IJA eNewsletter – October 2025

IJA logo
www.juggle.org		    IJA eNewsletter
   October 2025Editors: Don Lewis & Martin Frost
(ijanews@juggle.org)

 

CONTENTS

  • Standing By: The balance between community, assistance, and a five-hour gig
  • Does your company match your donations or volunteer time?
  • 2027 IJA Festival – Teen Team call
  • 2026 IJA Festival Early Bird Registration open!
  • 2026 IJA Festival scholarship applications open
  • YJA Badge Book
  • IJA Board meetings
  • Upcoming juggling festivals (and juggling clubs)
  • Latest articles in eJuggle: podcasts & articles

 

 

Standing By: The balance between community, assistance, and a five-hour gig
Benjamin Domask-Ruh

Hello IJA Community!

If you perform for a living, a side gig, or just for fun, you probably know how busy October can get for variety artists – at least here in the States!

IJA chair

I don’t take on many entertainment gigs these days; I’m more drawn to creating art experiences for audiences. But this year, I got a call to juggle at a casino’s five-hour costume contest (yes, five hours!). It went about as expected, but I was pleasantly surprised to see a few friends had also been hired. We watched out for each other throughout the night – making sure everyone got water, food, and breaks.

That sense of mutual care made me think about the next part of our IJA mission examination series:

“To render assistance to fellow jugglers.”

Last month, we explored “render,” which means to give back. So let’s look at the next word: assistance.

“Assistance” means to provide help – but its roots run deeper. It comes from assist, built from the Latin sistere, meaning “to cause to stand.” We see it in words like resist (to stand against) and persist (to stand through). So assist literally means “to stand by.”

When we render assistance, we take our stand beside someone – supporting their efforts, growth, ideas, or individualities.

That’s what we do every time we help someone learn a new pattern – whether it’s a cascade, a diabolo start, or a poi weave. Or something more advanced – cascade while balancing, (6x, 4) with clubs, or something we haven’t even come up with yet! We stand beside them through the wobbles and drops until it clicks. Built into juggling itself is our mission: to stand by one another as we explore new skills and ideas.

Jugglers, in my experience, are natural experimenters – always turning a concept over from every angle to see what’s possible. That curiosity and willingness to assist each other is what makes our community special. It’s what keeps me inspired – to keep juggling, to keep learning, and to keep standing by you all.

If you’d like to explore this idea of assistance more, I’d love to hear from you! You can send any thoughts or ideas you’d like to share to me at ija.chair@juggle.org. As a member, you are always welcome to attend our board meetings by sending me an email for a Zoom link.

RA2FJ,
Benjamin Domask-Ruh
IJA Board Chair

 

 

Does your company match your donations or volunteer time?
Afton Benson, IJA Treasurer

I’ve worked in nonprofits and fundraising for the last 10 years, and one of the things that surprises me the most is that many people are unaware that the companies they work for will do matching donations! Here are a few common questions surrounding matching donations.

What exactly is a matching donation?

Matching donations tend to be on a 1:1 ratio, meaning for every dollar you donate to a nonprofit, the company will match that equally, your $10 donation would become $20. Some companies do a 2:1 or more!

How do I find out if my company does matching donations?

You will want to start by asking your supervisor or the person who administers any company benefits such as health insurance, “I was wondering if our company does matching donations for financial contributions I’ve made to nonprofits?” If they do, they should be able to supply you with all the information you need to obtain the match! If you need any information for them, please contact me at treasurer@juggle.org.

My company does not do financial matches, but they will donate to a nonprofit for any hours I volunteer! How do I get involved!?

That’s amazing! Reach out to me and we’ll find an area for you to volunteer in that you enjoy!

Is there a list of companies who do matching donations?

I’ve assembled a list of companies that have been known to match employees’ donations or volunteer hours. If you know your company matches donations, please let me know and I’ll update the list. Note that this does not supersede any companies’ active and/or actual policies.

If you have any questions about company matching donations or if you personally would like to contribute a matching donation to inspire others to donate, please reach out. I’m happy to chat!

 

 

2027 IJA Festival – Teen Team call

Are you a teen (or know one) who is full of ideas? The 2027 IJA Festival Team wants you to help shape the 80th IJA Festival! This milestone event will be unforgettable, and we’re looking for passionate teens (ages 12-19) to bring fresh perspectives, bold ideas, and creative energy to the table.

As part of the Youth Advisory Team, you’ll help brainstorm fun activities and experiences and then help make them happen alongside the festival team. In return, you’ll get real event-planning experience plus a free festival shirt and free show tickets (when you register for free with your paid adult), along with the thrill of seeing your ideas come to life.

Let’s work together to create an amazing festival for the juggling community!

Apply here to be part of the Youth Advisory Team. The deadline for applications is November 28, 2025.

 

 

2026 IJA Festival Early Bird Registration open!
Noel Yee & the 2026 IJA Festival Team

Fort Wayne, INHello Jugglers,

Early bird registration is open!  We’ve opened both pricing tiers as well, so you can register at the price that works best for you.  Be sure to register early and get ready for an amazing year of juggling.  You will also have the opportunity to render assistance to fellow jugglers by purchasing a package that donates 50-100% of a festival package to the IJA Festival Scholarship Fund!  Note: Vendor registration will be opening in the coming months.

We’ve implemented a new exciting idea suggested by the 2027 IJA Festival Team: youth under the age of 18 can access the gym for free!  Detailed information is on the registration page.  If you have questions or if you want to bring a group of youth, please contact registrar@juggle.org.

If you have any ideas or thoughts for the 2026 festival, please feel free to reach out!

More Updates soon!

 

 

2026 IJA Festival scholarship applications open
Afton Benson, IJA Treasurer

The IJA J. Todd Smith Memorial Scholarship Fund is now accepting applications for 2026 IJA Festival Scholarships.  If you have wanted to attend an IJA Festival but have not had a chance and some support would help, apply!  Priority will be given to individuals who have not attended an IJA Festival before.  You can find the scholarship application here.  Please share info about this scholarship far and wide — it is open to jugglers around the world.

Applications close at 11:59pm PDT on March 15, 2026.  Scholarships will start being awarded (and recipients notified) before the application deadline.  The last awardees will be informed by May at the latest.

This fund is named in honor of Todd Smith, one of the world’s top manufacturers of juggling equipment.  Todd was known for giving away props to aspiring jugglers and had the nickname of “the juggler’s friend”.  This scholarship fund will support new jugglers who have not had the chance to attend an IJA Festival.

Big thanks go to the fund’s donors for their generosity: Arthur Lewbel, Mike and Marilyn Sullivan, Unna Med, and a number of other jugglers.  Since 2022, the Scholarship Fund has provided support to 92 jugglers from around the world to attend the annual IJA Festival.

Interested in supporting the J. Todd Smith Memorial Scholarship Fund?  Fantastic!  You can donate here today.  Any questions can be directed to treasurer@juggle.org.

 

 

YJA Badge BookThe Juggler's Badge Book

Did you know that the IJA’s Youth Juggling Academy has a book?  It does!

The Juggler's Badge Book

The Juggler’s Badge Book is the ultimate companion for aspiring jugglers of any age!  Track your progress, unlock achievements, and earn badges as you learn the art of juggling.  With its engaging format and rewarding sticker system, The Juggler’s Badge Book makes learning to juggle an exciting and fulfilling adventure.  Whether you’re a beginner or a seasoned juggler, let The Juggler’s Badge Book be your guide to skillful juggling and a collection of well-earned accomplishments.  Start achieving your juggling journey today!

The Juggler’s Badge Book is $25 and makes a great gift!  Purchase yours today!  Proceeds go to supporting further YJA initiatives and advancing the IJA’s mission to render assistance to fellow jugglers.

Published by the International Jugglers’ Association in collaboration with Modern Vaudeville Press.

 

 

IJA Board meetingsIJA Board meetings

IJA Board meetings are open to all IJA members and are hosted on Zoom.  To find out the times of this month’s vision and business meetings, or to attend, please email ija.chair@juggle.org and say which meeting you’re interested in.

 

 

Upcoming juggling festivals (and juggling clubs)

For a list of upcoming juggling festivals, please visit our friends over at The Juggling Edge.

While you’re there, visit their list of juggling clubs.

 

 

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