Flipside Circus rolls up north for World Circus Day!

Flipside Circus, Queensland’s largest youth arts company, is flipping excited to celebrate World Circus Day on 17 April 2021 with a North Queensland circus workshops tour.

Now in its 11th year, World Circus Day is observed on the third Saturday of April annually with events in 46 countries to celebrate the global circus arts community.

For 21 years, Brisbane-based Flipside Circus has been empowering young people and entertaining audiences, daring to unthink the impossible and allowing participants to embrace risks through circus and artistic programs.

The North Queensland Tour will provide a four-week residency program of circus workshops, running from Monday 12 April to Monday 10 May, for nine regional communities: Munduberra, Monto, Normanton, Karumba, Doomadgee, Georgetown, Prairie, Pentland and Bajool.

CEO and Creative Director Robert Kronk said Flipside Circus is dedicated to delivering child- centred circus opportunities to young people, regardless of their background or circumstances.

Flipside Circus residencies in regional communities create and expand local performance skills, empowering young people to tell their own stories through circus. From improved health, fitness and coordination to building resilience, communication skills and self-confidence, the positive effects of circus training are well documented.

In 2019, more than 43,000 children and youth participated in Flipside Circus programs, and more than 1,000 artists trained, created, rehearsed and performed at its training space.

Since its inception in 1998, Flipside Circus has trained and supported generations of professional circus artists, working with leading international trainers and driving the development of Queensland’s world-renowned circus sector.

In 2022, Flipside Circus will welcome a purpose-built circus training centre at the new Northshore riverside precinct in Brisbane that will house circus artists and companies and cement Queensland’s future in circus arts and culture on a global stage.

“A dedicated, state-of-the-art facility will allow Flipside Circus to continue to grow and facilitate our industry-leading circus programs to provide arts experiences to children and young people of all backgrounds,” Mr Kronk said.

Flipside Circus will continue to teach classes and workshops from a pop-up circus space at 33 MacArthur Avenue, Northshore while its permanent home is built nearby.

As a not-for-profit organisation, Flipside Circus is asking the local community to assist with donations to complete the training facility’s second stage of development in 2022.

To coincide with World Circus Day and help support the Flipside Circus Building Appeal, wannabe jugglers, tumblers and acrobats can win the Ultimate Flipside Circus Starter Kit.

Every donation of $5 or more to the Flipside Circus Building Appeal will receive an entry to win one of three Flipside Circus Starter Kits that includes one term of circus lessons, school holiday workshops and special circus gear to look the part.

Head to flipsidecircus.org.au to donate and enter now.

Tour supported by: The Arts and Cultural Recovery Package and ArTour, initiatives of the Queensland Government through Arts Queensland; The Tim Fairfax Family Foundation; and The Queensland Community Foundation through the Gulf Trust the Gulf Area Community Social Development Trust 2020 Grant Program.