I know what you’re thinking: You read the headline, saw the word “circus” and immediately your brain went to lion tamers, high-wire acts and jugglers lobbing flaming batons. But the circus to which I’m referring has nothing to do with the stereotypical ones of the tented variety. A new Kickstarter campaign aims to bring a traveling circus of art and design to Boston and, as noted by its creators, “help spread design discourse.”

Aptly called Circus for Construction, the idea is to put an event platform – whether for dance shows, theatre performances, or exhibitions of next-generation art and design projects – on the back of a semi-trailer and take it on the road from place to place, ŕ la the circus.

You’ll see in the GIF below, Circus for Construction works by unfolding the semi to create seating space and a canopied area perfect for outdoor shows and showcases. As is written on the Kickstarter page, “the Circus for Construction will challenge existing ideas about where ‘museums’ or ‘lecture halls’ reside.”

The masterminds behind this project are collectively known as The Spectacle Syndicate. They conceived the idea for this innovative mobile display after winning a design competition hosted by Storefront for Art and Architecture.

There is no better way, they thought, to spread their message urging anyone and everyone to reimagine the world of art and design than to take their notions on the road.

But they need your help.

To date, 77 backers have funded $7,776 of the $10,000 goal and there are just 17 days left to close that gap. Should they reach their goal, they plan on hitting the pavement with Circus for Construction. The preliminary plan is to hit up Boston, Provincetown, Providence, Buffalo, Ithaca and Portland between September 19 and November 21.

Your contributions will be used for purchasing the 30-foot trailer, building materials for the shelter to sit upon the trailer, and parking permits in each city.

For Bostonians reading this page and considering cracking open their piggy banks to help support the project, it should be a no brainer. Circus for Construction embodies Boston’s substantial commitment to art and design, one that’s been renewed as of late and has helped spur a public art renaissance not just downtown or in Boston’s traditionally art-centric communities, but throughout all of its neighborhoods.

Screenshot via Circus for Construction