Sesame Street Circus (above) and Boss Squad. Credit: Shaun Higgins (below).
Circus pivots for a new age When the pandemic threatened to take down the Australian big top for good, performers and organisers alike pivoted in a way that only a circus performer can. Gwen Luscombe looks at how the industry fared to use innovation through crisis and keep the big top spirit alive and well.
T
he modern-day circus might look different from those just a few decades ago. They’ve (for the most part) turned away from animal acts and sideshow oddities to acrobatics, stunts and performer-driven entertainment. So too has the size and scale of circuses changed. What were once large-scale travelling shows employing several professionals of all types, today circuses have become vastly smaller, specialised and running on significantly smaller budgets. It’s a common misconception that circuses, and the arts in general, are heavily funded through the government. While a portion of funding does come from grant support, it’s generally less than 30% of revenue, typically used to subsidise ticket costs. With the rising costs of insurances and venue hire, most performing arts organisations survive on ticket sales for performances. This is why the COVID pandemic almost took the sector to extinction. Wildhouse Circus Director and acrobat, Felicia Lannan explained “in March 2020 we had a tour cancelled just hours after finishing our bump in and tech run at the venue. “We then had to rush all of our performers home from New Zealand and regional Victoria in order to keep them safe. Although we stayed connected and in contact with our performers, we couldn’t offer them any financial support throughout the year, as performing became impossible. “As the director, I have tried my best to stay motivated and on top of admin during lockdown, ready to re-emerge as best we can.” Originally the Madhouse Circus, South Australia - based Wildhouse Circus was formed by the National Institute of Circus 48 Australasian Leisure Management Issue 144
Students in 2012 and has since toured to most major cities in Australia as well as an international tour to New Zealand. On average and depending on the needs of the touring production, it employs six acrobats and a technician. Lannan said that the abrupt halt resulted in many major companies using the pause button to halt business, accessing support like JobKeeper to keep their acrobats employed and develop new works during lockdown. However, not all companies were able to access the support. One of Australia’s larger companies, Circus Royale were left stranded for roughly six months in Victoria due to border closures in Western Australia, where their Perth home is located.
