Virginia Commonwealth University Acquires The Creative Circus

Virginia Commonwealth University is delighted to announce that it has acquired The Creative Circus, the award-winning portfolio school from Ancora Education. VCU will relaunch The Creative Circus as a hybrid programme taught by marketing industry leaders and subject matter experts to prepare today’s creatives for tomorrow’s marketing communications challenges.

McKinney, the full-service integrated ad agency, has provided a generous donation to support VCU's development of The Creative Circus to create even more access to education for a new generation of creative marketers who will define culture, engage audiences and drive impact for businesses and the world.

"I'm grateful for the opportunity to work with the VCU team to relaunch The Creative Circus. Providing different access points for education is critical to ensure that we continue to create opportunities and mentorship for people who want to break into the advertising industry, regardless of their starting point” said Joe Maglio, CEO of McKinney. “McKinney is proud to be a founding partner in this new iteration of The Creative Circus and is looking forward to seeing the amazing talent that emerges from the programme."

VCU, which already includes the internationally acclaimed Brandcenter Master’s Program, is planning to reopen The Creative Circus with a focus on the Copywriting, Art Direction, Design and Content Creation disciplines, the programme will offer a range of open enrollment classes. Soon after it will kick off its certificate programme. And, eventually it plans to offer stackable credentials that could be applied towards an undergraduate degree. 

VCU’s dean of the School of Business, Dr. Naomi Boyd, announced the acquisition by highlighting the importance of meeting today’s students where they are. "The closure of The Creative Circus was a significant loss to the advertising industry, leaving a void that needs to be filled. Alumni of The Creative Circus have made a lasting impact not only nationally, but also internationally. It is with great pride that we are able to support the reopening of The Creative Circus, ensuring the continuity of this esteemed institution. We aim to create a program that provides talented creatives with the opportunity to build their portfolio without the added expense of either an undergraduate or graduate degree.” 

As it builds a portfolio school for today’s modern learners, it has outlined that all classes will be offered in a hybrid modality. In recognition of the importance of real-world experience, all classes will be taught by professors of practice, an educational term to describe working professionals with subject matter expertise.

Vann Graves, the executive director of the Brandcenter is confident that both The Creative Circus and the Brandcenter cannot only coexist, but that both can thrive. He said, “Removing entry barriers and prioritising inclusivity in education is a critical part of building a more diverse industry. The Creative Circus is the perfect complement to the success of The Brandcenter and all of us here at VCU couldn’t be more excited to bring about its reopening with support from McKinney and other partners.”