Green Fools

What Green Fools does

Green Fools Theatre Society is a registered Canadian charity (Charitable No.: 890951197 RR0001) founded in 1991 in Calgary, Alberta by Dean Bareham and Xstine Cook. Operating as Green Fools (also traded as Green Fools Theatre, Green Fools Circus Arts, and Studio G), the organization delivers circus arts, puppetry, mask, clown, and physical theatre across entertainment, education, and social-impact programs. Its core product portfolio spans event entertainment (circus performers, roving entertainers, emcees, and Stampede-specific acts), custom puppet and character design/fabrication for zoos, aquariums, theatres, and corporate clients, camps/classes/workshops for kids, adults, schools and communities, and a Social Circus program providing free circus arts to marginalized, at-risk, Indigenous, newcomer, and refugee youth. Supporting revenue lines include Studio G (30'x50' studio and equipment rentals), an e-commerce store selling circus gear ($5-$200 unit pricing), and collaborative theatrical productions with partners such as Theatre Calgary, Calgary Pro Musica, and the Calgary Philharmonic and Ottawa Symphony Orchestras.

The business model is a hybrid charity / social enterprise. Commercial revenue comes from professional services (event bookings, custom puppets, custom characters), transactional fees (studio rentals, gear sold via e-commerce), and recurring donations/subcriptions (Birdies for Kids 50/50 via Rogers Charity Classic, Canada Helps, and grants from Alberta Foundation for the Arts, Calgary Arts Development, Calgary Foundation, and Canada Council for the Arts). Go-to-market is direct-to-consumer through website inquiry and booking, supplemented by event-driven demand (Calgary Stampede, festivals, signature events like the April Fool's Day Parade and Halloween Howl) and institutional partnerships for the Social Circus program. Pricing across service lines is quote-based, with only retail circus gear and equipment rentals publicly listed.

Customer segments span families and children (birthday parties, classes), at-risk and marginalized youth (free Social Circus), corporate and private events (entertainment booking), zoos/aquariums/cultural institutions (custom puppets), schools, and community organizations. Named institutional customers include Calgary Zoo, Florida Aquarium, South Carolina Aquarium, Albuquerque BioPark Zoo, Cirque du Soleil, Fraggle Rock (Apple TV), and Joe Pickett (Paramount+). The organization is led by an 8-person team: Artistic Director Dean Bareham, Executive Director Shelley Bareham, Company Manager Robin Buck, Studio G Administrator Shawna Toth, and Social Circus Coordinator Lok Holmes.

Name

Green Fools

Legal name

Green Fools Theatre Society

Website

https://greenfools.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1991

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Green Fools Theatre Society is a Calgary-based registered charity (founded 1991) that delivers circus arts, puppetry, and theatrical performances for events, education, and at-risk youth through its Social Circus program, operating Studio G and an e-commerce store.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Circus Arts & Theatre Services

NAICS

Performing Arts, Spectator Sports, and Related Industries (711), Amusement, Gambling, and Recreation Industries (713), Independent Artists, Writers, and Performers (71151)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900), Retail-Hobby, Toy & Game Shops (5945)

akta.pro primary industry

Circus, Magic & Variety Shows (THAJAFAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Performing Arts Organizations (Theater, Dance, Opera, Music) (BPAGAHAB), Performing Arts Camps (Theater, Musical Theater, Dance) (EDAMALAI), Community Parades, Carnivals & Street Fairs (MPAGAEAE)

Keywords

• Circus arts performances
• Puppet design fabrication
• Event entertainment services
• Social circus youth programs
• Circus arts education

Headquarters

HQ city

Calgary

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Event Entertainment Services: Booking circus performers, roving entertainers, emcees, and variety entertainment for corporate, private, and public events. Revenue generated through service fees for performances.
2. Camps, Classes & Workshops: Circus arts instruction for kids and adults including camps, workshops, and school programs. Classes held at Studio G and touring to schools and communities.
3. Birthday Parties: Circus and aerial birthday party experiences hosted at Studio G for up to 14 kids or adults.
4. Custom Puppet and Character Creations: Design and fabrication of custom puppets and characters for zoos, aquariums, theatres, corporate events, and festivals. Includes puppet training services.
5. Studio and Equipment Rentals: Rental of studio space (30'x50' with 18' ceilings), green screen, white screen, LED lights, character masks, and pipe & drapes to artists, performers, and content creators.
6. Circus Gear and Merchandise E-commerce: Online sales of circus equipment including juggling balls, scarves, rings, clubs, stilts, and theatrical masks. Product categories include Circus Gear, Clothing, Merchandise, and Theatre Masks.
7. Theatre Collaborations: Collaborative theatre productions with organizations like Calgary Pro Musica and Theatre Calgary, contributing puppet design and puppet direction.
8. Social Circus Donations and Fundraising: Charitable donations, 50/50 raffle ticket sales through Birdies for Kids program, and grant funding from arts foundations to support free social circus programming for at-risk youth.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Green Fools is a Calgary-based charitable arts organization that designs, performs, and teaches circus arts, puppetry, and physical theatre. It delivers live event entertainment (circus performers, roving entertainers, emcees, variety acts) for corporate, private, and public events; creates custom puppets and characters for zoos, aquariums, theatres, and festivals; runs camps, classes, and workshops for kids, adults, schools, and communities; produces touring shows and theatre collaborations with orchestras; operates a Social Circus program offering free circus arts to marginalized youth; and sells circus gear and theatrical masks through an e-commerce store.

Product overview

Green Fools is a charitable arts organization in Calgary offering a diverse portfolio of circus arts services and products. The core offerings include live event entertainment (circus performers, roving entertainers, custom puppets and characters), educational programs (camps, classes, workshops for kids, adults, schools and communities), and theatre productions (touring shows and orchestra collaborations). Supporting services include a Social Circus program providing free circus arts to at-risk youth, studio rentals with production equipment (green screens, lights, masks), and an ecommerce store for circus gear and merchandise. The company operates from Studio G and collaborates with organizations like Calgary Pro Musica, Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra, and Theatre Calgary.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Studio G: A versatile studio space in Calgary's southeast, 30'x50' with rubber floor, 18' high ceilings, designed for circus artists, performers, creators, educators, and creative teams for rehearsals, filming content, workshops, and events.

Products and services

• Event Entertainment Professional circus performers, roving entertainers, puppetry, emcees, and variety acts booked for corporate, private, and public events including Calgary Stampede entertainment.
• Birthday Party Experiences Circus or Aerial party experiences hosted at Studio G for groups of up to 14 kids or adults.
• Custom Puppets Custom-designed and built puppets for zoos, aquariums, theatres, corporate events, and community festivals, including training on puppet use and performer services.
• Custom Characters Custom character costumes and roaming spectacle characters for unique event entertainment and educational purposes.
• Camps, Classes & Workshops Circus arts instruction for kids, adults, schools, and communities, including touring circus camps for out-of-town programs.
• Theatre & Orchestra Performances Collaborative performances combining puppetry with live music, including partnerships with Calgary Pro Musica and Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra.
• Social Circus Program Free circus arts programming providing mentorship, skill-building, and confidence development for marginalized, at-risk, Indigenous, newcomer, and refugee youth.
• Studio & Equipment Rentals Rental of a versatile 30'x50' studio space with 18-foot ceilings plus equipment including green screens, white screens, LED lights, character masks, Commedia Dell'Arte masks, and pipe & drapes for rehearsals, filming, and workshops.
• Circus Gear Store E-commerce store selling circus equipment including juggling balls, rings, clubs, scarves, spinning plates, stilts, rola bola boards, flower sticks, theatrical masks, clothing, and merchandise.
• Touring Shows Mobile theatrical productions that can be brought to external venues, including collaborative productions with other theatre companies.

Quantifiable outcome

• 76,975+ youth reached through Social Circus programming since 1998
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Kids Up Front CalgarycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity partner supporting Social Circus programming for underserved children and youth in Calgary
• Foster CalgarycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity partner providing Social Circus access to children in foster care
• YMCA CalgarycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to deliver Social Circus programming through YMCA facilities and youth programs
• Tsuut'ina NationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndigenous community partnership delivering Social Circus to First Nations youth
• Calgary Catholic Immigration Society (CCIS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership supporting newcomer and refugee youth through Social Circus programming
• Aboriginal Friendship Centre of CalgarycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership providing Social Circus programming to Indigenous youth in Calgary
• Alberta Children ServicescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernment partnership supporting at-risk children and families through Social Circus
• CirkaskinaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership programming delivering six months of Social Circus with youth nationwide (2020-present)
• Rogers Birdies for Kids presented by AltaLinkcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerCharitable donation matching program where 50/50 raffle tickets and donations are matched by up to 50% to support Social Circus
• Theatre CalgarycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerContributing original puppet design and puppet direction to The Tale of the Gifted Prince production (February-March 2026)
• Calgary Pro Musica SocietycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSleeping Beauty collaboration featuring Green Fools' puppetry with live music performances (May 2026)

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Cirque du Soleil: The leading global circus arts and live entertainment company. Comparable as the canonical commercial circus performer and producer; Green Fools has even performed for Cirque du Soleil (Dean Bareham at Luminato Festival), underscoring their shared core domain of circus performance.
• The 7 Fingers: Montreal-based contemporary circus company producing original shows and live performances. Comparable to Green Fools as a creator/producer of original circus productions for both commercial and cultural-institution audiences.
• Cavalia: Touring theatrical entertainment company blending circus arts, acrobatics, and live performance under a big-top format. Comparable as a competing supplier of premium circus-themed live entertainment to event and family audiences.
• Cirque Éloize: Canadian contemporary circus company producing touring shows and theatrical performances. Comparable in scale, geography, and product type to Green Fools' circus and theatre offering.
• Cirque du Monde: Cirque du Soleil's social circus program using circus arts for at-risk youth development. Directly comparable to Green Fools' Social Circus offering in target population, methodology, and outcome focus.
• École Nationale de Cirque: Canada's premier professional circus training school based in Montreal. Comparable to Green Fools on the training and education axis of circus arts, though weighted more toward professional certification than community/youth programming.
• Cirkaskina: Canadian organization delivering six months of Social Circus programming with youth nationwide (2020-present). Directly comparable as a fellow Social Circus provider and active Green Fools programming partner.

Broad incumbents

• TOHU: Montreal's performing arts center dedicated to circus arts. Comparable as a Canadian institution advancing circus arts through performance, creation, training, and community programming - a broader incumbent in the same mission space.

Emerging players

• Why Not Theatre: Toronto-based performing arts company producing interdisciplinary work blending theatre, circus, and physical performance. Comparable as a Canadian creator of circus-adjacent theatrical productions at a similar scale.
• Puppet Maniac Productions Inc. Production company co-founded in 2021 by Shelley Bareham and her husband, specializing in puppet design and fabrication for film and television. Comparable as a sibling custom-puppet fabrication business with overlap in capability and leadership.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@greenfoolstheatresociety
• Facebookfacebook.com/GreenFoolsTheatre
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/green-fools-theatre-71432949
• Instagraminstagram.com/greenfools

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Green Fools