Fun times for bouncy kids at the Flipside Circus pop-up space!
Did you know that Australia is lucky to have some of the world’s best youth circus training schools? And here in Brisbane, we have an amazing company that just seems to go from strength to strength. Flipside Circus is an award-winning company who keep kicking goals as a youth circus, from their varied circus classes for all ages, to their performance streams that allow emerging performers to take to the stage.
Inside Flipside’s pop-up space, teens learn to partner juggle. Image + cover image: Geoff Lawrence.
And this is not just shows for friends and family – in 2018 they won Best Director and Best Circus/Physical Theatre at the Queensland Matilda Awards, for their heart-warming show We Live Here. This was a deeply moving show that drew from stories about life in Hummingbird House, Queensland’s only youth hospice. This is serious chops for a youth circus.
It’s not just the access to equipment that makes circus such a profound experience for young people, it’s the ethos that sits in partnership with it. The benefits of play-based learning are numerous, for children of all ages from the very smallest toddlers all the way up. In addition, the non-competitive, body-positive environment of circus allows teens to experiment and find strength and security in their own bodies, at a time in their life when they are receiving a range of conflicting messages about their changing bodies, and most of it is not positive. Circus classes & community offers young people a unique balm for the challenges of modern life.
Outdoor aerial rig at sunset. Image: Geoff Lawrence.
So it’s very exciting to find out about the plans for a permanent purpose-built youth circus space in Northshore Hamilton. The plans for the space feature a futuristic design and will have dedicated training and performance spaces, as well as offices, dressing rooms and all the usual amenities. It will be such an asset to the Brisbane circus community, with the potential to send our young performers to never-before seen heights.
A young circus performer flips high into the air. Image: Geoff Lawrence.
In the meantime, they have created a Pop-Up home adjacent to Portside Warf in Hamilton, on the site where Cirque du Soleil sets up each year. A spacious covered area houses all the usual circus equipment, including mini-tramps, tumble mats and all the juggling clubs, hula hoops and flow toys a kid can dream of. A custom rig is perfect for evening aerial classes, so everyone can get back in shape after the downtime from lockdown this year. They’ve already hosted a show, with Brisbane Festival pulling in to present Street Serenades with circus and music for the local community
On the morning I visit, there are a bunch of energetic small bodies bounding over an obstacle course made of foam blocks and gym equipment. The kids shriek with joy as they tackle the course, and their parents laugh delightedly as they help the smallest ones along. The biggest ones go in full tilt! It truly is a unique opportunity to blow off steam and develop great physical skills for the 200+ youngsters that pass through the space every week.
Flipside Circus has a range of classes for all ages - they also do classes for adults! No need for the kids to have all the fun! They have a range of school holiday offerings each year, and their birthday parties are memorable to say the least. Head down and have a look at the new space, and try getting upside down for the day. It will give you a whole new perspective on life!
