‘Can make money meh?’: Meet Jonathan Goh, Singapore’s first degree holder in circus arts

Singaporean circus performer Jonathan Goh in action during Lisboa Magica in Lisbon in August 2024.

PHOTO: @ANADIASPHOTOGRAPHY (ANA DIAS)

Published Oct 02, 2026, 05:00 AM

Updated Oct 02, 2026, 10:17 AM

Jonathan Goh is Singapore’s first degree holder in circus arts, graduating from the National Centre for Circus Arts in London in 2025 with an Honours degree.

He pursued formal education after performing professionally, despite high tuition fees and limited income, believing the degree honed his skills and creative process.

Goh actively contributes to Singapore’s circus community by leading workshops and nurturing new talent, becoming a key figure in the local arts scene.

SINGAPORE – With dozens of eyes trained on him, Jonathan Goh scales a wobbly, unsupported ladder to the top rung before gracefully guiding himself back down to earth with a deft front somersault close to the crowd, as the ladder crashes behind him.

While it is clear hours of training have gone into this and other stunts he performs as a busker , what spectators may not know is that the 30-year-old has a degree in his craft.

The National Centre for Circus Arts in London confirmed, in response to The Straits Times’ queries, that Goh is the first Singaporean to graduate with its honours degree in Circus Arts, doing so in July 2025.

His field of study might make him an outlier, but his mindset during his educational journey was quintessentially Singaporean.

Said Goh: “I was like ‘Okay, die die must at least have good results.’ Throughout my studies, most of the time I’m the just pass, average kind of student...

“But there was a lot of pressure when I went to circus school knowing that I’m the first... If you don’t do well, then what’s the point of being the first?”

Xyn Foo, an independent circus producer and director whose master’s thesis was on Singapore’s circus landscape, believes Goh is the first person here to earn a degree in circus arts from any institution, let alone one recognised by FEDEC – the international network for professional circus education.

“To have someone who’s willing to invest both financially and time to pursue a degree, especially in Singapore, where culturally we may not truly value arts as a career, I think it is a very significant thing,” said Foo, who is in her 40s and a member of the local circus collective Bornfire.

From professional performer to full-time student

Goh picked up circus arts at the age of 11 after being mesmerised by a fire-spinning performance and first dreamt of pursuing a formal circus arts education when he was still in secondary school.

But having chosen instead to go straight into performing, he thought a formal education in the field had passed him by, until the Covid-19 pandemic stuck in 2019 and left his career in limbo.

That was when Goh, who is also co-chairman of Buskers’ Association Singapore, decided to take “a leap of faith”. But that leap also meant a hit to his pocket.

The course at the National Centre for Circus Arts was for three years, with annual fees set at around £18,000 (S$30,500) for overseas students.

These days, Goh said his income fluctuates, ranging between $6,000 and $12,000 per month.

The 30-year-old said the question he gets asked the most about his career choice is “Can earn money, meh?”. But he added that when people learn the amount he earns, “it’s hard for them to give disparaging remarks”.

During his studies in London, however, with classes five times a week for around seven hours each day, he could not perform full time like he does in Singapore, meaning he had to “scrimp and save”.

He did, however, perform at Covent Garden – a renowned Mecca for street performers – as often as he could, earning between £200-£400 a week, which he used for living expenses, such as rent and groceries.

During term breaks in the summer he would perform across Europe, including at the renowned Edinburgh Festival Fringe. During the winter holidays, where the shorter daylight hours and colder climes meant there was less appetite to watch street performers, Goh would fly back to Singapore to perform.

Ultimately, Goh believes his tenure of full-time study has been invaluable to honing his craft, which involves an array of circus disciplines such as the trapeze, aerial and Chinese pole, teeter board, and ball, club and ring juggling.

He explained: “Before circus school, it was a lot of trial and error, a lot of guessing – just doing and hopefully, it works for the best.”

He also now thinks more deeply in terms of the creative process, trying to tell a story rather than just execute moves. And when he is working on tricks, Goh says his greater understanding of body mechanics means he knows the ways “to train your mind and body to get the trick faster”.

Foo says Singapore’s circus arts community is also reaping the rewards of Goh’s higher learning.

She said: “He is very excited about giving back – holding creation labs, sessions for fellow circus practitioners and trying to nurture practitioners that may take interest in his speciality...

“He is a community leader, one way or the other. He has always been.”

Dilenjit Singh is a correspondent at The Straits Times’ breaking news desk.

Universities - overseas

新加坡马戏表演者 Jonathan Goh 在 2024 年 8 月里斯本举行的里斯本魔幻艺术节上表演。

照片：@ANADIASPHOTOGRAPHY（安娜·迪亚斯）

发布于 2026 年 10 月 2 日 上午 5:00

更新于2026年10月2日上午10:17

Jonathan Goh 是新加坡首位获得马戏艺术学位的人，他于 2025 年从伦敦国家马戏艺术中心毕业，获得荣誉学位。

尽管学费高昂、收入有限，但他在结束职业表演生涯后仍然选择接受正规教育，因为他相信学位可以磨练他的技能和创作过程。

吴先生积极参与新加坡的马戏界活动，主持工作坊，培养新人才，成为当地艺术界的重要人物。

新加坡——在数十双眼睛的注视下，乔纳森·吴攀上一架摇摇晃晃、没有支撑的梯子，到达顶端，然后优雅地用一个灵巧的前空翻将自己引导回地面，靠近人群，梯子在他身后轰然倒塌。

很明显，他为了表演这个和其他街头艺人的特技，都进行了大量的训练，但观众可能不知道的是，这位 30 岁的年轻人拥有这方面的学位。

伦敦国家马戏艺术中心在回应《海峡时报》的询问时证实，吴同学是第一位获得该中心马戏艺术荣誉学位的新加坡人，他将于 2025 年 7 月毕业。

他的研究领域或许使他显得与众不同，但他求学期间的思维方式却具有典型的新加坡特色。

吴说：“我当时想，‘好吧，就算拼了命也要至少取得好成绩。’在我的求学过程中，我大部分时间都是那种及格的、中等水平的学生……”

“但是，当我去马戏学校的时候，我知道自己是第一个，所以压力很大……如果你做得不好，那么做第一个又有什么意义呢？”

独立马戏制作人兼导演 Xyn Foo 的硕士论文研究的是新加坡的马戏界，他认为 Goh 是新加坡第一个从任何机构获得马戏艺术学位的人，更不用说获得 FEDEC（国际专业马戏教育网络）认可的学位了。

“有人愿意投入金钱和时间去攻读学位，尤其是在新加坡，因为在文化上我们可能并不真正重视艺术作为一种职业，我认为这是一件非常重要的事情，” Foo说道，她40多岁，是当地马戏团体Bornfire的成员。

从职业表演者到全日制学生

吴在11岁时被一场火舞表演深深吸引，从此开始学习马戏艺术。他还在中学时就梦想着接受正规的马戏艺术教育。

但他选择直接投身表演事业，认为自己错过了接受正规表演教育的机会，直到 2019 年新冠疫情爆发，使他的事业陷入停滞。

就在那时，身为新加坡街头艺人协会联合主席的吴先生决定“放手一搏”。但这一举动也让他损失了不少钱。

国家马戏艺术中心的课程为期三年，海外学生的年学费约为 18,000 英镑（30,500 新元）。

吴先生表示，他现在的收入波动很大，每月在 6000 美元到 12000 美元之间。

这位30岁的男子表示，人们问他关于职业选择最多的问题是“能赚钱吗？”。但他补充说，当人们知道他的收入时，“就很难再说些贬低的话了”。

然而，在伦敦求学期间，他每周有五天课，每天大约七个小时，无法像在新加坡那样全职工作，这意味着他不得不“省吃俭用”。

不过，他还是尽可能经常地在科文特花园（著名的街头艺人圣地）表演，每周能赚到 200 到 400 英镑，用来支付房租和食品杂货等生活开支。

暑假期间，他会在欧洲各地演出，包括著名的爱丁堡艺穗节。寒假期间，由于日照时间缩短、气候寒冷，人们对街头表演的兴趣降低，吴先生便会飞回新加坡演出。

最终，吴认为他的全日制学习经历对于磨练他的技艺来说是无比宝贵的，他的技艺涵盖了一系列马戏技巧，如空中飞人、空中杆、中国杆、跷跷板以及球、棍和环杂耍。

他解释说：“在进入马戏学校之前，我做了很多尝试和错误，很多猜测——只是摸着石头过河，希望最终能取得最好的结果。”

如今，他在创作过程中也更加深入地思考，力求讲述一个故事，而不仅仅是完成动作。吴先生表示，在练习技巧时，他对人体力学的更深刻理解意味着他知道如何“训练身心，更快地掌握技巧”。

Foo表示，新加坡的马戏艺术界也正在享受吴先生深造带来的益处。

她说：“他非常热衷于回馈社会——举办创作工作坊，为其他马戏从业者开设课程，并努力培养可能对他的专业领域感兴趣的从业者……”

“无论从哪个方面来说，他都是社区领袖。他一直都是。”

迪伦吉特·辛格是《海峡时报》突发新闻编辑部的记者。

海外大学