Circus Ozs BLAKflip Program

Circus Ozs BLAKflip Program

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Posted 2016-09-07 by Jeni Wilsonfollow
Circus Oz’s BLAKflip Program

From its beginning, Circus Oz has been visibly and vocally committed to land rights and reconciliation with Australia's First Peoples. There are powerful links between the irreverent humour and physicality of Circus Oz's work and the natural talent of so many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community members and artists. These links provide a unique point of connection and an opportunity for collaboration through the Circus Oz BLAKflip program.



Circus Oz is throwing open its doors in Collingwood for the sixth BLAKflip masterclass. Ten new and returning Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists are about to embark on solidifying their circus and performance skills. The performers have skills dancing, gymnastics, juggling, tumbling and hula performance.

The Circus Oz BLAKflip program offers professional circus development for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists selected from across Australia and this year's cohort also includes one internationally based artist.

Over five years, BLAKflip has made significant inroads into the recognition of an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander circus. The first professional Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander circus production Corked Up in The Melba Spiegeltent was produced in 2014. Three performers have joined the Circus Oz ensemble, including Dale Woodbridge-Brown (2012 – present), Gheona Gela (2012) and Mark Sheppard (2013).



Davey Thompson, Circus Oz BLAKflip Program Manager, is enthusiastic about bringing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture into contemporary circus, 'Circus is a fusion of dance, theatre, music and athleticism – these are skills that are naturally prevalent in the storytelling of the oldest living culture in the world.'"BLAKflip is creating an amazing foundation to develop artists – in circus there are no rules, so the possibilities are explosive," explains Davey Thompson.

Dale Woodbridge-Brown, BLAKflip alumni and Circus Oz ensemble member, believes it is a natural form of expression for indigenous people, "I don't know why Indigenous people haven't tried circus more. It's in our blood. Circus is storytelling, it's physical and it's what we were meant to do."

Circus Oz Artistic Director, Rob Tannion, asks a pertinent question, 'How can we call circus in this country truly 'Australian' if we don't have Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander circus artist's voices and stories deeply embedded into the very fabric of the art form?'


"BLAKflip is our program that actively engages in breaking the barriers to professional circus development for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island artists. Combining forty thousand years of culture with unique, irreverent humour and the excitement of contemporary circus makes sense to us – we're looking forward to seeing what these incredible artists cook up over the next few years," said Tannion.

It just makes sense for Circus Oz to invest in, and help forge professional pathways for Australia's First Peoples. Generously supported by Annamila, BLAKflip plays an important part in elevating and revolutionising the idea of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander circus in Australia. This year's BLAKflip Guest Director is Natano Fa'anana (Casus Co-founder and Director).

For more information or to donate to this honourable cause, please see contact details below.
Web circusoz.com
Facebook facebook.com/circusoz
Twitter @circusoz
Instagram @circusoz

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214323 - 2023-06-16 07:03:48

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