Circus Oz

Circus Oz — Melbourne’s ensemble circus

Circus Oz is Australia’s longest continuously operating contemporary circus ensemble, founded in 1978 in Melbourne and based at the Circus Oz home in Collingwood. The company runs a tight ensemble of around twenty performers and produces a typical year of one or two new full-length productions with extensive national touring and selected international touring. The company’s identity has historically been ensemble-driven and politically engaged — the productions have always carried substantial commitment to gender balance, cultural diversity and political content alongside the circus virtuosity.

The company has had a more turbulent recent decade than the larger Brisbane-based Circa, with funding pressures and leadership transitions that have constrained the touring programme through the early 2020s. Recent productions have continued the ensemble-circus identity with productions like Precarious, Wunderage and the regular international festival appearances.

Home venue

• Circus Oz Home, Collingwood, Melbourne — the company’s training and rehearsal headquarters with a small public-facing performance space.
• The Coopers Malthouse and the Melba Spiegeltent are the company’s regular Melbourne touring stops.

Useful links

• Official: circusoz.com
• Where we cover them: Companies