Last week our youngest performers from our Level Up Circus Academy presented their end of year production Inhabi-tent. This wonderful show highlighted our young artists as they shared with us their favourite circus stories in the Freo Big Top. We couldn't be more proud of their hard work and the incredible performances they brought to this night. This could only have been achieved by the focus and dedication of our wonderful trainers who have been working with this Academy across the year. In particular Ben Kotovski-Steele - who devised and directed Inhabi-tent We'd like to extend our gratitude to: Alcoa for funds through their volunteer engagement program which helped clean up our big top and fund this production The Freo Big Top could not exist without the generous support of City of Fremantle . With their support they are helping to house our growth and development And finally thanks to the State Government of WA through the Department of Local Government, Sport and Cultural Industries for acknowledging the importance of circus and youth arts through four year annual funding. Photos by Tashi Hall
CircusWA
Performing Arts
Fremantle, Western Australia 463 followers
We are a circus training and development centre creating opportunities for WA youth of all abilities and backgrounds.
About us
For over 30 years, we have been celebrating, nurturing and supporting distinctive artistic and cultural endeavours in our community. Established by a group of bold, dynamic street performers, our origin story is still seen in performances at community events and festivals and informs our conscience driven social programming. Since 2017, our training and development centre has been in the Freo Big Top in the east end of Fremantle. Co-located with DADAA and next door to Fremantle’s iconic Clancy’s pub, CircusWA is contributing to a flourishing new creative hub in Fremantle. Today, we are a training and performance organisation promoting excellence, inclusion and innovation in circus arts. With community at our core, each year we engage approximately 400 students in our training programs and over the years we have helped thousands of young people develop into confident, healthy individuals who have gone on to pursue exciting careers. Through our youth training and performance programs we are empowering young people to develop creativity and strengthen their voices to build a more connected, creative and inclusive world. We are supporting them to be the agents of change throughout their own lives. Many past students have gone on to pursue exciting careers as professional circus artists, often coming back home to teach masterclasses and assist our performance troupes. We provide term classes, holiday programs, social circus programs, outreach workshops, three performance troupe programs, scholarships and bursaries, circus parties, support for professional circus artists, subsidised outreach opportunities, corporate workshops, masterclasses and performance opportunities to people aged from 2 to 82.
- Website
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https://circuswa.com/
External link for CircusWA
- Industry
- Performing Arts
- Company size
- 11-50 employees
- Headquarters
- Fremantle, Western Australia
- Type
- Nonprofit
- Founded
- 1992
- Specialties
- Circus, Physical Theatre, Training, youth arts, community arts, and social circus
Locations
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Primary
Get directions
90 Adelaide Street
Fremantle, Western Australia 6160, AU
Employees at CircusWA
Updates
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This fund has had a major IMPACT on our growth and development. At the end of 2022, following a joint-pitch from our AD Jo Smith, Lead Trainer Ben Kotovski-Steele and two youth performers, we were the successful recipients of $100k. These funds went towards launching WA's first ever youth circus academy across 2023. This support gave us the major lift we needed to launch into our current transformation where we now deliver quality training to ambitious youth artists, and generate three shows a year with one preparing to tour to Brisbane in 2025. This success cemented in us our communities belief that what we do matters. Arts matters. Stories matter. Youth matter. Because of that 2023 funding we now have more opportunities to transform our society with every circus project we envisage and roll out. At the upcoming awards next Thursday 24th Oct, we are honoured to be invited back to share the IMPACT that this fund has had on us. Come along and hear us, hear the four inspirational organisations who will be pitching, and maybe be inspired to donate - it is never too late to donate. Thank you to the Fremantle Foundation for housing Impact100 Fremantle and to all the donors who's offerings together make such a difference to our community. Join this community driven fundraising platform, and support great orgs and initiatives to thrive.
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CircusWA was not only honoured to be shortlisted for a Fremantle Chamber of Commerce Creative Industries champions award, but won the Champions award at this year's wonderfully effervescent awards night - code-named Froggies (Freo Loggies). This success doesn't negate the champion quality of all other creative businesses and arts orgs who work to ensure Fremantle is a city of the arts, but it is an acknowledgement of the extraordinary journey of survival and growth CircusWA has undertaken over the past 8yrs. Fremantle is unique in so many ways, and the creative orgs are very important to creating that unique #sofreo quality! The award was accepted on behalf of the organisation by board member Scott Dennis and Artistic Director Jo Smith. In Jo's acceptance speech she acknowledged that the Circus could survive on the artists' grit and determination, but growth and development into a successful organisation required community - many layers of community including the business community. She acknowledged the unwaivering support from the City of Fremantle as well as from the State Government of WA with Simone McGurk MLA a constant advocate. We'd like to thank the Fremantle campus of The University of Notre Dame Australia for funding this award which was presented by Martin Drum Executive Dean – Arts, Sciences, Law and Business. #thisisfremantle
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Monday 4th November is AGM Come hear about our 2023/24. Another magical year. We are looking for two new board members. All information here: https://lnkd.in/dN5dKg8V Contact Jo Smith to discuss: [email protected]
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We just got shortlisted for the Fremantle Chamber of Commerce business awards - Creative Industries 🤩 Thanks Fremantle for believing in Circus as an important organisation that makes significant contributions to Fremantle and the broader Creative Industries in WA. Now it's time to hear from you. VOTEing is in the link below - scroll down to category 11 and submit a short statement on what you see is CircusWA's role in generating a vibrant Creative community. QUICK LINK straight to the form: https://lnkd.in/gAxribYV
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We have just come off the back of an amazing two terms of working out at the wonderful Yanchep Secondary College. This was a first nations led program integrating circus training and hiphop. Guided by Derek Nannup the project was delivered around the story of a 1940's first nations tightwire artist Con Colleano. Together the students trained in circus skills, learned about Con and composed two hip hop songs led by the inimitable team of Noongar artist Josh Egglington (Flewnt), and Scott Optimus (of HipHopera fame). The final presentation to the school community was held on the last Wednesday of term in their theatre. We are so grateful to the Department of Local Government, Sport and Cultural Industries for their inspirational funding platform Creative Learning which supports schools and artists to work together. Photos by Edwin S.(Sitt)
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We are still looking for the right person to work with this gang. Maybe You? More info here: https://lnkd.in/dZCngTZ6
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Last monday and Tuesday we hosted the wonderful Danielle Micich from Force Majeure as she guided a group of 22 mixed artists through her processes of devising. INCITE is a regular training platform Danielle delivers across Australia helping many artists to grapple with and drill down into the complexities of creating new works. This year we invited her to work with 11 circus artists alongside 11 other creatives who work in physical theatre. This workshop was the launch of CircusWA's 2025 emerging directors program which is supported by Creative Australia. We look forward to soon announcing our two emerging directors for this program. Incite was delivered inside our new SUPERMARKET SPACE - an empty supermarket next door to the circus office. This space has been opened up for all performance artists to access for free to devise, make and rehearse in. Contact [email protected] if you're keen to come and look at the space and book in some time. Thanks to City of Fremantle the Department of Local Government, Sport and Cultural Industries and Sirona for helping us open up the supermarket as a creative space. Pics by Tashi Hall
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We are supporting Derek Nannup to create a physical theatre production which will not only bring the story of Con Colleano to the stage but also bring his spirit back to Australia. These images - the transformation of Con the Torero to Con the Bundjalong man - are the outcomes of the first five day creative/concept development which we wrapped up on Tuesday. Con was a Bundjalong man from the Lismore area (NSW) who performed circus with his family in the 1920's-40's. They travelled to America where Con became the world's most renowned tightwire artist masquerading as a Spannish Torero on the wire. Derek's fascinating new scripting of Con's story is a layered and complex re-telling of a hero who is as much his family and his country as he is the infamous persona on wire/stage. Derek hones in on a uniquely first nations interpretation of Con's experiences. He unearths the complexities of being judged in 1920's-40's Australia by the colour of his skin, and what it means to not be able to die on your own country. Creative team supporting Derek Nannup on this development were first nations circus artists Dylan Singh (Con), Leah Pigram (Winnie), Krissy Lane (family members) with support from Ben Kotovski-Steele. Designers were Joey RuigrokvanderWerven and Karen Hethey with creative producer Jo Smith Thanks to Seed Arts Australia in Lismore for generously sharing all the knowledge and stories you had unearthed in your 2023 production wizard of the wire. Simone O'Brien ❤️ Thanks to Department of Local Government, Sport and Cultural Industries for funding this project's first development and to the City of Fremantle and Fremantle Ports for supporting with venues. Images by Tashi Hall
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So many individuals, organisations and businesses got behind us as we heralded B'Spoke into existence and onto the stage in early July. The Hougoumont Hotel was one business who helped by accommodating some of our creative team. To Marco and your team at the Hougoumont, thanks for warmly supporting and welcoming us. In doing so you help keep Fremantle a thriving community. This is a small thank you video showcasing our B'Spoke musicians who performed at the hotel's bar, Calamity's Rod, before heading into rehearsals. Thank you Shenzo Gregorio , Maia Harcourt and Jude Iddison for your music. An amazing journey for us all. video by Tashi Hall #thefreobigtop #fremantlelife #thisisfremantle