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.
view ticket options explore the programProgram 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.
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.
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 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.
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.
FAQs
Here’s some questions you might have – but if you have others, reach out! connects@nica.com.au