TToward a Committed Cirque2005 REVIEW

CCirque du Soleil is 22 years youngIt is an ever-evolving and vibrant company with endless possibilities. Within a few years,there will be more than 4,000 of us sharing the dream and working together towards making it a reality. More than ever, our business methods and decisions must remain trueto our commitment to creating artistic works of great quality, to making the world a betterplace, and to upholding our values.

We are very proud to share with you this first Toward a Committed Cirque review. We hopeit will testify of the concrete actions through which we uphold our pledge, and of our desireto reach further still, to do more to meet and exceed our goals. This review is meant toinspire cirquesters and to provide a new tool allowing, in our own way, to continually renewour commitment to changing the world for the better.

Happy reading!

DANIEL LAMARREPresident and CEO

GAÉTAN MORENCYVice-President of Public, Social and Cultural Affairs

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SUCH IS CIRQUE DU SOLEIL’S MISSION. IN PURSUING ITS DREAMS AND CONDUCTINGITS AFFAIRS, CIRQUE STRIVES TO BE AN AGENT OF CHANGE IN THE COMMUNITYAND A WORTHY NEIGHBOUR.

Founder and Chief Executive Officer Guy Laliberté reaffirmed Cirque du Soleil’s desire tobe a committed citizen in the fall of 2005. At this time, a period of reflection on Cirque’sidentity on the eve of its 25th anniversary (in 2009) was initiated, and unifying growthobjectives were established for the organization as a whole. Targeted growth and a com-mitted Cirque – such are the goals that will drive the organization’s development in theyears ahead.

A socially committed organization must not only seek to balance its social, economic andenvironmental interests, it must also propose original and innovative ways of transformingthe world around it. Thus, not only does Cirque believe that within society, the arts, busi-ness activity and social initiatives are together capable of contributing to a better world, but it also acts accordingly.

Along with this desire for social involvement comes the publication of a first review thatwill focus primarily on community relations, social and cultural action, and environmentalinitiatives in 2005, as well as prospects and challenges for 2006.

Until recently, Cirque du Soleil pursued its community action efforts in a relatively dis-creet manner, preferring to turn the spotlight on its partners’ accomplishments. But in abid to inspire local companies and individuals, Cirque has decided to share, through thepublication of this review, details surrounding its commitment to social involvement. Thisreview, to be prepared on an annual basis, will also meet public expectations of greatertransparency when it comes to the social and environmental impacts of companies andtheir activities.

Invoke the imagination, provoke the senses and evoke the emotions of people around the world:

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When, in 1984, Cirque du Soleil, then in the midst of itsvery first Quebec tour, was asked to spark celebrationssurrounding the 450th anniversary of Jacques Cartier’sarrival in Canada, which had been organized throughoutthe province, it had to do much more than simply puton a show: it had to work in true partnership with eachof the communities it visited. Finally, when it comes tothe presentation of a touring show—always one ofCirque du Soleil’s main activities—community relationsmust be forged months in advance through preparatorywork with public entities, which allows Cirque to makea tour stop in the community concerned.

A similar logic underlay Cirque du Soleil’s plan to set up shop in the district of Saint-Michel. Even before theground was broken on this project, i.e. the building ofits headquarters, Cirque took the time to implant itselfas a citizen of the neighbourhood by, among otherthings, participating in local issue tables.

While Cirque du Soleil positions itself as a full-fledgedmember of the community, the community, for its part,displays a multi-faceted identity. Its members are ouremployees, our partners—such as Oxfam and Jeunessedu Monde (in social and cultural action)—and our sup-pliers. We’re also talking about the communities sur-rounding our workplaces, whether at InternationalHeadquarters (IHQ), the Resident Shows Division (RSD)in Las Vegas or in each of the 140 cities that host ourtouring shows. This community is also made up of thesocial organizations and cultural, sports and businessassociations we choose to support development-wise,to say nothing of all those groups and all those citizenswho, year in, year out, solicit our financial, technical,and human or other assistance.

Moreover, at an environmental level, the organization,since 2002, has been implementing measures designedto protect the environment, including a recycling pro-gram accredited by the Quebec government.

Aligning actions and values = civic synergy

ACTIONS

Creation

Business

Management

Marketing

VALUES

Creativity

Commitment

CitizenshipCOMMITTED

CIRQUE

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11984-2005: A Look BackSINCE 1989, CIRQUE HAS DEDICATED 1% OF ITS ANNUAL TURNOVER TO THE ORGANIZATION’S OUTREACHAND CULTURAL ACTION PROGRAMS, WHICH REFLECT A SOCIAL INVOLVEMENT THAT GOES FAR BEYOND THEBOUNDARIES OF ITS BUSINESS MARKETS. YET THE FORGING OF CLOSE TIES WITH THE COMMUNITY IS PARTOF CIRQUE’S “GENETIC MAKE-UP,” IT GOES BACK TO ITS DEEPEST ROOTS: THE BAND OF STREET PERFORM-ERS THAT WOULD SUBSEQUENTLY FOUND CIRQUE DU SOLEIL HAD, FROM THE VERY OUTSET, TO CAPTURETHE ATTENTION AND ROUSE THE INTEREST OF THE PEOPLE AROUND THEM. LATER ON, WHILE ORGANIZINGTHE BAIE-SAINT-PAUL ENTERTAINERS’ FESTIVAL, THIS SAME GROUP HAD TO DEVELOP CLOSE-KNIT RELA-TIONS WITH THE LOCAL COMMUNITY TO SECURE ITS SUPPORT FOR THEIR PROJECT.

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$6.2 millionor 1% of our revenues, dedicated primarily to the cause of youth in difficulty, through outreach and culturalaction programs

3,200 requests and applications received by the Public, Social and Cultural AffairsService, half of which met with a positive response

800 young participants in the Cirque du Monde program

120 artists took part in seven social circus instructor training sessions

15,000 preview tickets distributed to underprivileged youths

40 benefit shows10 art exhibitions at the Studio

17 conferencesNearly $194,000 raised, in tandem with employees, to help victims of natural disasters, especially victims of the tsunamiin Southeast Asia and of Hurricane Katrina

30% increase in IHQ’s recycling rate from 2004 to 2005

1 new parking lot at IHQ, built with a view to limiting environmental impacts

$30 millionor 1% of our revenues, have been dedicatedto social and cultural action (1989 to 2005)

7,000 youthshave participated in the Cirque du Monde program between 1986 and 2005

650 artistshave taken part in 30 social circus instructor training sessions

240 benefit showshave been staged between 1996 and 2005.

2005: some highlights

OUR COMMITMENT TO SOCIAL ACTION DERIVES FROM OUR ROOTS,WHERE YOUTH, CREATION AND MARGINALITY MELDED TOGETHER TOCREATE CIRQUE DU SOLEIL. SINCE THEN:

Travellers that reach out to communities: touring show initiatives

Benefit shows have long been a tradition at Cirque duSoleil. Cirque donates touring show tickets to variousorganizations, which then resell them in aid of theircause. The funds raised go toward sponsoring programsand services for youth at risk. In 2005, some 40 organi-zations held benefit shows that raised a total of nearly$2 million. Benefit shows staged as part of the launchof Corteo, a much-anticipated new production in Canada,enabled organizations in Montreal, Quebec City andToronto to amass almost $600,000.

Despite their itinerant existence, our touring shows and their staff contribute just as significantly to thelives of the communities they visit. For example, touringshow artists and personnel often play host to youths atperformance sites, giving them a small taste of daily life at Cirque du Soleil. This simple gesture leaves a particularly strong impression on these marginalizedyoung people, so used to being ignored and shuntedaside. Similar activities took place on the tours ofSaltimbanco (Paris and Mexico), Quidam (Melbourneand Hong Kong), Dralion (Ostend and Barcelona) andVarekai (St. Petersburg, USA).

In Ostend, Belgium, 17 members of Dralion hosted sometwenty youths at the tour site. Performers offered circusworkshops at the training facilities while techniciansand other staff members served as chaperones for theoccasion, taking their young guests on a tour of thepremises and offering them a meal in the cafeteria.

Las Vegas and Orlando: resident show initiatives

Since late 2004, benefit shows have also been held inLas Vegas and Orlando. On the initiative of performers,Cirque decided to hold annual rehearsals of each bene-fit gala show. Since tickets are sold at a modest price,these benefit galas allow hotel and casino employees to attend the performances. In addition, proceeds fromticket sales are donated to partners in the communitysector. In 2005, proceeds from benefit galas totalledalmost CDN $300,000.

Cirque du Soleil is not alone in having chosen to sup-port the cause of youth in difficulty. Las Vegas playshost to two major fundraising events in support of youthin difficulty, the Tiger Jam (sponsored by Tiger Woods)and the Andre Agassi Grand Slam, which Cirque takespart in every year.

In fact, a five-year cooperative agreement was signedwith the Andre Agassi College Preparatory Academy.Founded by Andre Agassi, this school is designed forunderprivileged students. It promotes self-discipline and respect, and provides its students with personalizedattention in an effort to prepare them for college. Thepartnership calls for various actions (some of whichwere undertaken in 2005), including funding the build-ing of an auditorium, to be named after Cirque duSoleil, and incorporating a social circus program intothe school’s curriculum.

Every year for the past five years, employees of the Las Vegas office have organizeda fundraising event that has established itself as a mainstay in the community: the

5K Run. The event consists of a full day of activities bringing together artists andemployees and is highlighted by a 5-km run and a 1-km walk. This year the money

raised through the sponsorship of the runner/participants amounted to $38,000,with the funds going to partners of the Cirque du Monde program in Las Vegas.

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SSocial ActionINSTEAD OF ESPOUSING ALL CAUSES, CIRQUE DU SOLEIL HAS CHOSEN TO COMMIT ITSELF TO TODAY’S YOUTH,PARTICULARLY STREET YOUTH. THIS CAUSE LIES VERY CLOSE TO CIRQUE’S HEART, AND THE ORGANIZATIONHOPES TO GIVE THESE YOUNG PEOPLE THE OPPORTUNITY TO BUILD NEW BRIDGES WITH THE COMMUNITYTHROUGH THEIR MARGINAL STATUS. INDEED, DOES CIRQUE DU SOLEIL NOT OWE ITS EXISTENCE TO THE FACTTHAT ONE DAY, OLDER PEOPLE FIRMLY BELIEVED IN THE POTENTIAL OF A GROUP OF YOUNG STREET PERFORM-ERS, THE ORIGINAL MEMBERS OF CIRQUE DU SOLEIL? NOW THAT IT HAS THE MEANS TO FULFILL ITS DREAMS,IT IS CIRQUE’S TURN TO GIVE BACK TO YOUNG PEOPLE. IN TANDEM WITH ITS PARTNERS, JEUNESSE DU MONDE,OXFAM INTERNATIONAL AND MANY LOCAL YOUTH ORGANIZATIONS, CIRQUE DU SOLEIL HAS DEVELOPED PROGRAMS DESIGNED TO HELP YOUTHS IN NEARLY 80 COMMUNITIES WORLDWIDE AND THROUGHOUT SOMETWENTY COUNTRIES SPANNING FIVE CONTINENTS.

International Headquarters: at the heart of the Saint-Michel district

A first this year at Montreal’s IHQ: the collection ofschool materials for youths of the Saint-Michel district.The start of the school year involves heavy expensesthat have serious consequences for the budgets ofunderprivileged families. IHQ employees therefore gottogether and donated school supplies as well as money,thus enabling some 125 children and three young moth-ers to start the school year equipped with all the materi-als necessary to be successful. This initiative was inaddition to the organization’s annual Christmas bas-ket drive.

Cirque du Monde: the circus arts reach outto youth in difficulty

Cirque du Monde, Cirque du Soleil’s flagship out-reach program, celebrated its 10th anniversary in

2005. The fruit of a partnership between Cirque duSoleil and Jeunesse du Monde, a non-government inter-national cooperation program, the Cirque du Mondeprogram consists in using the circus arts as an educa-tional alternative for youth in difficulty. In 2005, morethan 800 youths from 35 communities around the worldand nearly 60 partner organizations participated in theprogram.

This anniversary was a celebration of what has becomea planet-wide movement, the social circus, which usesthe circus arts as a privileged tool to reach excludedyouth. Through its ties with numerous circus artists andsocial circus organizations, Cirque du Soleil plays anactive role in this movement.

The social circus: training and networking

Above and beyond the Cirque du Monde program,Cirque du Soleil, driven by a desire to develop,strengthen and ensure the longevity of this movement,has implemented programs designed to train social cir-cus instructors. To this end, it created the InternationalNetwork for Social Circus Instructor Training, a socialcircus exchange and cooperation platform.

Still with a view to ensuring the longevity and transmis-sion of knowledge, Cirque has begun documenting par-ticularly successful social circus experiences. This willmake it possible to develop tools that will be passed onto organizations interested in implementing social circusprograms. This documentation work is done in concertwith the partners, circus instructors and stakeholdersinvolved in the experiences concerned. For instance, in2005, Cirque du Soleil and Circo social Machinchuepa,its Mexican partner, prepared a document relating theCirque du Monde experience in an economicallydepressed district in Mexico.

On May 14, 2005, 150 youths, instructors and socialworkers from Cirque du Monde’s various sites in Quebeccelebrated Cirque du Monde’s 10th anniversary at TOHU,la Cité des arts du cirque. The young participants, wholead a marginal existence, used this cultural space topresent a show reflecting their hopes and concerns to an audience of 350 people.

• National Circus School (Canada)

• Jeunesse du Monde (Canada and Burkina Faso)

• Cirque du Soleil (Canada)

• Circo del Mundo (Chile)

• Zip Zap Circus School (South Africa)

• National Institute of Circus Arts (Australia)

• Circo Para Todos (Colombia)

• Rio de Janeiro National Circus School (Brazil)

Members of the International Network for Social Circus Instructor Training:

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Fair trade: beyond coffee

Cirque du Soleil has been a true pioneer in promotingfair trade in Quebec, having undertaken to consumeonly fair trade coffee as early as 1999. Through aware-ness activities organized from time to time, Cirqueemployees have come to realize the effect of theiraction when they pour themselves a cup of coffee. In2005, a fair trade blitz was held throughout the organi-zation. Some 350 employees actively participated byattending conferences and taking part in the tasting offair products. On tours, similar activities were organizedthanks to the enthusiastic participation of school stu-dents and teachers.

Natural disasters: supportive employees

In addition to its long-term commitment to partners,Cirque du Soleil and its employees mobilized in the faceof the two most momentous events of 2005, the tsuna-mi in Southeast Asia and Hurricane Katrina. Employeesraised $44,775 in aid of the tsunami victims, a figureCirque doubled, thus making for a total of $134,325 inaid relief. The money collected was donated to Oxfamand the Red Cross.

In addition, Cirque employees contributed $30,000toward Hurricane Katrina relief. With Cirque doublingthe amount, a total of $60,000 in aid money was raised.

Cirquesters Do Their Part: acknowledgement of employee volunteerism program

Cirque du Soleil boasts a number of employees who dovolunteer work in their communities. Cirque makes it apoint of honour to underline and support such commit-ment through the Cirquesters Do their Part program,created in 2000. In 2005, eight bursaries, each worth$2,500, were given to organizations for which particu-larly devoted Cirquesters perform volunteer work.

Organizations recipient of bursaries in 2005

Employees doing volunteerwork for these organizations

Maison La Botte de Foin

Las Vegas Radio Amateur Club

Conservatoire de danse de Montréal

Carrefour Lusophone

Arco-Iris

Sierra Club of Canada – Quebec chapter

Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA)

Jewish General Hospital Foundation –Segal Comprehensive Cancer Centre: The Weekend to End Breast Cancer

Marie-Denise Bain

Jason Creager

Lise Dubois

Sandy Gonçalves

Victoria Munoz

Johanne Roberge

Sylvie Robidoux

The Wonderbras: Ines Lenzi, Carole Di Filippo, Sophie Lemieux, Linda Maffei, Christine Mariano, Linda Sanders, Suzanne Slobodian

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Supporting the cultural scene

The support Cirque du Soleil offers to the innovativeand avant-garde projects of emerging artists and organ-izations, which often operate on the periphery of theartistic world, is often the nudge in the right directionthese projects need to see the light of day. Cirque also,and particularly, encourages multidisciplinary creatorswhose works constitute singular amalgamations. Forinstance, in 2005 Cirque sponsored multimedia artistIsabelle Choinière and her company Corps Indice intheir creation of Étude chorégraphique # 1 pour corpsélectrique. This work has the bodies of dancers interact-ing with a carpet composed of electronic sensors andwhich thereby emit various sounds. Isabelle Choinière’sworks have been showcased in Montreal and in Europe.

Cirque is also a founding member of Culture Montréal,an independent, non-profit civic organization thatdefends the right and access to culture, as well as cul-tural participation for all citizens. Culture Montréal

seeks to affirm the role of culture in the city’s develop-ment, in particular by encouraging the participation ofthe professional cultural sector in the life of the commu-nity. In addition, Culture Montréal aims to contribute toMontreal’s positioning as a cultural metropolis by devel-oping its creativity, cultural diversity and national andinternational influence.

What’s more, Cirque du Soleil is involved with a numberof groups in the cultural sector and circus arts field. Ourinvolvement with the Bourse RIDEAU (Réseau Indépen-dant des Diffuseurs d’Événements Artistiques Unis) eventis just one example. RIDEAU’s mission is to foster theblossoming and influence of the performing arts, princi-pally in Quebec but also in Ontario and New Brunswick.Each year RIDEAU grants awards that recognize theexceptional work of artists and cultural presenters.

CCultural ActionCIRQUE DU SOLEIL’S CULTURAL ACTION SEEKS TO STIMULATE THE PROLIFERATION OF CREATIVE ACTIVITYAND THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE ARTS AND CULTURE, MAINLY BY SUPPORTING THE CULTURAL SECTOR ANDINTEGRATING THE ARTS INTO DAILY LIFE—THAT OF ITS EMPLOYEES AND THAT OF THE COMMUNITY. NEVERFORGETTING ITS HUMBLE BEGINNINGS AS A BAND OF STREET ENTERTAINERS WHO USED PUBLIC AREAS ASTHEIR STAGE, CIRQUE FOCUSES ITS CULTURAL ACTION PROGRAMS PRIMARILY ON EMERGING ARTISTS ANDALTERNATIVE COMPANIES.

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Accomplishing two objectives with a singleaction: integrating the arts into the lives ofemployees

The support program for the cultural sector also makes itpossible for Cirque to integrate the arts into the lives ofits employees, as in those of youth in difficulty. Indeed,Cirque purchases tickets for shows presented on thealternative circuit and distributes them to employees viadraws, and to youths via its social action partners. In2005, we gave away 1,600 tickets for 117 shows, includingthe Festival Voix d’Amérique (oral literature and music),Le Feuilleton (multimedia theatre improv) and FullSubluna (multidisciplinary music nights).

The Support Program for Employees’ Artistic Projects(PARADE) aims to support and encourage the artisticactivities employees engage in outside of their work atCirque du Soleil. Each year, a group exhibition allowsCirque employees who practice a visual art to showtheir artistic productions to co-workers. It also serves asa meeting place for employees from various divisionswithin the organization. In 2005, the works of RSD andIHQ employees were for the first time incorporated intothe same exhibition.

Cirque also actively collects works from artists and artgalleries. Displayed in offices and workshops, Cirque’scollection, which comprises several hundred works (80 new acquisitions were made this yearalone), is another way of bringing art into theeveryday lives of employees. In 2005, 10 exhibi-tions of works by emerging artists were organ-ized at IHQ.

Integrating the arts into the community:public art project in Las Vegas

In Las Vegas, Cirque artists and staff, as well asyoung outreach program participants, took partin a public art project initiated by the city tounderline the 100th anniversary of its founda-tion. The initiative called for members of thecommunity to produce one hundred muralsrecounting the city’s history.

Journées de la culture : spend a day at the circus

This year, as in every other year, Cirque du Soleil wel-comed some 5,000 visitors during the Journées de laculture, a weekend during which hundreds of Quebeccultural institutions open their doors to the public with a view to improving access to culture and the arts. Navigating a circuit in the company of Cirque artistsand artisans serving as guides, the public gets to seecreation sites from up close. These open days areorganized jointly with TOHU, the National Circus Schooland En piste.Geneviève Oligny & Marilyne Lemaître

Pierre DumontHeidi TailleferExpo collective de la Galerie SASYuri Maiorov & Jean-François BédardMichel Pilon (Expo Pilon Jacintho)

Expo collective PARADE

Exhibitions at IHQ in 2005 featured:

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C

In keeping with this logic, in 2005 Cirque du Soleilconcluded a five-year agreement with the Fondation de l’athlète d’excellence du Québec (FAEQ). At the first Cirque du Soleil Bursaries presentation, a total of$20,000 was awarded to 14 young promising athletes in gymnastics, synchronized swimming, trampoline and diving.

Each year Cirque also awards a bursary as part of theQuébec Entrepreneurship Contest, in an effort to sup-port small businesses that, upon their creation, includein their mandate the desire to enhance the well-being of the community they work in by way of an integratedapproach. In 2005, Coopérative Paradis (which providesindividuals and organizations working in the Lower St.Lawrence region’s cultural sector with access to fullyequipped production and presentation space accordingto specific needs) was awarded a $5,000 bursary.

Preservation of heritage: the sharing of wealth

Cirque du Soleil perpetuates the memory of its showsby preserving its heritage, which it has every intentionof sharing. Thus, props and costumes are often show-cased as part of exhibitions or events related to the circus arts.

Civic Synergy: Beyond 1%OUR COMMITMENT IS LIKE A DOOR OPENING ONTO THE WORLD; IT ALLOWS US TO FORGE AND MAINTAINRELATIONSHIPS WITH ALL SPHERES OF SOCIETY: THE ARTISTIC, SPORTS AND BUSINESS INDUSTRIES,CIRQUE PEOPLE FROM ALL OVER THE GLOBE, POLITICIANS, ACADEMICS, DIPLOMATS AND COMMUNITYSTAKEHOLDERS. THIS NETWORK OF RELATIONS AND COLLABORATIVE ACTIVITIES IS AT THE CORE OF CIRQUE’S COMMITMENT. AND THE MEANS OF ACTION ARE AS VARIED AND DIVERSE AS THE STAKE-HOLDERS: CONFERENCES, PARTICIPATION IN BOARDS OF DIRECTORS’ MEETINGS AND BENEFIT EVENTS,FINANCIAL CONTRIBUTIONS, ETC.

The circus arts: one big family

In 2005, Cirque threw its support behind the organiza-tion of the European Circus Association AnnualSymposium by sponsoring the simultaneous translationof presentations into five different languages, therebyensuring the success of the event.

The experience of Saltimbanco’s 2004-2005 Europeantour perfectly illustrates this desire to be part of theCirque community. The show’s artistic director organ-ized exchanges with schools, troupes and circus groupsin various cities, in the form of workshops, visits orinformal get-togethers. These exchanges provided anopportunity for learning and discussion, self-awarenessand mutual enrichment, as much for Cirque as for localorganizations.

Conferences: assuring the reach of Cirque andits values

Cirque du Soleil receives frequent invitations to partici-pate in conferences in various places. DuringSaltimbanco’s run in Guadalajara, Mexico, the SeniorVice-President of Shows, at the invitation of ITESCOUniversity’s Cultural Promotion Centre (Guadalajara),gave a conference on the history of Cirque du Soleil,including its strategies for developing new markets andits social involvement programs. The event drew acapacity crowd of 1,300 students in administration,communication and design at ITESCO University.

Supporting the next generation: a long-term vision

Cirque du Soleil also supports various sectors of activi-ty, from which it recruits the future members of itsorganization who are so essential to its longevity:sports, business, the arts, etc.

The majority of Cirque acrobats were initially trained inother disciplines. If we have chosen to invest in futuregenerations of athletes, it is precisely because we rec-ognize the close connection between the circus artsand the world of sports.

Among the 15 or so exhibitions held in 2005, the one involvingthe John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art in Sarasota, Florida,deserves special mention. The museum has set up a permanentexhibition on the history of the circus in America, which featuresa section on the contemporary circus arts. It also includes a section dedicated to Cirque du Soleil featuring props and costumes on loan from the organization.

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Cirque’s environmental initiatives are often carried outin concert with community and government organiza-tions. For example, residual waste management prac-tices include donating scraps from the manufacturing ofprops, shoes and costumes to Productions Jeune’Est,which uses them for courses on the production of setsand props. Also, computers which no longer meet theorganization’s needs are given to a social economycompany called Insertech, which recycles and resellsthem.

Initiatives at IHQ

Residual and hazardous waste management

In June 2005, Recyc-Québec, a Quebec governmentagency, awarded Cirque du Soleil a recycling perform-ance attestation for its residual waste managementpractices at IHQ in Montreal. Through its waste reduc-tion at source, reuse and recycling activities, Cirque hasgone from a 38% recycling rate in 2004 to a 70% recy-cling rate in 2005. Decorated by a young graffiti artist,the organization’s recycling bins also sport Cirque’strademark artistic touch.

Corrective measures have also been taken to reduceenvironmental risks associated with the management ofhazardous waste. These measures have had the positiveeffect of simplifying the processing of waste by work-shop employees.

New measures

In addition to the managing of residual and hazardouswaste, further measures were implemented in 2005. Forexample, the employee and visitor parking lot at IHQwas refurbished in order to limit its environmentalimpacts as much as possible. During renovation work infall 2005, recycled materials such as asphalt and con-crete were used. When renovation work resumes inspring 2006, non-polluting materials (e.g. vegetable oil)will be used for surfacing, and runoff will be drainedinto a ditch filled with hydrocarbon-absorbing plantsbefore being discharged to a sewer system.

And not only has nighttime lighting at IHQ been signifi-cantly reduced, but bicycles are now made available toemployees who travel between IHQ and the ING build-ing (a 10-minute trip).

Touring and resident show initiatives

For touring shows, the environmental challenge is thatmuch bigger, because of the temporary nature of theirinstallations. In 2005, a waste management pilot projectwas implemented in conjunction with the tour stops ofthe new production Corteo in Montreal, Quebec Cityand Toronto. Despite the logistical hurdles, the organi-zation hopes to move forward and is currently preparingto implement waste management measures on the vari-ous touring shows on a gradual basis.

Reuse and recycling measures have also been imple-mented at Cirque’s permanent installations in Las Vegasand Orlando.

EEnvironmental Action: Toward a Green Cirque!IN 2002, CIRQUE INCLUDED IN ITS 2002-2007 BUSINESS PLAN A KEY PRIORITY: MANAGING ITS IMPACT ONTHE ENVIRONMENT. EMPLOYEES SENSITIVE TO ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES WERE RESPONSIBLE FOR THISNEW FOCUS. THE ORGANIZATION QUICKLY SET UP AN ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT STRUCTURE WITHINTHE PROCUREMENT AND BUILDING SERVICES SERVICE.

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A new adventure: Arts nomades

In 2005, Cirque du Soleil set to work on a new project slated for full deployment in2006. This is a pilot project whose aim is to contribute through the arts to the educa-tion of children and youths of public elementary schools in the Saint-Michel district.The initiative was developed in concert with the local community and neighbourhoodschools, and will be carried out in partnership with École Buissonnière. The originalityof Arts nomades lies in its ambition to initiate kids into the arts and cultural action by means of a personalized educational approach – one that aims to give studentsaccess to a creative environment that fosters their personal and social development.Arts nomades will take to the road at the beginning of the 2006-2007 school year, with stops at the Bienville and Saint-Mathieu elementary schools.

PProspects and Challenges for 2006FOR CIRQUE DU SOLEIL, IT’S THE ENTIRE ORGANIZATION—WITH ITS SHOWS, ITS CREATION AND PERFORM-ANCE SITES, ITS REPUTATION, ITS FINANCIAL RESOURCES AND, ABOVE ALL, ITS EMPLOYEES, ARTISTS ANDMANAGERS—THAT EXEMPLIFIES SOCIAL INVOLVEMENT, WHICH IS WHAT MAKES CIRQUE A FULL-FLEDGEDMEMBER OF THE COMMUNITY.

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adoption of an environmental policy

adherence to the City of Montreal’s strategic plan for sustainable development and progressiveimplementation of the measures prescribed in it

implementation of a tour waste management program

air pollution• assessing greenhouse gas emissions• assessing the energy efficiency of tour sites • assessing the use of biodiesel for tour generators • additional measures for controlling Studio lighting

water management• feasibility study of various measures to implement

more environment-friendly water consumption practices

• employee awareness campaign aimed at reducingconsumption of drinkable water

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New environmental challengesENVIRONMENTAL INITIATIVES WILL COUNT AMONG CIRQUE’S PRIORITIES FOR 2006. MORE SPECIFICALLY, THE ORGANIZATION WILL FOCUS ON THE FOLLOWING AREAS:

22006: Bound for 2009AS DEMONSTRATED IN THIS REVIEW, FOR CIRQUE DU SOLEIL THERE IS MORE TO COMMUNITY RELATIONSTHAN SIMPLY PERFORMING GOOD DEEDS. CIRQUE DU SOLEIL TRUSTS THAT ITS SOCIAL INVOLVEMENT WILLDISTINGUISH ITSELF BY ITS UNIQUENESS AND DEPTH, JUST AS EACH OF ITS NEW SHOWS STRETCH THELIMITS OF INNOVATION AND IMAGINATION.

As of 2006, Cirque will be turning its attention to other aspects of its impact on societyand the environment. The organization will determine what it has to do over the next fewyears to ensure that its actions are aligned with its community involvement values. Theseefforts will aim to create a synergy of civic responsibility, that is, a mobilization effortamong all the Services to build a socially committed organization that will take intoaccount social and environmental factors in all of its decisions.

The 2006 Review will outline the established action plan as well as achievements in theareas of community relations and environmental performance. With its 25th anniversarycoming up, Cirque du Soleil wishes that each of its services and each of its membersfeels called upon and invested with the responsibility to embody Cirque’s commitment to creating a better world.

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