A Tasmanian Performer Teaches Students About Consent, Drawing on Circus Tricks - CircusTalk

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A Tasmanian Performer Teaches Students About Consent, Drawing on Circus Tricks

After running away to join the circus at the age of 21, the aerialist and trapeze artist has returned home to Hobart on a mission.

She’s determined to use the art form to redefine the conversation around bodies, boundaries and consent.

After retiring from touring, Delaney opened a circus school in Kingston and took up a role as a primary prevention educator, teaching school students the importance of consent.

It was then that it dawned on her that her two passions — circus and consent — were inextricably linked.

Teaching circus, I realised we already have this amazing platform where we’re already talking about bodies, movement and touch, so I just found I was framing conversations differently,” she said.

The performance art involves a lot of danger and hands-on contact, meaning trust and open communication are crucial to avoiding injuries or falling from heights.

“Instead of saying [to circus students] ‘put your legs here and I’ll help you up there’, I was saying something like, ‘how do you feel about putting your legs there and is it OK if I help you while you get up there?’…”

Read the Full Article at ABC

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