Roll Up To Parramatta For Sydney Festival's New Circus City

On the eve of the announcement of Wesley Enoch’s first program as the Sydney Festival’s latest director, Sydneysiders are being invited to roll up to Circus City. This new initiative from the Sydney Festival celebrates the physical extremes, rigorous craft and feel-good spirit of circus arts, in the heart of Parramatta.

“Australia is one of the world leaders of circus and we just don’t talk about that enough,” Enoch says. “It’s actually an art form that has one of the oldest and richest histories in Australia going back to vaudeville days, but there is often an absence of any recognition that circus plays an important part in our cultural legacy. In fact, we almost dismiss it as not ‘official culture’, so shining a light on it is very important. We’ve also given it a major platform in Parramatta, at Circus City, because circus has the power to break through all demographic barriers, like age, cultural background, artistic knowledge or economic circumstances. Circus can connect with people in a very immediate way because when you watch it you can see the dynamics of trust and danger: it’s a metaphor for our society.”

At the Riverside Theatres and The Spaghetti Circus Big Top in Prince Alfred Square, some of the best circus presenters from home and abroad will be delivering a range of high-spectacle shows. In total, Circus City will play host to four major productions, 34 workshops and 55 free events including talks, films, exhibitions and a series of events for circus professionals.

Canada’s Cirque Elioze bring their international hit show iD to Sydney, featuring a high-energy fusion of urban culture, street dance and gravity-defying circus. Fifteen acrobats, aerialists, hip hop and break dancers come together for the production, which has been seen by more than one million people since it premiered in 2009.

UK-based circus troupe Ockham’s Razor pairs astonishing feats of strength and balance with an ultra-fun playground spirit in Tipping Point. Performed in the round, this show gives audience members the chance to see these world-class artists from every possible angle.

Brisbane’s acclaimed circus masters, Circa, present the world premiere of a Sydney Festival commission. HUMANS is the latest showcase of this company’s uniquely choreographic approach to circus, fusing the principals and poetry of modern dance with the flexibility and power of acrobatic physicality.

Company 2, also from Brisbane, return to Sydney Festival with Kaleidoscope. Guided by the vision of 13-year-old Ethan Hugh, who was diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome aged four, this production offers a unique prism to experience the world through this young man's eyes.

The Western Sydney suburb will become a major performance hub of the 2017 Festival, further cementing Parramatta as the second heart of the NSW capital, but other Western destinations will also play key roles in 2017's Fest. Campbelltown Arts Centre will host the first major exhibition by artist Myuran Sukumaran. Another Day In Paradise presents a stark and sobering collection of portraits, painted during Sukumaran’s incarceration in Bali’s notorious Kerobokan jail and on Nusa Kambangan Island.

In Blacktown, the world premiere of Home Country, by Urban Theatre Projects, is an epic chronicle exploring different perspectives on place and identity. The event will take place in a pop-up venue in a multi-level car park.

In a clear show of commitment to making Western Sydney a key location for Sydney Festival, one of the Fest’s annual fixtures, the SSO's Symphony Under The Stars, will also take place at The Crescent, Parramatta Park, in addition to its usual spot in the Domain.

Full details of the 2017 Sydney Festival will be announced Wednesday 26 Oct at 12:00pm.