The Flying Fruit Fly Circus
Encyclopedia
The Flying Fruit Fly Circus is a full-time children's circus in Australia, on the Murray River in the twin towns Albury-Wodonga on the Victoria New South Wales border. . Many of the children attend their schooling at the Flying Fruit Fly Circus School
where they undertake educational studies as well as circus training. The Flying Fruit Fly Circus regularly performs in Australia and internationally, at corporate events and at festivals. The Flying Fruit Fly Circus show, The Promise , won the Helpmann award for best presentation for children in 2009.
Mark Shirrefs and Ian mortimer went to local schools and introduced skills to local kids, some of whom are still active in Circus, Michael Ling has spent 18 years with Circus Oz.
In 1979 On the Outside, a show about unemployed youth, was designed as a full-scale theatrical performance for high school. Lloyd Sutler, the Murray River Performing Group's resident writer, wrote the script. Performed inside an octagon made of three-inch agricultural piping on a big yellow mat, the show involved a mixture of naturalism, Brecht and satire.
In the same year Heap, written by Mark Shirrefs was performed by Mark, Boris Conley, Mort for the upper three grades of Primary School. Lloyd Sutter and Mark Shirrefs also worked with local writers Dotty Simmons and Barbara Connyngham. Three of the pieces developed by this work were produced in 1979 and 1980.
Mort continued teaching a small group in the craft of street theatre as sidewalk Circus, these included Michael Ling, Mark Barlow (Strauss) Cathy and Herby, and many others. Once the kids had been introduced to Circus as a valid profession they did not want to stop.
Pixi and Jim Robertson who had been traditional circus performers and founding members of Circus Oz -- and teachers for the first Fruit Fly Circus event -- stayed on as teaching staff and invited Micky Ashton of Ashtons Circus to join them. Micky stayed until the end of his long life.
The second annual Flying Fruit Fly Circus event, in 1980, was seen by Chris Brookes, a Canadian playwright who visited at the suggestion of the Community Arts Board of the Australia Council
. He suggested taking the Circus to the Vancouver Children's Festival in 1981. At that time the administration of the group was carried out by a core of five people with John Paxinos coming in as administrator. There was a performing group, responsible for writing and performing pieces for set venues. The next group was the clown group headed by Mort, for community involvement, instant theatre and schools. Finally, there was the semi-autonomous Flying Fruit Fly Circus. The Flying Fruit Fly Circus was the most durable of the activities and has sustained to the present day.
Following the successful Canada event at the Vancouver Children's Festival in 1981 there were successful seasons in Melbourne, Albury and Benalla. Tanya Lester won a Gold Medallion in Le Cirque de Demain Competition in Paris. In 1982 she was the recipient of the ‘Young Australian of the Year’ title.
In 1982 the Nanjing Acrobatic Troupe of China undertook a training project in Albury Wodonga with Flying Fruit Fly Circus performers, Circus Oz and other physical theatre artists. The outcome was the show The Great Leap Forward.
In 1983 the Fruit Fly Circus hosted six acrobats from the Nanjing Acrobatic Troupe of China. This project, known as Nanjing 1, the initiative of Carrillo Gantner, then Cultural Attaché to the Australian Embassy in China, took place over three months. Fruit Fly Circus students learnt alongside professional artists including performers from Circus Oz. The group Legs On the Wall was formed as a result of this project. Lu Guong Rong, a Chinese performer at the height of his powers when he came to Australia for the project, stayed in Australia and has been one of the most influential teachers of Australian circus since.
In 1984 on behalf of the company, artistic director Robert "Bomber" Perrier won the BHP Pursuit of Excellence Award in Arts and Literature.
In 1989-90, after 10 years of operation, Flying Fruit Fly Circus performed at the Sydney Festival, the Melbourne International Comedy Festival, Geelong Performing Arts Centre and were invited to join the nationwide tour of the Great Moscow Circus. The Flying Fruit Fly Circus represented Australia at Australia Week in Veneto, Italy and were awarded the Ros Bower Award for Outstanding Contribution to Community Arts.
In 1993 a sell-out season of Red Alert for the Sydney Festival (and half-time entertainment for the World Series Cricket) was followed by tours to Brisbane, Gippsland and Melbourne. In 1997 the Flying Fruit Fly Circus performed at the Melbourne Summer Live concert, the Fashion Spectacular and Moomba. In 1999 the Circus Festival transferred from its usual base in Tasmania to Albury Wodonga, where Flying Fruit Fly Circus's Outburst! performed. The Gift opened in New York, selling out a five-week season over Christmas New Year.
In 2009, 30 years on, Flying Fruit Fly Circus performed The Promise at the Sydney Festival and Albury. Federal Minister Peter Garrett
announced $3.75m government contribution to redevelop Flying Fruit Fly Circus training space.
In 2010 a major touring exhibition Step Right Up! The Circus in Australian Art developed through a partnership between Albury City and the Flying Fruit Fly Circus toured nationally from early 2010 through to January 2011 at venues including Mosman Art Gallery, Horsham Art Gallery, Port Pirie Regional Art Gallery, Bunbury Regional Art Gallery and Lake Macquarie City Art Gallery. The exhibition featured paintings, drawings, photographs, sketchbooks, prints and sculptures by Tom Alberts, David Archer, Monique Auricchio, George Baldessin, Dorrit Black, John Brack
, Robert Campbell, Margaret Cilento, Ray Cook, Robert Dickerson
, Vincent Drane, Graeme Drendel, Ian Fairweather
, Cedric Flower, Donald Friend
, Joe Furlonger, James Guppy, Ponch Hawkes, Euan Heng, Petrina Hicks, Lorraine Jenyns, Warren Langley, Nerissa Lea, Michael Leunig
, Stewart MacFarlane, Noel McKenna, Kevin Mortensen, John Olsen
, Alexander Seton, Andrew Sibley, Jeffrey Smart
, David Strachan, Albert Tucker
, Ken Whisson, Arthur Wicks, Fred Williams
, Anne Zahalka and Salvatore Zofrea.
In its 30+ year history the company has toured internationally to Japan, Canada, Hawaii, Singapore, New Zealand, Italy, China, the UK and the US. In Australia the circus regularly performs at festivals including the Melbourne International Festival, Melbourne Comedy Festival and Sydney Festival. Special appearances incude the 2000 Sydney Olympics Opening Ceremony and Cultural Festival and the closing Ceremony of the XVIII Melbourne Commonwealth Games in 2006.
The Flying Fruit Fly Circus School
was established in 1987 as the educational arm of the Flying Fruit Fly Circus. The school is guided by policy frameworks of the Victorian Department of Education with a special focus on circus and performing arts. After being destroyed by fire in 2003, the new purpose built school was opened in 2006 as part of the Wodonga Middle Years College, in conjunction with Huon and Felltimber campuses.
Flying Fruit Fly Circus School
The Flying Fruit Fly Circus School in Wodonga, Victoria is the only primary and secondary-level circus school in Australia. It was founded in 1987 as the educational arm of The Flying Fruit Fly Circus...
where they undertake educational studies as well as circus training. The Flying Fruit Fly Circus regularly performs in Australia and internationally, at corporate events and at festivals. The Flying Fruit Fly Circus show, The Promise , won the Helpmann award for best presentation for children in 2009.
History
The Flying Fruit Fly Circus was one of the productions of the Murray River Performing Group, initially an ensemble of nine artists, set up mostly by graduates the Victorian College of the Arts Drama School, including Robert "Bomber" Perrier, who was the artistic director from the outset, Lloyd Suttor, Mark Shirrefs and Ian Mortimer (Mort). The group began full-time operations in 1979, the International Year of the Child. Within four months the group had conducted workshops and performed in over forty venues, written two shows, performed street theatre directed by Mort, organised 171 circus training sessions and produced the first Flying Fruit Fly Circus event involving 117 performers aged from seven to seventeen.Mark Shirrefs and Ian mortimer went to local schools and introduced skills to local kids, some of whom are still active in Circus, Michael Ling has spent 18 years with Circus Oz.
In 1979 On the Outside, a show about unemployed youth, was designed as a full-scale theatrical performance for high school. Lloyd Sutler, the Murray River Performing Group's resident writer, wrote the script. Performed inside an octagon made of three-inch agricultural piping on a big yellow mat, the show involved a mixture of naturalism, Brecht and satire.
In the same year Heap, written by Mark Shirrefs was performed by Mark, Boris Conley, Mort for the upper three grades of Primary School. Lloyd Sutter and Mark Shirrefs also worked with local writers Dotty Simmons and Barbara Connyngham. Three of the pieces developed by this work were produced in 1979 and 1980.
Mort continued teaching a small group in the craft of street theatre as sidewalk Circus, these included Michael Ling, Mark Barlow (Strauss) Cathy and Herby, and many others. Once the kids had been introduced to Circus as a valid profession they did not want to stop.
Pixi and Jim Robertson who had been traditional circus performers and founding members of Circus Oz -- and teachers for the first Fruit Fly Circus event -- stayed on as teaching staff and invited Micky Ashton of Ashtons Circus to join them. Micky stayed until the end of his long life.
The second annual Flying Fruit Fly Circus event, in 1980, was seen by Chris Brookes, a Canadian playwright who visited at the suggestion of the Community Arts Board of the Australia Council
Australia Council
The Australia Council, informally known as the Australia Council for the Arts, is the official arts council or arts funding body of the Government of Australia.-Function:...
. He suggested taking the Circus to the Vancouver Children's Festival in 1981. At that time the administration of the group was carried out by a core of five people with John Paxinos coming in as administrator. There was a performing group, responsible for writing and performing pieces for set venues. The next group was the clown group headed by Mort, for community involvement, instant theatre and schools. Finally, there was the semi-autonomous Flying Fruit Fly Circus. The Flying Fruit Fly Circus was the most durable of the activities and has sustained to the present day.
Following the successful Canada event at the Vancouver Children's Festival in 1981 there were successful seasons in Melbourne, Albury and Benalla. Tanya Lester won a Gold Medallion in Le Cirque de Demain Competition in Paris. In 1982 she was the recipient of the ‘Young Australian of the Year’ title.
In 1982 the Nanjing Acrobatic Troupe of China undertook a training project in Albury Wodonga with Flying Fruit Fly Circus performers, Circus Oz and other physical theatre artists. The outcome was the show The Great Leap Forward.
In 1983 the Fruit Fly Circus hosted six acrobats from the Nanjing Acrobatic Troupe of China. This project, known as Nanjing 1, the initiative of Carrillo Gantner, then Cultural Attaché to the Australian Embassy in China, took place over three months. Fruit Fly Circus students learnt alongside professional artists including performers from Circus Oz. The group Legs On the Wall was formed as a result of this project. Lu Guong Rong, a Chinese performer at the height of his powers when he came to Australia for the project, stayed in Australia and has been one of the most influential teachers of Australian circus since.
In 1984 on behalf of the company, artistic director Robert "Bomber" Perrier won the BHP Pursuit of Excellence Award in Arts and Literature.
In 1989-90, after 10 years of operation, Flying Fruit Fly Circus performed at the Sydney Festival, the Melbourne International Comedy Festival, Geelong Performing Arts Centre and were invited to join the nationwide tour of the Great Moscow Circus. The Flying Fruit Fly Circus represented Australia at Australia Week in Veneto, Italy and were awarded the Ros Bower Award for Outstanding Contribution to Community Arts.
In 1993 a sell-out season of Red Alert for the Sydney Festival (and half-time entertainment for the World Series Cricket) was followed by tours to Brisbane, Gippsland and Melbourne. In 1997 the Flying Fruit Fly Circus performed at the Melbourne Summer Live concert, the Fashion Spectacular and Moomba. In 1999 the Circus Festival transferred from its usual base in Tasmania to Albury Wodonga, where Flying Fruit Fly Circus's Outburst! performed. The Gift opened in New York, selling out a five-week season over Christmas New Year.
In 2009, 30 years on, Flying Fruit Fly Circus performed The Promise at the Sydney Festival and Albury. Federal Minister Peter Garrett
Peter Garrett
Peter Robert Garrett, AM, MP , is an Australian musician, environmentalist, activist and politician.Garrett was lead singer of the Australian rock band Midnight Oil from 1973 until its disbanding in 2002...
announced $3.75m government contribution to redevelop Flying Fruit Fly Circus training space.
In 2010 a major touring exhibition Step Right Up! The Circus in Australian Art developed through a partnership between Albury City and the Flying Fruit Fly Circus toured nationally from early 2010 through to January 2011 at venues including Mosman Art Gallery, Horsham Art Gallery, Port Pirie Regional Art Gallery, Bunbury Regional Art Gallery and Lake Macquarie City Art Gallery. The exhibition featured paintings, drawings, photographs, sketchbooks, prints and sculptures by Tom Alberts, David Archer, Monique Auricchio, George Baldessin, Dorrit Black, John Brack
John Brack
John Brack was an Australian painter, and a member of the Antipodeans group.-Life:...
, Robert Campbell, Margaret Cilento, Ray Cook, Robert Dickerson
Robert Dickerson
Robert Dickerson is an Australian figurative painter and former member of the Antipodeans group of artists. Dickerson is one of Australia's most recognised figurative artists and one of a generation of influential artists who include Ray Crooke, Charles Blackman, Laurence Hope, Margaret Olley and...
, Vincent Drane, Graeme Drendel, Ian Fairweather
Ian Fairweather
Ian Fairweather was an Australian painter. Fairweather was born in Scotland in 1891 and arrived in Melbourne in February 1934...
, Cedric Flower, Donald Friend
Donald Friend
Donald Stuart Leslie Friend was an Australian artist, writer and diarist.- Early life :Born in Sydney, precociously talented both as an artist and a writer, Friend grew up in the artistic circle of his bohemian mother...
, Joe Furlonger, James Guppy, Ponch Hawkes, Euan Heng, Petrina Hicks, Lorraine Jenyns, Warren Langley, Nerissa Lea, Michael Leunig
Michael Leunig
Michael Leunig , typically referred to as Leunig, is an Australian poet, cartoonist and cultural commentator. His best known works include The Adventures of Vasco Pyjama and the Curly Flats series...
, Stewart MacFarlane, Noel McKenna, Kevin Mortensen, John Olsen
John Olsen
John Wayne Olsen, AO was Premier of South Australia between 28 November 1996 and 22 October 2001.-Parliament:Olsen was a member of the Liberal Party and Member of Parliament for more than 20 years...
, Alexander Seton, Andrew Sibley, Jeffrey Smart
Jeffrey Smart
Jeffrey Smart , is an expatriate Australian painter, who is known for his modernist depictions of urban landscapes.His first goal was to become an architect; however, he went on to become an art teacher after studying at Adelaide Teacher's College and the South Australian School of Art and Crafts...
, David Strachan, Albert Tucker
Albert Tucker
Albert Tucker may refer to:*Albert Tucker *Albert W. Tucker , mathematician*Al Tucker, Albert Tucker, American basketball player...
, Ken Whisson, Arthur Wicks, Fred Williams
Fred Williams
Frederick Ronald Williams OBE was an Australian painter and printmaker. He was one of Australia’s most important artists, and one of the twentieth century’s major painters of the landscape...
, Anne Zahalka and Salvatore Zofrea.
In its 30+ year history the company has toured internationally to Japan, Canada, Hawaii, Singapore, New Zealand, Italy, China, the UK and the US. In Australia the circus regularly performs at festivals including the Melbourne International Festival, Melbourne Comedy Festival and Sydney Festival. Special appearances incude the 2000 Sydney Olympics Opening Ceremony and Cultural Festival and the closing Ceremony of the XVIII Melbourne Commonwealth Games in 2006.
Awards
- 2009 Helpmann Award for Best Presentation for Children (The Promise)
- 2008 APACA Drover’s Award for Tour Management Excellence.
- 1990 Ros Bower Memorial Community Arts Award.
- 1986 BHP Pursuit of Excellence Award for Arts & Literature.
- 1985 Logie Award (Nanjing 1 Documentary).
- 1982 Gold Medallion in Le Cirque de Demain Competition (France).
Present Day
The Flying Fruit Fly Circus provides a Circus Arts program for kids of varying ages and abilities. Kids with aspirations of becoming a “Fruit Fly” may join the Circus Skills Selection Group, a more intensive class designed to prepare performers for possible selection into The Flying Fruit Fly Circus and School. A range of shows includes Fireproof where the newest and youngest members ages 8-14 years are seen in their first ever performance where they show off their newly required circus skills of acrobatics, theatrics, manipulation, pyramids & aerial spectaculars.The Flying Fruit Fly Circus School
Flying Fruit Fly Circus School
The Flying Fruit Fly Circus School in Wodonga, Victoria is the only primary and secondary-level circus school in Australia. It was founded in 1987 as the educational arm of The Flying Fruit Fly Circus...
was established in 1987 as the educational arm of the Flying Fruit Fly Circus. The school is guided by policy frameworks of the Victorian Department of Education with a special focus on circus and performing arts. After being destroyed by fire in 2003, the new purpose built school was opened in 2006 as part of the Wodonga Middle Years College, in conjunction with Huon and Felltimber campuses.
See also
- CirkidzCirkidzCirkidz is a youth circus school based in Bowden in the South Australian capital of Adelaide.It was originally founded by Tony Hannan and Michael Lester in 1985 as a workshop project to provide alternative opportunities for recreation for disadvantaged young people in Adelaide’s industrial...
- Flying Fruit Fly Circus SchoolFlying Fruit Fly Circus SchoolThe Flying Fruit Fly Circus School in Wodonga, Victoria is the only primary and secondary-level circus school in Australia. It was founded in 1987 as the educational arm of The Flying Fruit Fly Circus...