Circus Oz

Circus Oz was incorporated in December 1977 in Melbourne and funded by the Australian Performing Group, with its first performance season in March 1978. Circus Oz was the amalgamation of two already well-known groups: the New Ensemble Circus, a continuation of the New Circus, established in Adelaide in 1973; and the Soapbox Circus, a roadshow set up by the Australian Performing Group in 1976 and included the Matchbox Band.[3][4]

The founding members were: Sue Broadway, Tony Burkys, Tim Coldwell, John ‘Jack’ Daniel, Laurel Frank, Kevin Gedye, Jon Hawkes, Ponch Hawkes, Robin Laurie, John Pinder, Michael Price, Alan Robertson, Jim Robertson, Pixie Roberstson, Helen Sky, Jim Conway, Mic Conway, Rick Ludbrook, Peter Mulheisen, Gordon McLean, Steve Cooney and Colin Stevens.[2][5]

Significant developments in Circus Oz's early years included: Their first 1978 production for the Moomba Festival and Adelaide Festival of the Arts for which the ensemble built their own canvas tent; a 32-week season in 1979 at the Last Laugh Theatre Restaurant in Melbourne; the company's first international tour in 1980 (including London's Roundhouse, Belgium and New Guinea); the 1983 "Nanjing Project" (Chinese acrobatic master classes); and the group's relations with The Flying Fruit Fly Circus; The purpose build headquarters in Collingwood, Victoria. As part of its international touring, Circus Oz has been to 29 countries and 210 cities all over the world, including New York City, London and Jerusalem (see also The Tours section on this page).[6][4][7]

In late 2013 Circus Oz relocated to a new custom-built home base in Collingwood, an inner suburb of Melbourne. The Victorian Government owns the facility, but it was designed specifically to Circus Oz's requirements. This location includes a permanent Spiegeltent, large rehearsal spaces, outdoor areas, and workshop and props-making facilities. The buildings are approximately half of an abandoned college campus, the remainder of which was converted by Arts Victoria into a multi-arts and community precinct known as Collingwood Yards, which opened in March 2021.[8]

'Reports of our death have been greatly exaggerated,' the company said in a media statement.[9]

In December 2021, it was erroneously and unexpectedly announced by the Board and CEO at the time that a decision had been taken to close the company, after its main funding body, the Australia Council had chosen not to continue its funding. The proposal involved recreating its board and membership with a reduced proportion of artists and former employees. The results of an anonymous online poll showed that 62 out of 81 votes chose to reject the new model.[10][11] According to the Company Members, this poll was not intended to be used to make any future decisions, but to gauge how the Members felt about the suggested restructuring. The members wrote in their public statement: "The Circus Oz members did not ‘vote to close the company’. There has been no formal ballot to date".

This decision was overturned in an official EMG (Extraordinary General Meeting) held on Wednesday 16th February 2022, where the Company Members voted unanimously to continue the company, and instated a new board. The new board who were voted in are: Regina Hill, Bryce Menzies, John Paxinos, and Chad Albinger[9]

The founders wanted to create a "contemporary circus" (words used in their show programme "history" as early as 1978), with elements of rock'n'roll, popular theatre and satire. The company had an ongoing social justice agenda and was open about supporting humanitarian causes. Over the years this has included women's rights, land rights for indigenous Australians and strong feelings about the plight of asylum seekers.[12] The company had an ongoing social justice agenda and have generally been open about supporting humanist causes. Over the years this has included women's rights, land rights for First Nations Australians and strong opposition to the indefinite detention of asylum seekers.

One of the first "new" or "contemporary" circuses (it predates Cirque du Soleil by several years), Circus Oz made shows with only 12 multi-skilled performers who all performed the entire show, doing "a bit of everything", from acrobatics and clowning to music and aerial work. The shows were usually comic and character-driven. The cast comprised a diverse mix of body shapes and ages, with an equal number of men and women. Their style was generally cheeky, anarchic and subversive, a balance of strong women and graceful men.[2]

Circus Oz performed in at least 27 countries across five continents, including four seasons on 42nd Street in New York City, a number of seasons at Queen Elizabeth and Royal Festival Halls in London, a refugee camp in the West Bank, Indigenous communities in the Australian desert and a glass opera house in the Brazilian rainforest. Shows were translated and performed in many languages, including Hindi, Catalan and Danish. The troupe broke box office records at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival and represented Australia at many international festivals.[6]

With the exception of its first show, Waiter, There's a Circus in My Soup, Circus Oz did not name their seasons or tours until 2006, with the Laughing at Gravity Tour. Each subsequent tour was then named until 2017.[13]

Until 2017, the company employed a full-time ensemble of 12 performers (an equal number of men and women), plus a technical crew, production and artistic departments. Apart from touring nationally and internationally with their various shows, other parts of Circus Oz include:

• BLAKFlip, a programme connecting Australian Aboriginal performers and artists with the circus, including masterclasses, casting, performances, traineeships and guest artists;
• Circus Classes, public circus classes for the general public, adults, schools, and community groups to learn circus skills;
• The Melba Spiegeltent, a venue with a programme of cabaret, innovative performance, and local community events;
• SideSault, a Sector Support Programme, providing access to space for a selected series of small/medium-sized local performance groups (primarily using a circus vocabulary);
• High Flying Teams, a corporate team-building and training programme using circus as a skill-base for corporate training.

• 2017: China – Zuzhou, USA – Pennsylvania, Blacksburg, Fayetteville, Iowa City, Melbourne, Dandenong, Ballarat, Shepparton, Geelong, Colac, Apollo Bay, Lavers Hill, Brisbane, Townsville, Rockhampton, Mackay, Cherbourg, Kilkivan, Gold Coast, Lismore, Wyong, Penrith, Griffith, Wagga Wagga,

• 2016:Brazil – Sao Paulo, Melbourne, Sydney, Warnambool, Horsham, Mildura, Swanhill, Tanunda, Adelaide, Alice Springs, Darwin, Geraldton, Mundurah, Bunbury, Albany, Launceston, Hobart, Darebin, Frankston, Bendigo, Boort, Warracknabeal, Sea Lake

• 2015: Sydney (30 Dec opening), Melbourne, Sale, Dandenong, South Morang, Shepparton, Wangaratta, Albury, Wagga Wagga, Wollongong, Canberra, Parramatta, Bathurst, Orange, Dubbo, Tamworth, Port Macquarie, USA – Seattle, Urbana, Manhattan (KS), Princeton, Canada – Montreal

• 2014: USA - Davis, Danville, Boston, Canada – Montreal, Palm Island, Sydney, Melbourne, Ballarat, Frankston, Hobart, Warragul, Geelong, Newcastle, Brisbane, Rockhampton, Mackay, Gladstone, Townsville, Cairns, Lismore, Penrith

• 2013: Mildura, Shepparton, Albany, Mandurah, Bunbury, Geraldton, Alice Springs, Port Lincoln, Port Pirie, Whyalla, Noarlunga, Renmark, Mount Gambier and Warrnambool, Perth, Darwin, Oenpelli, Maningrida, Ramingining, Gapuwiyak, Yirrkala, Gove, Melbourne, USA - Tacoma, Los Angeles, Berkeley, Las Vegas, Cedar Falls, West Lafayette, Urbana

• 2012: USA – New York, Orange, Penrith, Tamworth, Dubbo, Canberra, Parramatta, Wollongong, Albury, Wagga, Griffith, Mildura, Frankston, Warragul, Dandenong, Melbourne, USA - Princeton, Fayetteville, Davis, Salt Lake City, Sydney

• 2011: Melbourne, Spain - Madrid; Melbourne, Mackay, Townsville, Cairns, Rockhampton, Gladstone, Brisbane, Gold Coast, Newcastle, Port Macquarie, Launceston, Hobart...

• 2010: Sydney, Adelaide, Melbourne, Mount Gambier, Renmark, Murray Bridge, Port Pirie, Whyalla, Port Lincoln, Alice Springs, Hermansburg, Imanpa, Darwin, Bagot, Binjari, USA - Berkeley

• 2009: Geelong, Frankston; USA - Berkeley, Austin; New Zealand - Auckland, Nelson; Melbourne, Parramatta, Port Macquarie, Launceston, Hobart, Mildura, Griffith, Brisbane, Penrith, Bathurst, Orange, Canberra.

• 2008: Wujal Wujal, Kuranda, Cairns, Townsville, Mt Isa, Palm Island, Rockhampton, Gladstone, Nambour, Gold Coast, Newcastle, Melbourne, United Kingdom - Edinburgh, Cardiff, Northampton, Woking, Brighton; Italy - Milan.

• 2007: Perth, Newman, Broome, Fitzroy Crossing, Turkey Creek, Kununurra, Darwin, Alice Springs, Port Lincoln, Whyalla, Port Pirie, Renmark, Sydney, Melbourne; New Zealand - Christchurch, Taranaki, Wellington; China - Hong Kong; USA - Pittsburgh, Galveston, Berkeley, Arcata; Mexico - Monterrey.

• 2006: Canberra, Adelaide, Mildura, Hobart, Frankston, Geelong, Griffith, Wagga Wagga, Newcastle, Parramatta, Bathurst, Orange, Melbourne; USA - Honolulu, New York.

• 2005: Sydney, Brisbane, Cairns, Townsville, Mt Isa, Rockhampton, Nambour, Melbourne; United Kingdom - London, Milton Keynes, Bristol, Nottingham, Brighton, Cardiff; Austria - Vienna; Germany - Hamburg.

• 2004: USA - New York; Sydney, Adelaide, Renmark, Mt Gambier, Whyalla, Port Lincoln, Port Pirie, Alice Springs, Darwin, Melbourne; United Kingdom - London.

• 2003: Sydney, Canberra, Geelong, Ballarat, Paramatta, Campbell Town (Tasmania), Melbourne, Frankston; USA - New York.

• 2002: Sydney, Brisbane, Nambour, Gladstone, Rockhampton, Townsville, Mt Isa, Cairns; Brazil - Sao Paulo; Melbourne.

• 2001: Bathurst, Orange, Ballarat, Mildura, Geelong, Frankston, Renmark, Port Pirie, Whyalla, Mt Gambier, Launceston, Hobart, Bunbury, Geraldton, Esperance, Melbourne; Austria - Vienna; Spain - Barcelona; Germany - Berlin.

• 2000: Sydney; United Kingdom - Stoke on Trent, Leeds, Norwich, Chichester, Woking, Reading, Southampton, Milton Keynes, London; Korea - Seoul; Austria - Vienna; Melbourne; United Kingdom - London; Turkey - Istanbul, Ankara; USA - New York.

• 1999: Portarlington, Perth; Germany - Munich; Toowoomba, Gold Coast, Nambour, Caloundra, Townsville, Rockhampton, Cairns, Melbourne.

• 1998: USA - New York; Wollongong, Lismore, Taree, Gosford, Castle Hill, French’s Forest, Hobart, Burnie, Launceston, Adelaide, Mt Gambier, Renmark, Port Pirie, Whyalla; Singapore; Melbourne.

• 1997: Sydney, Port Hedland, Karratha, Broome, Fitzroy Crossing, Halls Creek, Turkey Creek, Darwin, Alice Springs, Melbourne, Frankston; USA - New York.

• 1996: Wangaratta, Kyabram, Ballarat, Bendigo, Ararat, Portland, Geelong, Frankston, Cairns, Mt Isa, Nambour, Rockhampton, Mackay, Townsville; Hong Kong; Melbourne, Canberra; India - New Delhi; Thailand - Bangkok.

• 1995: Sydney, Perth, Adelaide, Kalgoorlie, Albany, Bunbury, Geraldton,

Whyalla, Port Pirie, Renmark, Mt Gambier, Griffith, Wagga Wagga, Orange, Wollongong, Parramatta, Gosford, Newcastle, Taree, Lismore; Sweden - Stockholm; Melbourne; Germany - Munich.

• 1994: Sydney, Hobart, Canberra, Melbourne; Israel - Jerusalem; Netherlands - Den Bosch; Denmark - Copenhagen; USA - Washington; Germany - Munich.

• 1993: Sydney, Canberra, Melbourne; Colombia - Bogota; Brazil - Curitiba, Sao Paulo; Alice Springs, Tennant Creek, Yuendumu, Hermannsburg, Darwin, Maningrida, Millingimbi, Galiwinku, Yirrkala, Mt. Isa, Rockhampton, Gladstone, Townsville, Cairns, Lismore, Coffs Harbour, Taree, Orange, Parramatta.

• 1992: Sydney, Brisbane; Colombia - Bogota; Venezuela - Caracas; USA - Chicago; Spain - Seville; Thailand - Bangkok.

• 1991: Spotswood, Bendigo, Warrnambool, Warragul, Bairnsdale; United Kingdom - Manchester, Edinburgh; Melbourne.

• 1990: Sydney; New Zealand - Wellington; USA - San Francisco, Knoxville, New York; Japan - Osaka; Melbourne, Adelaide.

• 1989: Sydney, Brisbane, Canberra, Perth, Melbourne, Launceston, Hobart.

• 1988: Sydney, Adelaide, Melbourne, Brisbane, Mackay, Townsville, Cairns, Darwin, Alice Springs, Katherine, Arnhem Land - Angurugu, Yirrkala, Galliwinku, Raminginning, Maningrida; United Kingdom - Edinburgh, Plymouth;

Ireland - Dublin.

• 1987: Sydney, Melbourne; United Kingdom - Portsmouth, London, Edinburgh; USA. - San Francisco; Hobart.

• 1986: Sydney, Melbourne.

• 1985: Sydney, Melbourne, Alice Springs, Kintore, Pupunya, Docker River, Uluru,

Yuendumu, Albury.

• 1984: Adelaide; USA - Los Angeles, San Francisco, Purchase.

• 1983: Melbourne, Canberra, Sydney.

• 1982: Melbourne, Port Fairy, Portland, Perth, Adelaide, Port Pirie, Berri, Mildura, Swan Hill, Echuca, Wangaratta, Albury, Canberra, Sydney.

• 1981: United Kingdom - Chichester.

• 1980: Sydney; Papua New Guinea - Port Moresby; Netherlands - Amsterdam, Rotterdam,

Groningen, Eindhoven, Utrecht; Belgium - Turnhout; United Kingdom - London, Bath, Norwich, Chichester.

• 1979: Melbourne.

• 1978: Melbourne, Adelaide

• Wolf, Gabbrielle (2008). Make it Australian: The Australian Performing Group, the Pram Factory and New Wave Theatre. Currency Press. ISBN 978-0-86819-816-3.
• St Leon, Mark (2011). Circus! The Australian Story. Melbourne Books. pp. 239–244. ISBN 978-1-877096-50-1.