IJA eNewsletter – February 2026

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www.juggle.org		 IJA eNewsletter
February 2026Editors: Don Lewis & Martin Frost
(ijanews@juggle.org)

CONTENTS

  • Envisioning the Future of the IJA
  • You’re invited!
  • IJA Board nominations open
  • Festival hotel reservations open
  • The 2026 IJA Film Festival
  • 2026 IJA Festival scholarship applications open
  • Save the date: Fort Wayne Walking Tour & Pub Crawl
  • YJA Badge Book
  • IJA Board meetings
  • Upcoming juggling festivals (and juggling clubs)
  • Latest from eJuggle: podcasts & articles

 

 

Envisioning the Future of the IJA  Benjamin Domask-Ruh

Hello to our IJA community near and far!

Board ChairThe shortest month of the year is complete and now we March forward further into 2026.  The world of juggling is always growing alongside the world at large, and I am so happy to be able to find comfort in community with jugglers wherever I go.  In February I had three wonderful juggling experiences.

First, I traveled to the northernmost point of Minnesota to work in a public elementary school for a week teaching the YJA’s juggling curriculum to around 90 fourth graders.  I am so inspired by the enthusiasm and energy kids bring to the juggling lessons and the instant creativity they generate.  A large percentage learned their cascade with balls, but 100% of them learned terms sequence, dwell, transition, variation alongside different styles of throws and catches.  One moment stood out that I’d like to share: A teacher who worked with children that needed extra care came to me during a break and said how she was working with a child who just wasn’t keen on doing their work.  Totally head down, resistant to methods to learn, and generally ambivalent to the school day.  (I’ve been there, too, kid!  Days can be rough!)  She then remembered how there was a guest teaching artist who was juggling with this child’s peers and decided to see if they wanted to try juggling!  She said the kid threw the balls around (a 2-ball shower pattern) for a little while and was having so much fun and became active!  After they were done, they were ready to get to work on their school work and the day was met with enthusiasm.  It was a heart warming moment!

Next, our local juggling community here in Minnesota held their annual MONDO juggling festival!  It is one of the highlights of my year.  (And extra special this year, as my 10 year-old student performed solo on stage!  Proud teacher moment, number 2!)  One of our club members, recognizing that MONDO happened to be on Valentine’s Day this year, threw out the idea that we should all make valentine boxes like we used to do in elementary school.  This was enthusiastically received by everyone else and we all decided to make our own Valentine’s Day boxes!  We even set up a table in the common area full of valentine card making supplies for anyone to make and give out valentines.  It was a HUGE success and was a heart warming moment of community driven community building.

Finally, I just returned from Costa Rica (around Guiones and Playa Garza) where I was brought in to work with a local Waldorf School and their youth circus programming.  I helped the students develop their juggling skills as well as helped them plan and perform at the local pueblos around the area, bringing free circus shows to the rural communities.  After the shows, everyone was invited to come try their hand at juggling and tumbling skills!  Plates were spinning, poi were flying, balls were tossed, crystal sticks were flung … and so much laughter!  I even met a woman who used to perform in Argentina at stoplights and got to do some high level club passing!  The funny thing (to me) was that although our communication was here and there (our levels of English/Spanish competency roughly the same … definitely worse Spanish on my part) the language of juggling was our perfect communicator for a (you guessed it) heart warming moment of joy.

It was a busy month, but it brings me back to the idea: what vision are we following here at the IJA?  Sometimes I feel like communities look to an organization to try and do it all.  But the simple fact is an organization can’t do it all for the community.  (We recently discussed this with some programming at a board meeting.)  So what can an organization do?  As the IJA continues building a large network of programming around the world, we are also continuing to build community and connections.  I wish I could stay with every community I am invited to and help keep juggling events running.  But I can’t.  What I hope to do is inspire and show some models of ways individuals can take the lead and bring their own ideas to life!  I envision the IJA as a role model for helping ideas come to life, connecting individuals in regions to each other to lighten the administrative load, and help share resources (such as our Props2U program or the juggling curriculum through the YJA).  If we want more juggling to happen in our communities, it happens when we take a moment and fortify the community around us.  Nothing is done by just one person!  It takes an open, trusting team looking to make time and space for juggling joy to happen.

As we are getting closer to our annual IJA festival, I can’t wait to be in community with all of you, again.  But you don’t have to wait until then!  If you have any ideas or want some help brainstorming your local juggling community needs, you can always send me a message at ija.chair@juggle.org.  And remember, members are welcome to attend Board meetings.  Just email me for the Zoom link!

With visions of juggling joy,
Benjamin Domask-Ruh
IJA Board Chair

 

 

You’re Invited!  Afton Benson

Afton, how did you hear about the IJA Festival?

Great question, I would love to tell you!  Benjamin Domask-Ruh (our current Board Chair) invited me to come along after sharing how awesome the 2013 IJA Festival was.  So, in 2014 I became an IJA member and attended my first festival at Purdue University.  Including Benjamin, I knew maybe five people in the juggling community.  When I arrived at the festival, none of them were there.  I remember standing near the registration table feeling nervous and overwhelmed, and not knowing what to do.  At that moment, Jim Hendricks – from St. Louis, MO, where I had just moved – came up, said hi, and asked if I wanted to grab dinner with him.  He gave me a rundown on the week and what events to check out, and my nerves settled.  I felt more prepared.  I met dozens of people that week Many people Afton met through jugglingwho took time to explain new tricks to me, how Championships worked, and what XJuggling was.  Now, 12 years later, many of those people are my closest friends and are a big part of my community.  I’ve also been lucky enough to use my skills to support the IJA community as Treasurer and as part of the IJA Festival core team since 2018.

Community is always on my mind: how we support one another, bring new people in, and care for each other.  One of my favorite things about the juggling community is there are many sub-communities.  We have the shared interest of juggling that initially brings us together, but that’s just the start!  Throughout my time as an IJA member, I’ve learned a great deal from others of different backgrounds, cultures, skill sets, and regions.  This keeps me coming back to the IJA and the juggling community, and it’s what inspires me to help create great spaces across the world for jugglers to thrive.  MONDO Juggling & Unicycle festival in St.  Paul, MN – my home festival – happened over Valentine’s Day weekend this year.  Things have been hard here, but the MN juggling community showed up and made the festival happen, complete with a valentine making station for some extra joy and love because that’s what the community needed!

Our juggling community grows because we invite people in, regardless of their skill level, background, location, props, etc., just as Benjamin & Jim invited me in at my first IJA.  People may not know about the IJA or the IJA Festival, or they may feel they’re too new to juggling, or they don’t want to go alone.  I encourage you to take a moment to invite people at your juggling club, flow meetups, or your local festival to come the IJA Festival!

If you haven’t been to an IJA in a while, please accept my personal invitation to come to the IJA.  Regardless of your juggling journey, I’d love to see you there.  If you’re someone who could benefit from some extra support, consider the IJA Scholarship application [see article below], which closes March 15.  Maybe you’re a parent who hasn’t come because bringing kiddos was too pricey – not anymore!  Youth now attend the gym for free!

We’re working hard to get all the classic events ready to go, add some new twists on past items, and build out a stellar week for you all.  Invite your friends, register for the festival, book your hotel, and come be part of our community July 27-August 2, 2026 in Fort Wayne, IN!

Be excellent to one another,
Afton

 

 

IJA Board nominations open  by Martin Frost

Nomination are open for members of the IJA Board of Directors.  Board members will be elected during the annual IJA Festival in Fort Wayne, Indiana, with all IJA members age 13 and over eligible to vote at the festival or online leading up to the festival.

The IJA Board of Directors manages this nonprofit corporation for the benefit of its members.  The board is composed of seven people, with elected directors serving two-year terms.  Approximately half of the seats are up for election each year at the IJA Festival.

The directors are asked to meet in person at the festival.  Each board member is expected to communicate regularly by email, must have web access, and will attend online meetings once or twice a month.  Directors should expect to spend some hours each week on behalf of the IJA.

In addition, all candidates should understand that the members of the Board of Directors are legally responsible as fiduciaries in setting the goals and policies of the IJA, managing its finances, overseeing its employees (if any), and administering its programs.  At all times, the members of the Board of Directors must act in good faith and in the best interest of the corporation.  The IJA maintains Directors and Officers Insurance to protect the board and officers.

This is a great opportunity for you “to render assistance to fellow jugglers.”  Nominate someone, including maybe yourself.  That’s right, it is perfectly acceptable to nominate yourself.

Information about the nomination process is available at www.juggle.org/business/nominations.

The nomination deadline is 11:59pm PDT on May 15, 2026.  Participate!

 

 

Festival hotel reservations open  Afton Benson

Fort Wayne, INFor 2026, the IJA has three hotel options for our attendees!  Our website has all the hotel information, including how to book.

The Hilton Fort Wayne at the Grand Wayne Convention Center is connected directly to the convention center.  Rooms are $149.00/night single through quad + 15% tax (King bed with a sleeper sofa or two double beds).

The Courtyard by Marriott Fort Wayne Downtownis directly across the street from the convention center.  Rooms are $152.00/night + 15% tax (King room or Double Queen room).  Parking in the hotel’s attached garage is just $5/day.

The Hampton Inn & Suites by Hilton Fort Wayne Downtown is directly across the street from the convention center.  For those of you coming for the whole week, this option has breakfast!  There is a six night minimum stay.  Rooms are $155.00/night + 15% tax (King room or Double Queen room).  Parking in the hotel’s attached garage is just $5/day.

Get your festival event package and secure your hotel of choice today to ensure a fantastic stay in Fort Wayne!

 

 

The 2026 IJA Film Festival  Nathan Wakefield

2026 IJA Film FestivalIt’s BACK!  For only the second time in history and the first time since 2019, the International Jugglers’ Association Festival will include a film festival event as part of our annual festival.  We want your film to be a part of it!

We are looking for juggling-themed films in the categories of comedy, action, drama, horror, sci-fi, fantasy, musical, parody, or mystery.  We’re not looking for juggling trick videos.  Instead, we want narrative films with a plot that somehow involve juggling in an important way.  The films don’t even have to include juggling but could take place in the juggling community or be about juggling.  Below are the eligibility requirements.

  • Submissions must be PG-13 or lower in terms of content.
  • Applicants must be IJA members.
  • One submission per IJA member.
  • Films must be between 3 to 20 minutes in length.
  • Films must follow a narrative structure with juggling being a focal point.
  • Applicants are highly recommended to attend the festival, but do not have to be present at the event to participate.
  • Submissions must be shot specifically for this event and may not be screened publicly prior to the IJA Film Festival.
  • Film makers retain 100% ownership of their films and may do whatever they wish with their films (enter into other film festivals, post online, etc.) after the IJA Film Festival concludes.
  • Films must be made organically with real human elements.  Submissions that are AI generated are not allowed.  Traditional animation and stop-motion are permitted.
  • There is room for a maximum of ten entries total.  In the event that the number of qualified entries exceeds that number, the organizer will select the top films that best match the above criteria to screen at the event.

To submit your film, upload the digital file (MP4, landscape, and 1080 or 4k preferred) to a file sharing site (Dropbox, Google Drive, etc.), then email and share the video with the organizer, Nathan Wakefield at: nrwakefield@gmail.com

Films need to be submitted by May 29, 2026.  The films selected will be screened at the IJA Festival in Fort Wayne, IN, during the week of July 27‑August 2, 2026.  The winner will be chosen by audience vote at the event, and will receive a film festival trophy and a special juggling goodie bag as a prize.  It is recommended to email the organizer in advance if you have intent to participate or if you have any questions.  If you have an interesting idea for a juggling short film, don’t be shy – this is a fun event and we look forward to seeing your films!

 

 

2026 IJA Festival scholarship applications open  Afton Benson, IJA Treasurer

2026 IJA Festival in Fort Wayne, INThe 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.

 

 

Save the date: Fort Wayne Walking Tour & Pub Crawl
Mike Sullivan, Advisory Future Festival Site Coordinator

The pre-fest pub crawl and walking tour plans for this year are amping up with some top-secret enhancements too hot to mention right now!  That’s even more reason to hold the date and plan to join the tour on the afternoon of Monday, July 27, 2026.

Our tour will step off after lunch, and we’ll visit all the festival venues downtown before striking out to explore the many other spots, old and new, that you’ll want to know about during the week.  So much has changed in Fort Wayne since our last visit in 2019, with all these great additions and more, which are all planned for our tour: Promenade Park, The Landing, Birdie’s, Burger Bar, Conner’s Rooftop, The Fairfield, and more.

There’s no way you can find them all on your own, but we’ve been there, seen that, and have the best ones picked out for our fun, casual afternoon.  Spots on the tour are limited, so watch for full details in the NEXT IJA eNewsletter to get your tickets online and be part of all the fun!

As usual on the tours, we’ll pop in for a cold pint at three stops along our route, and have plenty of time to schmooze and meet new friends.  We’ll end up the afternoon at a great spot where you can enjoy an optional group dinner with your tour mates — the perfect start to a fantastic festival week in Fort Wayne!

So make sure you’re in town and ready to crawl with us starting just after Noon on Monday, July 27 — and we’ll see you on tour!

 

 

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 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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