Get the most out of the Summit 2025
Recommended Reading and Resources
The Australian Circus Summit is more than talks and panels.
It’s a space to spark ideas, explore new perspectives, and connect with people who share a passion for circus. To help you get the most out of the Summit, we’ve gathered resources and recommended readings. These are designed to inspire curiosity and give you fresh starting points for conversation. Arriving with a little background means you can ask thoughtful questions, engage deeply with the experts, and make connections that go beyond small talk.
explore the programProgram overview
Video Resources
Free to Access
Dr Mark St Leon’s collection on Youtube
Documentary Film: Dramaturgy on the Border between Art and Academia
A Delicate Balance: Circus Arts and Resilience During Ukrainian War
Creative Territory: Schools
Big Mob Circus
Resource Catalogues
Free to Access
Circus Psychology Blog
Penny Gaff Blog - Reccomended Reading Web Links
Visual Research Catalogue – The Non-human Animal Artist: Towards the presentation of an artistic species-companionship in circus
Theatre Network Australia - Sector News and Blog Posts
Articles and Web
Free to Access
Patternmakers & Spaghetti Report: Impact Evaluation of Performance Troupe 2023 Production
UpSideDown – Circus and Space: An Academic Graphic Novel
Circus Studies Webpage - Université Libre de Bruxelles
Young Researchers in Circus Studies (YOUR)
Article- Understanding Insurance
Penny Gaff Blog
Article: Ukrainian Circus During the War: A Photo Exhibition in the Heart of Kyiv
Publications
Free to Access
Circus: Arts, Life & Sciences - All Journal Issues
World Health Organisation - Arts Impact on Health
Review: Traces of the Animal Past: Methodological Challenges in Animal History
Nonlinear Pedagogy in Skill Acquisition
Transformative Neural Representations Support Long-term Episodic Memory
Physical Education Pedagogies Built upon Theories of Movement Learning: How Can Environmental Constraints Be Manipulated to Improve Children's Executive Function and Self-Regulation Skills?
E-books
Paid Access
Circus Psychology (physical book)
Routledge Circus Studies Reader
Bettongs & Birds: Rufous Can't Stop Scratching! - Children's E-book with Online Games
Articles
Paid Access
Arts Hub - Circus Arts Strengthens Young People's Mental Health
Arts Hub - Why GOM and our sector need a new way forward
Arts Hub - Circus in Schools
Publications
Paid Access
WHO - Health Benefits of the Arts
Encoding, storage and retrieval processes of the memory and the implications for motor practice in stroke patients
An ecological dynamics approach to motor learning in practice: Reframing the learning and performing relationship in high-performance sport
Penny Gaff Blog - List of Publications