Women’s Circus to celebrate diversity at Arts Centre Melbourne

Arts Centre Melbourne alongside the Metro Tunnel Creative Program and Performing Lines are delighted to announce Women’s Circus as the recipient of the Public Realm Performance Project Commission to produce a performance in 2021.

This fantastic opportunity for Women’s Circus includes assistance from Performing Lines to create a work championing artists with lived disability and will utilise the public realm of the Melbourne Arts Precinct.

“We love that this collaboration with the Metro Tunnel Creative Program will not only activate an area around our wonderful Melbourne Arts Precinct but also provide an opportunity for artists to do what they love,” says Arts Centre Melbourne CEO Claire Spencer AM.

Inclusiveness and diversity have been at the forefront of the Public Realm Performance selection process. Women’s Circus are an iconic organisation and we are excited to see the amazing work that they are able to create.

Women’s Circus is an award-winning, not for profit arts organisation that specialise in circus and performance training. It was founded in 1991 and has been a pioneer of social circus both national and internationally.

“Women’s Circus is absolutely thrilled to be a recipient of the Public Realm Performance Project Commission,” says Women’s Circus Creative Producer, Devon Taylor.

This commission provides Women’s Circus an opportunity to transform our dream of creating our first professional circus ensemble into a reality and allows us to showcase the unique abilities of our ensemble of disabled and non-disabled artists to Melbourne audiences.

The ensemble has grown out of years of working with and learning from disabled artists and exploring inclusive practice. Women’s Circus recognized the need and opportunity to both celebrate these artists and by bringing disabled and non-disabled artists together, elevate the circus art form.

Our performances are historically big, with as many as fifty performers on stage and as many behind-the-scenes again. With this project, Women’s Circus is leaping into a new realm of creating works with a small ensemble of professional artists and in a COVID world this model seems more relevant than ever.

The selection of a recipient takes the Public Realm Performance Project to the next stage, furthering the partnership between Arts Centre Melbourne’s and the Metro Tunnel Creative Program.

With the show set to be a part of a festival event in 2021, Arts Centre Melbourne is excited to have this work as a part of the roadmap as we bring the spaces around Melbourne Arts Precinct back to life in 2021.

The Metro Tunnel Project – which is being delivered by Rail Projects Victoria (RPV), will make it easier to get in and out of the city, for work and leisure. The project’s Creative Program helps soften the edges of construction sites and provides support to Victoria’s creative industries.

“Melbourne’s celebrated arts scene is a major drawcard for people coming into the CBD and the new Town Hall and Anzac stations will make it easier to reach Arts Centre Melbourne and the NGV,” says RPV’s Tunnels and Stations Director Linda Cantan. ”

We are looking forward to seeing the concept proposed by the Women’s Circus performed on the Arts Centre grounds during 2021.

Photo Credit: Adrian Carmody