Sep 14, 2026 · 27 min · 10 segments
In this episode, Circus Centre Melbourne’s Director Steph Cox and Engagement and Development Manager Hanne Grant share how the organisation is using circus arts to create opportunities for people of…
Steph CoxGuest
Hanne GrantGuest
Claudia NankervisHostIt's interesting that you mention that about it being a difficult time for obviously everyone in general, but focusing on the Australian circus and arts scene, what do you think are some of the biggest challenges that you're facing as the circus community or a- as more broadly in the arts communities at the moment?
... isn't it? You know, like one big challenge is, is audiences are decreasing because a lot of people seeing art is maybe more discretionary, like funding or funds, you know, that they don't have.
So like as the cost of living increases for everyone, they might have less money to see the arts.
In the state of Victoria, it's really difficult for artists, for work to be funded, and it, we are industry that needs to be subsidized, and there's a reason for that.
It's because art is, like, central to being and is such an important part of society.
And yeah, so basically every factor in society that is heating up for everybody at the moment is also, you know, heating up for the artists.
And we find at the center, like, I think one of our biggest realization is the people we serve the most are the unemployed.
So if people are at the center, that means that they're not, in general, being paid to be on tour or selling their work on the road, or instead, they're the people who are waiting for that job or maybe making ends meet in other ways.
So our role is really to find ways to subsidize what we're doing to make sure we're helping the people who actually generally might not even be able to afford their rent.
And that sometimes means food and sometimes means, you know, training space and sometimes just means conversation, you know?
And do you see a change in these people who have the opportunity to come and spend time at Circus Center Melbourne as a, a, yeah, do you feel like you can see things shifting in them?
I feel like we've really cr- um, worked hard to create this community atmosphere where people feel included and welcome.
And something to note about the circus lifestyle, 'cause I was a circus performer myself, I still am, but when you're working professionally as a, as a circus artist and you have this kind of touring lifestyle, your friends and your colleagues and your, like, circus connections, you might only see them on a seasonal basis.
Like, you might run into the same people every Adelaide Fringe, and then you just see them at that time, and the rest of the year you don't see them.
Even if you live in the same city, you just, like, you might only see them at that time.
And what I've noticed is that with Circus Center Melbourne, we're now creating so much more opportunity for people to not only collaborate on their circus work, but just also connect as people, and that's been really beautiful to see, and people are coming out of their houses.
They might not have a plan for that day, but they come and then they see people they know, and then maybe that does lead to, you know, the creation of something new artistically because they're on the floor and they, they start working together.
It's interesting that you mention that about it being a difficult time for obviously everyone in general, but focusing on the Australian circus and arts scene, what do you think are some of the biggest challenges that you're facing as the circus community or a- as more broadly in the arts communities at the moment?
... isn't it? You know, like one big challenge is, is audiences are decreasing because a lot of people seeing art is maybe more discretionary, like funding or funds, you know, that they don't have.
So like as the cost of living increases for everyone, they might have less money to see the arts.
In the state of Victoria, it's really difficult for artists, for work to be funded, and it, we are industry that needs to be subsidized, and there's a reason for that.
It's because art is, like, central to being and is such an important part of society.
And yeah, so basically every factor in society that is heating up for everybody at the moment is also, you know, heating up for the artists.
And we find at the center, like, I think one of our biggest realization is the people we serve the most are the unemployed.
So if people are at the center, that means that they're not, in general, being paid to be on tour or selling their work on the road, or instead, they're the people who are waiting for that job or maybe making ends meet in other ways.
So our role is really to find ways to subsidize what we're doing to make sure we're helping the people who actually generally might not even be able to afford their rent.
And that sometimes means food and sometimes means, you know, training space and sometimes just means conversation, you know?
And do you see a change in these people who have the opportunity to come and spend time at Circus Center Melbourne as a, a, yeah, do you feel like you can see things shifting in them?
I feel like we've really cr- um, worked hard to create this community atmosphere where people feel included and welcome.
And something to note about the circus lifestyle, 'cause I was a circus performer myself, I still am, but when you're working professionally as a, as a circus artist and you have this kind of touring lifestyle, your friends and your colleagues and your, like, circus connections, you might only see them on a seasonal basis.
Like, you might run into the same people every Adelaide Fringe, and then you just see them at that time, and the rest of the year you don't see them.
Even if you live in the same city, you just, like, you might only see them at that time.
And what I've noticed is that with Circus Center Melbourne, we're now creating so much more opportunity for people to not only collaborate on their circus work, but just also connect as people, and that's been really beautiful to see, and people are coming out of their houses.
They might not have a plan for that day, but they come and then they see people they know, and then maybe that does lead to, you know, the creation of something new artistically because they're on the floor and they, they start working together.
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