The Women's Circus, a
feminist
Feminism is a range of socio-political movements and ideology, ideologies that aim to define and establish the political, economic, personal, and social gender equality, equality of the sexes. Feminism holds the position that modern soci ...
not for profit organisation, provides
circus
A circus is a company of performers who put on diverse entertainment shows that may include clowns, acrobats, trained animals, trapeze acts, musicians, dancers, hoopers, tightrope walkers, jugglers, magicians, ventriloquists, and unicy ...
performance training and social arts projects for women, trans and non-binary people in the western region of
Melbourne
Melbourne ( , ; Boonwurrung language, Boonwurrung/ or ) is the List of Australian capital cities, capital and List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city of the States and territories of Australia, Australian state of Victori ...
,
Victoria
Victoria most commonly refers to:
* Queen Victoria (1819–1901), Queen of the United Kingdom and Empress of India
* Victoria (state), a state of Australia
* Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, a provincial capital
* Victoria, Seychelles, the capi ...
, Australia. Training programs focus on the physical and imaginative potential of the human body, self-awareness and self-esteem. It has a history of original productions with social, educational and health themes related to women's lives.
History
The Women's Circus began in 1991, as an initiative of the
Footscray Community Arts Centre,
offering training and performance projects. Women recognised as founders include Donna Jackson, director; Sally Forth, trainer and Elizabeth Walsh, director of the Footscray Community Arts Centre.
The inspiration was built on the work of an earlier Wimmin's Circus, Australia's first women's circus established in Melbourne which ran from 1978-1981. The Wimmin's Circus was supported in its early days by access to the facilities and expertise of
CircusOz.
Feminist Jean Taylor who joined the Women's Circus in 1991, went on to establish the Performing Older Women's Circus in 1995.
The Women's Circus toured
Beijing
Beijing, Chinese postal romanization, previously romanized as Peking, is the capital city of China. With more than 22 million residents, it is the world's List of national capitals by population, most populous national capital city as well as ...
in 1995 as part of the
United Nation's Conference on Women, and performed and ran workshops in regional France in 2012. It has won several awards from Arts Victoria and the
Melbourne Fringe Festival
The Melbourne Fringe Festival is an annual independent arts festival in Melbourne, Australia, usually over three weeks from late September to early October. Held since 1982, the Festival includes a wide variety of art forms, including theatre, co ...
.
In 2006, the organisation moved to the Drill Hall,
Footscray, and receives support by the
Maribyrnong City Council.
Training
In addition to intermediate and advanced training programs, the circus also offers a program for people who have no experience in circus training. Participants learn a range of skills including
hula-hooping,
juggling
Juggling is a physical skill, performed by a juggler, involving the manipulation of objects for recreation, entertainment, art or sport. The most recognizable form of juggling is toss juggling. Juggling can be the manipulation of one object o ...
,
trapeze
A trapeze is a short horizontal bar hung by ropes, metal straps, or chains, from a ceiling support. It is an aerial apparatus commonly found in circus performances. Trapeze acts may be static, spinning (rigged from a single point), swinging or ...
, swings,
acro-balance (making pyramids), climbing and
tumbling.
Publications
*
Productions
* ''The Drill'' , Director: Penelope Bartlau, 2019
* ''Night Circus'' , Director: Penelope Bartlau, 2017
* ''Fluidity'' , Director: Penelope Bartlau, 2017
* ''The Penelopiad'' , Director: Steph Kehoe, 2016
* ''Soar'' , Director: Steph Kehoe, 2013
* ''What Do I Want?'' , Director: Spenser Inwood, 2013
* ''Red Hot Flush'' , Director: Deb Batton, 2012
* ''Leggings are Not Pants'' , Director: Sarah Pheasant, 2012
* ''Out of the Box'' , Director: Franca Stadler, 2012
* ''Snakes and Ladders'' , Director: Deb Batton, 2011
* ''Ladies Prefer Brunettes'' , Director: Sarah Pheasant, 2011
* ''Quite Contrary'' , Director: Deb Batton, 2010
* ''Melbourne City Baths Show'' , Directors: Sarah Pheasant & Franca Stadler, 2010
* ''Betty'' , Director: Felicia O’Brien, 2010
* ''Herstory , '' Director: Felicia O’Brien, 2009
* ''Here, Where We’ve Always Been'' , Director: Nadia Kotisch, 2008
* ''Antechamber'' , Director: Annie Davey, 2007
* ''A Plane Without Wings is a Rocket'' , Director: Annie Davey, 2006
* ''Daddy'' , Director: Donna Jackson, 2005
* ''Maribyrnong Pool Opening Show'' , Director: Donna Jackson, 2005
* ''Sacred'' , Director: Kate Sulan, 2004
* ''Odditorium'' , Director: Andrea Lemon, 2003
* ''Ghosts'' , Director: Andrea Lemon, 2003
* ''Secrets'' , Director: Sarah Cathcart, 2001
* ''The Island'' , Director: Sarah Cathcart, 2000
* ''Lilith'' , Director: Sarah Cathcart, 1999
* ''Night Flying'' , Director: Sarah Cathcart 1999
* ''Soles of Our Feet'' , Director: Sarah Cathcart 1998
* ''Swimming with Sharks'' , Director: Sarah Cathcart 1998
* ''Pope Joan'' , Director: Sarah Cathcart, 1997
* ''Leaping the Wire'' , Director: Donna Jackson, 1995
* ''Death, The Musical'' , Director: Donna Jackson, 1994
* ''Women and Sport'' , Director: Donna Jackson, 1993
* ''Women and Work'' , Director: Donna Jackson, 1992
* ''Women and Institutions'' , Director: Donna Jackson, 1991
See also
*
List of circuses and circus owners
There have been many famous modern circuses since the first modern circus was staged by Philip Astley in London on January 9, 1768. Many are best known by the name of their principal owner. The following is a list of both circuses and their count ...
References
{{reflist
Australian circuses
Circus schools
Women's organisations based in Australia
Women in Melbourne