Virginia Commonwealth University acquires The Creative Circus and plans to relaunch portfolio school

Virginia Commonwealth University has acquired the advertising portfolio school The Creative Circus from Ancora Education. While terms were not disclosed, the acquisition was facilitated by a donation from McKinney, the North Carolina-based ad agency. Related: Agencies still rely on portfolio schools for hiring The Creative Circus had been a two-year, for-profit advertising school that opened in Atlanta in 1995, before closing its doors earlier this year after declining enrollment exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. See our Year in Review stories here VCU plans to relaunch the school as a hybrid program with a focus on copywriting, art direction, design and content creation. The program will offer a variety of open-enrollment classes taught by working professionals with industry experience. The acquisition was a way to continue The Creative Circus’ history of having a “lasting impact” on the advertising industry, according to VCU Dean of the School of Business Naomi Boyd. “The closure of The Creative Circus was a significant loss to the advertising industry,” Boyd said in a statement. “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.” Eventually, VCU plans to offer a certificate program and stackable credits that can be applied toward an undergraduate degree. The Creative Circus will work in tandem with VCU’s Brandcenter, a master’s program in advertising, branding and marketing. The program will launch in summer 2024.

Virginia Commonwealth University acquires The Creative Circus and plans to relaunch portfolio school

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