Vulcana Women's Circus

Vulcana Women's Circus is an Australian circus, created with the aim of training women and girls in the circus arts. The company was 1995 at West End in Brisbane,^[1] by Antonella Casella in Brisbane, Australia, the company was named after the famous British strongwoman Vulcana.

The company has three main activities, which often overlap.

• "Vulcademy" - an in-house circus school open to women over the age of 18.
• circus workshop programs within communities, run in partnership with community organisations.
• circus productions, performed for audiences.

The company's inaugural production was A Girl's Own Adventure, performed in December 1995 at the Princess Theatre in Annerley, Brisbane. The second production in 1996 was Volt, a low-budget production for the Brisbane Festival. In 1997, Casella and Gough directed Life Blood at the Princess Theatre. Anna Yen and Casella co-directed Fire in the Belly for La Boite Theatre's 'Shock of the New' festival in 1998. In 1999, Anna Yen and Casella co-directed " Blissed Out, Distraught and Intoxicated..." which was performed at the Princess, then toured to Adelaide for the 2000 Fringe Festival.

In 2000 the company moved from its original location in West End to the Brisbane Powerhouse in New Farm. The Vulcana show I'd Rather be a Cyborg than a Goddess, directed by Therese Collie, was part of the Powerhouse's opening season. This show toured to the National Circus festival in Mullumbimby, and also did a week at the Lismore Town Hall. In 2001, Yen directed 'Aviatrix' which was performed at the Powerhouse and Chelsea McGuffin was Artistic Director of Vulcana. "Cravings", directed by Casella, was presented in the Visy Theatre at the Powerhouse in 2002.

Antonella Casella rejoined Circus Oz, and in 2003 the new artistic director of the company was Celia White.

Under White's direction, in 2005 Vulcana, in partnership with Inala Wangarra, Kooemba Jdarra, and Contact Inc, produced Bungo the Money God. The show was based on a dramatisation of a story by Uncle Herb Wharton, and was performed at the Brisbane Powerhouse by members of the Inala community, from children to elders, including established performance troupes from the community.

White also helmed the productions Home Fictions in 2004 (community show in partnership with the Older Women’s Network); Circus in a Tea Cup (2006) in partnership with Brisbane Domestic Violence Service and Qld Injecting Health Network; Strange Creatures (2006) with the Deaf community in Brisbane and the Vulcana workshop community; Uncharted (2007) with African migrants in partnership with MultiLink Settlement Services, SpeakOut and BEMAC; Sling Backs, High Heels and Sensible Shoes (2008) in partnership with Brisbane Domestic Violence Advocacy Service and Women’s Health Qld Wide (among others.)

After White's departure in mid-2009, Penny Lowther joined Vulcana as the interim Artistic Director. Lowther was the founder of women's community circus Circus WOW in Wollongong, New South Wales and came from a background of visual art and street performance. Productions during this time included Aperture - performed at the Island Vibe Festival on North Stradbroke Island.

Veronica Neave has held the position of Artistic Director since 2010. In this year Vulcana celebrated its 15th Anniversary with a special celebration at the Brisbane Powerhouse, which was attended by many past and present staff members and participants, including Casella, White, and Lowther.

As of 2011, Vulcana Circus continues to provide circus skills classes to women from all walks of life in South East Queensland, and provides community and creative development opportunities in circus for participants of all skill levels.

See also

• Culture in Australia

References

External links

Vulcana Women's Circus Official site