About the Summit
'Out of Lines'
8 - 10 October 2025
Step into the future of circus at the 2025 Australian Circus Summit: three extraordinary days of conversation, collaboration, and connection, hosted at NICA’s purpose-built training centre in Melbourne/Naarm.
This global gathering invites artists, producers, presenters, academics, students, and sector leaders to explore the theme Out of Lines — an invitation to challenge assumptions, cross disciplines, and spark bold new thinking about the future of circus.
The Summit opens in partnership with CALS (Circus Arts and Life Sciences), a leading international research initiative that sits at the intersection of circus, movement science, and wellbeing. Together, we’ll unpack how evidence-informed approaches are reshaping training, pedagogy, and artist support. The CALS-led day will feature keynote presentations, panel discussions, and practice-led provocations around topics such as:
- The role of creativity in physical performance and recovery
- Dramaturgy, costume design and symbolism in contemporary circus
- Coaching language, communication, and the psychology of training
- Mental health and perfectionism in circus cultures
- The resurgence of animal metaphors in performance and storytelling
Across the full three-day program, expect a rich blend of panels, forums, keynote provocations, and pop-up performances, designed to break down industry silos and foster real-world partnerships. Topics will include:
- Reimagining circus touring as ecological and reciprocal
- Advocacy for circus in education and funding policy
- Insurance, access, and the economics of being an artist today
- Parenting in performance careers
- The cultural future of youth and regional circus
This is an intimate, fully-catered event that places meaningful dialogue at its core, with opportunities to share space, stretch together (literally and metaphorically), and connect with colleagues from across Australia and around the world.
Join us as we stretch the limits of what circus is… and what it could become.
Early-bird tickets are on sale now.
Program overview
DAY ONE
Wednesday 8 October
Circus meets research, science and radical ideas.
Presented in partnership with CALS (Circus Arts and Life Sciences), Day One dives into the evolving intersections between circus, health, pedagogy, and dramaturgy. Hear from international researchers, artists and sector leaders on topics ranging from coaching psychology and mental health to creative costuming and conservation storytelling. Expect thought-provoking panels, keynote presentations, performances, and the beginning of big conversations around the future of circus practice.
DAY TWO
Thursday 9 October
Defining identity, sustainability, and belonging in circus.
Day Two turns the spotlight toward the current state of the sector, with keynotes, student panels, and roundtable forums unpacking questions of identity, inclusion, advocacy, and the cost of being an artist today. Highlights include deep dives into youth circus, national policy, access and equity, and sustainable career pathways. This day also features Living Books: an informal, roaming library of lived experience where sector knowledge is exchanged through one-on-one conversations.
DAY THREE
Friday 10 October
Touring, parenting, policy...and what’s next.
Our final day looks ahead to the practical and philosophical future of circus. From new models of touring (think pollination, not just presentation) to the real pressures facing artist parents, we'll ask what structural shifts are needed for circus to thrive. With provocations on insurance, arts education, and inclusion, Day Three builds momentum toward tangible sector change, and closes with connection, reflection, and a few final surprises.
Keynote Speakers
Out of Lines means embracing risk, reinvention, and the unknown. Our keynote speakers embody this spirit; artists, thinkers, and leaders who challenge conventions and expand the boundaries of circus. Through their stories and expertise, they’ll invite us to rethink what is possible, offering bold perspectives and practical insights that inspire new directions. Together, they’ll illuminate how circus thrives when it dares to move beyond the lines drawn before it.
Professor Janine Stubbe
Professor of Arts & Wellbeing
Codarts Rotterdam and Erasmus University, Rotterdam
Marty Evans
Executive Office
Circa Contemporary Circus
Featured speakers
Immerse yourself in the wisdom and ingenuity of speakers spanning generations and art forms.
Aurora Kurth (Co-MC)
Independent Artist
Lachlan MacDonald (Co-MC)
Independent Artist
Dr Mark St Leon
Circus Historian
Professor Peta Tait
Emeritus Professor, Fellow of the Australian Academy of Humanities
La Trobe University
Dr Fleur van Rens
Senior Lecturer in Sports Psychology
Murdoch University
Dr Joanna Nicholas
Lecturer in Dance and Performance Science
Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA)
Mitch Jones
Creative Director
Oozing Future
Katie Cawthorne
Performance Studies Coordinator & Freelance Director and Theatre-maker
National Institute of Circus Arts (NICA)
Marine Bourguignon
PhD Student
Université libre de Bruxelles (CiASp – Centre de recherche en cinéma et arts du spectacle)
Deb Batton
Acrobat, Performer, Director and Producer
A Good Catch, Circus Oz
Mike Finch
Creative Itinerant & Enthusiast
Christina Cox
Agent
NICA Represents
Harley Mann
Artistic Custodian
Na Djinang Circus
Sarah Birdgirl
Award-winning actor, circus, theatre and freakshow performer
Dr David Munro, B.Physio (Hons). B.Sci (Hons). PhD. MAPA
Head Physiotherapist
National Institute of Circus Arts (NICA)
Kate Malone
Executive Producer
Cluster Arts
Anni Davey
Artistic Director
Flying Fruit Fly Circus
Day One Program
Wednesday 8 October
Registration: 8:30am — 9am
Session 1:
9:00am — 10:45am
Welcome to Country: Wurundjeri Elder Perry Wandin
Welcome Address: NICA Director, Simona Jobbagy and CALS co-editors Dr Joe Culpepper & Dr Melanie Stuckey.
Opening Keynote: Professor Janine Stubbe: What does it mean to use the “Arts for Wellbeing”, or to be a "Healthy Artist”? What are the opportunities for artists, arts companies, arts administrators or directors and CALS?
Presentation: Fleur van Rens: Improving mental health in circus through the lens of perfection.
Presentation: Rachel Hunt & Nichola Vechiatta: Good Grief! Exploring how an aerial canvas can inform physical movement for the purpose of storytelling and catharsis work.
Discussion Panel: Janine Stubbe, Fleur van Rens, Rachel Hunt & Nichola Vechiatta.
Catered Morning Tea & Networking | 10:45am — 11:15pm
Session 2:
11:15am — 12:30pm
Panel discussion: The Future of Circus Research
Fostering research that honours circus history, deepens understanding of circus today, and builds strategies to secure its future in a rapidly changing world.
Speakers: Prof. Peta Tait, Dr Mark St Leon & Margaret Kirby.
Panel discussion: Surveillance of Injuries & Research in Circus
Shaping future research to enable the circus industry to thrive.
Speakers: Dr Stephanie Greenspan, Dr David Munro, Dr Melanie Stuckey and Dr Joanna Nicholas
Presentation: Mitch Jones: alt-circus. experimenting in circus futuring
Catered Lunch & Networking | 12:30pm—1:45pm
Session 3:
1:45pm — 3:30pm
Presentation: Dr Joanna Nicholas: The power of words: Coaching cues and communication for optimising artist motivation and performance.
Presentation: Katie Cawthorne & Mitch Jones: A discussion about their recent experience co-teaching a new performance class - Circus styles: Teaching dramaturgy.
Presentation: Adam Woolley (online) & Rachel Hunt, with Nichola Vechiatta: Flying off script: Non-linear Pedagogy in Aerial Arts.
Discussion Panel: Dr Joanna Nicholas, Katie Cawthorne, Mitch Jones, Adam Woolley (online) & Rachel Hunt.
Afternoon Keynote Speakers: Veronique Richard & Patrice Aubertin: “The journey of an idea” - on the integration of creativity and movement sciences to enhance performance, health, and wellbeing.
Afternoon Tea & Networking | 3:30pm — 4:00pm
Session 4:
4:00pm — 5:30pm
Presentation: Dr. Franziska Trapp: The (Re)appearance of Animals in Contemporary Circus.
Presentation: Gigi Pinwill: Wildlife Dramaturgy: Reimagining Conservation Through Circus and Story.
Presentation: Marine Bourguignon: Weaving contemporary circus costumes: a creative process out of lines.
Presentation: Kate Fryer: The need of a specialised training program for directors of circus and physical theatre.
5:20pm: Day One Wrap Up
Day Two Program
Thursday 9 October
Registration (new attendees): 8.30am — 9:00am
Session 1:
9:00am — 11:00am
Keynote speaker: Marty Evens (CIRCA)
Working ‘in lines’ offers the luxury of safety and repetition: a place to experiment, stumble, fail, and return to train again tomorrow. But nothing compares to the moment you take a skill out of the lines — when it’s entirely up to you.
Student Panel: Emerging circus artists share their perspectives on ‘What is circus?’
Morning Tea & Networking | 11:00am — 11:30am
Session 2:
11:30am — 12:30pm
Panel Discussion: Advocacy for circus in the Arts Sector
Arts education programs around the world are facing funding cuts - at primary, secondary, and tertiary levels alike. What are the benefits to having access to arts education? What can artists and educators do to best advocate for the importance of these programs?
Speakers: Anni Davey, Reggie Richardson & Tegan Carmichael Facilitator: Justin Green
Lunch & Networking | 12:30pm — 1:30pm
Session 3:
1:30pm — 2:30pm
Panel Discussion: Cost of Living
In the 2023 Summit, Creative Plus Business's Monica Davidson spoke about the importance of having the "work horses" (shows that bring in the money) and the "unicorns" (shows you do for the passion). At the moment, everyone is feeling the pinch of the cost of living crisis, from artists to venues to audiences alike, and at times we see even the workhorses struggling. How are we handling this as a sector? How are we making space for our unicorns?
Speakers: Bonnie Blewitt, Jace Gonçalves, [+ more to be announced soon] Facilitator: [to be announced soon]
Afternoon Tea & Networking | 2:30pm — 3:00pm
Session 4:
3:00pm — 5:15pm
Panel Discussion: Where are we going (Circus as Megafauna)
In times of collapse — economic, ecological, or social — there is a tendency to sideline what appears extravagant, outdated, or impractical. Like the megafauna of the Ice Age, circus is often viewed as a relic of a bygone era: large in scale, resource-intensive, and out of step with the sleek efficiencies of the modern world. Is this the truth or a dangerous misreading?
Speakers: Helene Embling, Jeremy (Jez) Davis, Deb Batton Facilitator: Mike Finch
Living Books: Structured networking and knowledge sharing. Featured ‘books’ announced soon!
5:20pm: Day Two Wrap Up
Day Three Program
Friday 10 October
Registration (new attendees): 8:30am — 9:00am
Session 1:
9:00am — 11:15am
Panel Discussion: Circus as pollination
In a time when international touring is increasingly unsustainable — financially, emotionally, and environmentally, this presentation proposes an alternative: a reciprocal touring model rooted in exchange, shared risk, and regenerative relationships.
Speakers: Lauren Eisinger, Harley Mann, Melenie Stevenson, Debbie Wilks. Facilitator: Kate Malone
Special Presentation: [to be announced soon]
Morning Tea & Networking | 11:15am — 11:45pm
Session 2:
11:45am — 12:45pm
Panel Discussion: Circus insured
What are the challenges facing practitioners in finding insurance? What are the challenges faced by insurance agencies? How do we find common ground?
Speakers: Frank Minniliti, Hannah Trott, Silvan Frei (GIBA), Anne Colman (Duck for Cover). Facilitator: Steph Speirs
Lunch & Networking | 12:45pm — 2:00pm
Session 3:
2:00pm — 3:00pm
Panel Discussion: Access & Inclusion
As a sector, we are fond of saying that circus is for everyone - every body type, age, ability, identity. But we all know that in practice that often isn't true. What can we collectively do to adjust our mindsets and innovate what we imagine as a 'standard circus performer', to become more of the diverse and inclusive industry that we want to be?
Speakers: Abbie Madden (online), Lauren Watson, Sian Brigid, Sarah Houbolt. Facilitator: Aimee Davis
Afternoon Tea & Networking | 3:00pm — 3:30pm
Session 4:
3:30pm — 5:30pm
Panel Discussion: Circus Parenting
It takes a village to be a working circus performer with kids. How can the circus sector be more supportive for performing artist parents.
Speakers: Jascha Boyce & Tom Davis Facilitator: Christina Cox
Closing Keynote: Juliana Neves
5:30pm — 6:30pm Drinks | Gathering & Networking
Every effort will be made to deliver the program as advertised. However, please note that speakers and sessions may be updated closer to the event.
FAQs
Here’s some questions you might have – but if you have others, reach out! connects@nica.com.au