The Creative Circus, the iconic Atlanta-based advertising portfolio school that shuttered after graduating its class of 2023, is being revived.  

Richmond, VA-based Virginia Commonwealth University has acquired the award-winning portfolio school from Ancora Education. Terms weren’t disclosed but Durham, NC-based ad agency McKinney is providing what the school called a “generous donation” to support the school in its new iteration as part of VCU in Richmond.  

VCU, which also runs the internationally acclaimed Brandcenter Master’s Program, is planning to reopen The Creative Circus in the summer of 2024 with a focus on copywriting, art direction, design and content creation disciplines. The program will offer a range of courses online. Soon after it will kick off its certificate program. And eventually it plans to offer “stackable” credentials that could be applied towards an undergraduate degree.  

All classes will be taught by industry pros. 

"I'm grateful for the opportunity to work with the VCU team to relaunch The Creative Circus,” said Joe Maglio, CEO of McKinney. “Providing different access points for education is critical to ensure that we continue to create opportunities and mentorship for people who want to break into the advertising industry, regardless of their starting point,” he added.    

VCU’s Dean of the School of Business, Dr. Naomi Boyd stated that "The closure of The Creative Circus was a significant loss to the advertising industry, leaving a void that needs to be filled...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.” 

Details about the school’s leadership are still being formulated.