April monthly newsletter
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Training news
Outreach Update
End Of Year Show
agm
moment of the Month
contact us
Training news
CIRCUS DAY
We had a great turnout for Circus Day. Thanks to everyone for rocking up and to those
who contributed to the FEAST.
As well as a stack of info about the Training Program, there were updates regarding the
Artistic and Outreach arms of the Women’s Circus. We welcomed our new Music
Trainer, Irine Vela, and said “au revoir” to New Woman Régine Breyton, who attended
Circus Day just hours before leaving for the airport to return to Quebec.
The Music Group gave outgoing Music trainers Bec Matthews and Sarah Ward a fitting
send off with a “concert” of their work from Term 1, accompanied by a trio balance
routine by Staja Hobsbawn, Emily Ross and Bianca Sciarretta. There were also
performances by members of the Performance and Acro 3 classes, both entertaining
and exciting previews of what we may see in our Show and Tell at the end of term.
SHORT COURSES
With Whip Cracking and Clowning both already underway, we have received some
great feedback about this term’s Short Courses. There are still some places available in
the short courses being held later in the term:
COURSE NAME
Chinese Pole
Group Bike
TRAINER
Teresa Blake
Annie Fayzdaughter
DAY/TIME
Sat 2-4pm
Sat 4-6pm
DATES
May 17-31
June 7-21
Remember, these courses are open to ALL women, not just members of the Women’s
Circus. If you, or somebody you know, are interested, please contact the office.
2008 Artistic Program
The plans for the Women’s Circus 2008 Artistic Program are well under way and this
year the aim is to include the participant base involved in the Training and Outreach
programs in a major public performance to be held at the North Melbourne Town Hall in
the final week of November this year.
Under the Artistic Direction of Nadja Kostich the theme is focused on Women’s Suffrage
because this theme is distinctly relevant and significant for our organisation and our
partners to voice. By developing and presenting an original, relevant and dynamic work
as part of the 100 Year Commemoration of Victorian Women’s Suffrage, in particular
the campaigns of the Women’s Suffrage League, the artistic program will connect
younger generations women with their history, and give voice to past and contemporary
women’s struggles, as well as link Women’s Circus and its participants in to the wider
network celebrating Victorian Women’s Suffrage.
Nadja will be conducting two Creative Development Workshops on Sunday 18 May and
Sunday 8 June from 1pm – 3.30pm to brainstorm and workshop ideas. If you are a
training member and would like to be involved please submit an Expressions of Interest
Form which you can collect from the office or ask your Trainer.
In addition, as the result of the huge success of the “Show & Tell” performance last
year, two more of these have been scheduled for 2008. The dates (to be confirmed)
are Sunday 29 June and Sunday 21 September. Please note these in your diaries now
and we will keep you posted!
OUTREACH UPDATE
Last month has many exciting events. Firstly we facilitated a vibrant session with some young
people from the Mirabel Foundation. The session was going brilliantly until the Drill Hall roof
blew off… but there are hopes that the kids will return in the future, potentially for a longer-term
project. We also headed out to Sunbury to present a speech about the wonderful work of the
Women’s Circus to the Macedon Ranges Focus Group. The response was apparently
fantastic, with many of the attendees wanting to know more about how they could have the
Circus involved in their communities. Two of our team did a day-trip to Swan Hill to rove at a
dinner for Doctors and their families hosted by Mallee General Practice. I’ve heard the
audience was very responsive and the girls had a chance to try out some new tricks with one
another. Finally, four of us headed out to Keilor to facilitate a session for Mt. St. Joseph’s Girls’
College. All of the students had a chance to laugh whilst running away from bees, perform
amazing new tricks and then chase their hula hoops down the hill, amaze themselves with the
pyramids they could build, and challenge their hand-eye coordination with their new-found
juggling skills. The day was a great success and we’ve been asked to return later in the year.
A few of our longer-term programs have also started up again. Gilmore Girls is back in action,
with students’ laughter filling up the Drill Hall every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. There are
excellent levels of student participation this year, with even the most unwilling participants
getting up and giving things a go. Our six trainers have been working extremely hard to keep the
program creative, fresh, challenging and fun. The Royal Melbourne Hospital’s Eating
Disorders Unit trains in the space each Tuesday under the gentle guidance of Jenny, and
within the next few weeks I will be having a discussion with the head of the unit to see how we
can incorporate this project into some of the wider circus events, such as the end-of-year show.
In the next few months, we’re heading out to speak about the Women’s Circus at the famous
Zonta Club, which is a club that works to advance the status of women worldwide. We’re
hoping the speech can turn into a longer-term, more meaningful partnership. The Australian
Education Union’s Women’s Conference will be blessed with the presence of two of our
trainers, who have been presented with the challenging task of facilitating a stilt-walking/hula
hooping workshop with a Show and Tell outcome within two hours. Luckily two of our best are
on the project, so I have confidence they’ll fly with the challenge! We’ll also be welcoming the
Women About program to the Women’s Circus for a taste-testing session in May. The program
participants are women who have recently left the prison system and are about to complete their
case management plans, so this is a partnership I am working to develop further. Two stiltwalkers and their ground supporters will be heading to perform at the Victorian Council Of
Social Services’ Exhibition Launch in the city. The exhibition will promote careers in the
community sector, so it’s a perfect thing for us to be involved in. Melbourne City Mission has
also booked us in for a basic skills workshop in the Drill Hall for some of the young people with
whom they work. They work with particularly marginalized and disadvantaged communities, so
the potential difference that our work can make is significant. Finally, Mt. St. Joseph’s have
asked us to return to facilitate further sessions in June and August. Busy times!
Women’s Circus Annual General Meeting
The Annual General Meeting which is open to all paid Members of the Women’s Circus will be
held at the Drill Hall, 395 Barkly Street, Footscray on Monday 19 May at 6pm.
Moment of the Month
April was a very eventful month, in fact it was such a huge month for the Women’s Circus that
we blew the roof off. Well not us, the wind!
When our Sky lights blew away and the rest of the roof threatened to go with it, Maralann our
courageous book keeper, who was busy with the accounts calmly got off her seat, popped up
the ladder and effortlessly covered the trapeze to protect it from the oncoming rain. She was
then swiftly back to the accounts.
Go Maralann!