The times they are a-changing for our industry. With a new year, new technology, and a new phase of the pandemic, it can be hard to get a read on the global landscape of circus arts— but it always helps to meet people where they are, and plan ahead. In this Industry Q/A series, we call on industry experts from around the world to answer our most pressing questions and help the circus sector envision new ways forward.

This January, we spoke with Zeb Hunter, artist, academic, and director of Circus Monoxide in New South Wales, Australia. Zeb and Monoxide began 2022 at the Sydney Festival, with three restagings of their show “The Construct” at different venues happening throughout the month. We asked Zeb about how Australian circus has evolved since the pandemic started, and how performers can continue adapting to change ahead.

Carolyn Klein: At the Sydney Festival, how will you be adapting “The Construct” to three different performance spaces?

Zeb Hunter: Each space has a very different performance layout which we will accommodate. The first performance space in Cronulla is a raised, circular platform in a busy thoroughfare by the beach. We are performing in a 180-degree layout with a raked audience, which means the performers will have to be really careful with the apparatus when moving it, and alter where they look to ensure that they connect with the audience. This performance will be more static as the stage footprint is smaller than our other venues. Next, in Darling Harbour, we will have raked steps as a seating bank, with the back of the performance to the bay. This performance will play out in a more traditional style, facing the audience. Our last performances in Parramatta will see our show transforming to fit a thrust stage with the audience seated to either side.

Each show will inspire its own discoveries and adaptations from the acrobats to connect with the audience. Between natural and urban landscapes, the ambiance of each location will also influence the sentiment of the performers as they work.

CK: How has the landscape for performing arts in Australia changed since 2020?

ZH:It is difficult to say, as we are yet to find our “new normal.” We are still struggling, as a country, with the impacts of the pandemic. Interstate and international borders are still closed for certain countries; whole cities and performances still risk facing new lockdowns. It’s hard to know when any sense of stability will come back.

But there has also been a lot more funding available to help arts companies make work happen and, with less competition coming in from international companies, there are more opportunities to present in bigger venues/festivals. Australian circus is still reeling from the recent announcement of Circus Oz’s closure. It has been a difficult time for our sector– but, conversely, new opportunities have emerged. If you have the fortitude to hold on now, it feels like there is some optimism for the future.

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CK: What projects does Circus Monoxide have planned for 2022?

ZH: 2022 is looking to be an intense and creative year for the company. Along with our performance of “The Construct” at the Sydney Festival, we are considering, at the moment, prospective tour dates in Australia and overseas. In February, we will begin the creation of our first children’s show, “Mechanical Mayhem,” which will be presented in March at the Merrigong Spiegeltent. In October and November, we will be creating and presenting a new circus adaptation of Kafka’s Metamorphosis at Merrigong Theatre Company.

We are also entering the first stage of development on an international collaboration between Australia and China, exploring the Nanjing Massacre and the Dalfram Dispute. The Arts Centre Melbourne commissioned us this year to begin research for the project, which will appear online for their AsiaTOPA Lab program. And our youth performance troupe will be creating new works with our in-house creatives, which may include site-specific collaborations and theatrical work.

CK: As a creator, what has been your biggest challenge throughout the pandemic?

ZH: I think the biggest challenge has been the constant twisting and contorting, figuring out how to adapt. We’ve had to switch to digital and outdoor venues at a time when we haven’t been able to build up resources and knowledge in those areas. It demonstrates a lack of foresight and risk management from the industry, and I get the prevailing feeling from most circus creatives that they don’t see our art form translating well into filmed media. We need time, money, and experience to really thrive in this new space.

I think another challenge has been the reminder of the economic vulnerability of our sector. The pandemic has acted as a catalyst for many people to leave, in order to find more financially stable and rewarding opportunities. We are aware that, while we love what we do, it is very hard to make a living wage from the arts.

CK: Blue sky thinking: do you have a dream venue in which you aspire to present your work?

ZH: So many! Sydney Opera House, Tohu, Chameleon and Theatre Gallo Romain de Lyon.

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Images courtesy of Circus Monoxide, taken by photographer Phil Erbacher.

Carolyn Klein

Content Writer -United States

Carolyn Klein is a writer, poet, and circus fan from the Washington, D.C, area. Writing stories about the circus has been a dream of hers since getting introduced to circus fiction around 2014. She recently completed her B.A. in English and Creative Writing, magna cum laude, at George Mason University. As a new member of the Circus Talk journalism team, Carolyn looks forward to learning as much as she can about the industry and people behind circus.

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