The Creative Circus

The Creative Circus, founded in Atlanta, Georgia in 1995 by Norm Grey, Rob Lawton, Carol Vick, Mike Jones-Kelley, Betty Gammage and Reva Ezell is an accredited, portfolio-building educational program for Creative Advertising (Copywriting and Art Direction), Interactive Development, Design and Photography. Two founding members of The Circus, Rob Lawton and Norm Grey are two of the three Educators in The One Club's Advertising Educators Hall of Fame.

A Student-Described 'Smartass Safe-Haven,' The Creative Circus has a near-singular focus for its students: to develop a killer portfolio that will attract a top global agency upon graduation. Students learn the elements of concept, strategy, craft and execution through an intensive two-year curriculum that leaves them ready for a professional career. "This is where commerce and creativity come together," says Dave Haan, executive director of the Circus. "It's not an art school. It's an idea school. Why? Because ideas have monetary value. We help them construct a portfolio, and that's what a portfolio is: a collection of ideas."