Circus Abyssinia was high on my list.

Unfortunately, the ongoing policies of the past nine months continue to impact the arts. Due to visa processing revisions, internationally-based artists must attend in-person interviews at the US consulate of the country where they hold citizenship (even if they reside abroad). They must now pay a $250 fee when their visas are stamped. Additionally, the 4-6 month processing time has greatly increased. Visa petitions are all filed in a center located in Texas. In March, Visa difficulties caused K-Pop group KARD and Canadian metal band Respire to cancel their US tours. In June, an executive order blocked 19 countries in continental Africa (including the Middle East), Asia (including Laos), and South/Central America (including Venezuela). The federal government is considering restricting 36 additional non-European countries such as Nigeria, Ethiopia, Dominican Republic, Zimbabwe, Saint Lucia, Ghana, and Antigua. Yet, in July, it had already restricted the visa length of Ethiopian, Ghanaian, and Nigerian visitors.

The circus must go on

Considering the federal government’s increasing distance from Ethiopia, it remains unsurprising that Ethiopian artists such as Circus Abyssinia are detrimentally affected. While they briefly performed in Chicago over the summer, it included a restricted cast because none of the women artists received approval. Despite that, I still hoped that by September all the cast would receive approvals instead of additional visa delays.

However, the director of Circus Abyssinia Bichu Tesfamariam shared hopeful positivity in a press release canceling their Philly Fringe performance. “We dreamed of sharing our story and artistry with Philadelphia audiences, and it’s deeply disappointing to come this far only to find ourselves unable to perform. We tried everything possible to make it happen. We’re so grateful for the patience, support, and excitement we’ve received from audiences, even through these challenges.”

Although I’m incredibly disappointed that current policies increasingly impact the arts, the now-defunded PBS published an article in May about why certain politicians might fear art by quoting Robert De Niro, “Art is the truth. Art embraces diversity. And that’s why art is a threat." Perhaps by embracing art, we can avoid the mistakes of past countries that banned arts, discouraged international artists, and restricted universities.

Let’s continue to embrace the artists of the Philadelphia Fringe Festival and support the performers of Black Indigenous Circus Week by attending their shows, filling their audiences, and uplifting their work.

Featured image: Ankole Circus is featured in this year's International Black Indigenous Circus Week. (Photo courtesy of Ankole Circus.)

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