Help Build The Aerium’s New Home for Aerial Arts

My name is Dara, and I’m raising an initial $15,000 to help The Aerium move into and prepare a dedicated home for aerial education in San Antonio.

The Aerium already has a community and a creative purpose. Now, I’m working toward a space that gives that community more room to learn, create, and grow into the performing arts school I’ve long envisioned.

A community worth building for

My approach to aerial education brings technical understanding, creative expression, and personal growth together. I want students to understand how movement works, develop confidence through practice, and discover what they want to express as artists.

Our Zoonotico production offers a glimpse of that vision: aerial movement, characters, choreography, and performers coming together to create something to share with an audience. The people you see in these performance photos are part of the community behind this next chapter.

I want to build on that foundation with a dedicated place for progressive training, artistic exploration, and connection. A place where someone can begin with the fundamentals and continue developing their skills and creative voice over time.

Why a new space matters

The space we are working toward is approximately 2,025 square feet, with higher ceilings and potential for future expansion.

In aerial arts, height matters. It gives students and performers more room to develop movement and explore choreography. A dedicated training environment would also let us shape the space around the needs of aerial education, rather than letting the limitations of the room shape the possibilities for the school.

This move is a step toward a lasting home for that work. My longer-term vision includes performance opportunities, collaboration among artists, and teacher development, growing gradually into a fuller circus and performing arts education program.

What your donation will help fund

* AI-generated concept visualization, not the completed

studio or an approved construction/rigging plan.

Our initial $15,000 target will help with the upfront costs of moving into and preparing the new space. Planned needs include:

- Structural beams and professionally planned aerial rigging.

- Appropriate flooring for the training environment.

- HVAC and essential space preparation.

- Relocation and setup costs.

These practical foundations are what make the teaching and creative work possible. The initial target is a contribution toward this transition, not a claim that $15,000 covers the entire project or guarantees an opening date.

Thank you to those who helped us get here

Support for our earlier fundraiser helped establish the current studio. I’m grateful for what that made possible. This campaign supports a different next step: moving into and equipping the new school, rather than raising money again for expenses already paid.

Help us create the next chapter

My hope is to build a place that serves people at different stages of their aerial journey: beginners finding their confidence, dedicated students deepening their practice, and artists developing work they can share with the community.

If you can contribute, please help us take this next step. If you aren’t able to donate, sharing the fundraiser or connecting us with potential supporters is another meaningful way to help.

Thank you for helping create more room for aerial arts, education, and community in San Antonio