08/15/2026
Introducing Our 2026 CCF Board Members! Meet Alicia Calderwood! Co-Founder, President, Networking & Artistic Director 🎪
Alicia Calderwood is also the owner of Pura Vida Studio in Cary NC, and has been training, teaching, and performing aerial arts for nearly 15 years. She is passionate about sharing movement as a pathway to physical and mental well-being while creating spaces where people feel connected through the circus arts.
Behind the scenes, Alicia plays a large role in bringing the many moving pieces of Carolina Circus Festival together. She develops the annual festival theme and overall artistic vision, helps shape the creative elements and performances throughout the event, and works alongside the board to ensure the festival comes together as one cohesive experience.
Her role also extends into marketing, community outreach, networking, artist and organization connections, programming, and the overall direction and growth of the festival. She works closely with each area of the CCF board, helping connect their individual roles into the larger vision and mission of the event.
For Alicia, CCF is about so much more than creating an incredible day of circus. It’s about bringing the circus community together, introducing thousands of people to the movement art form, creating opportunities for collaboration, and using the festival’s platform to raise awareness around mental health.
She is excited to continue growing Carolina Circus Festival, the community surrounding it, and everything this collective vision represents🎪✨
