Masterclasses, intensives and workshops.

Each morning features activities led by Circus Oz artists, allowing participants to experience a broad range of disciplines and creative approaches. 

Activities may include: 

• Flying Trapeze 
• Group Bike 
• Group Acrobatics 
• Slapstick & Knockabout 
• Performance 

These workshops are designed for professional circus artists and advanced emerging artists looking to broaden their practice and engage with Circus Oz. 

Three day workshop: $90 | $81 for members

Registrations close 11:30pm on 11 October.

SPENSER INWOOD

At 8 years old Spenser Inwood knew exactly what she wanted to do and so she did it. In 2017, she embarked on the exciting journey of starting ‘A Good Catch’ with Sharon Gruenert and Debra Batton. Her passion, performance and leadership skills make her the quintessential collaborative artist. She has the uncanny ability to hold and support the artistic big picture while attending to the intricacies of performance. Spenser was an integral part of the Circus Oz ensemble (2013-2019), touring extensively both nationally and internationally from Arnhem Land to Munich, and Frankston to Bogota. She spent 10 years training, creating and touring with the Flying Fruit Fly Circus. Performing, directing and being involved in every production possible. Directing and creating work has always come hand in hand with performing for Spenser and she directed her first show “What do I want?” in 2013 at The Women’s Circus.

DEBRA BATTON

Debra Batton is one of Australia’s leading senior circus artists. Deb has a wealth of experience as a performer, director, choreographer and teacher in circus, dance, theatre and gymnastics. She has worked as a performer and director at Circus Oz, guest director and Performance teacher at NICA (National Institute of Circus Arts) and was a performer and the Artistic Director of Legs on the Wall, as well as with many other companies and groups around the world. She has been performing and creating in the circus artform for the last 25years. Throughout the circus and physical theatre world, Deb is held in high regard for her creativity, depth of knowledge and sense of fun. From her days as a circus Oz performer to being AD of Legs on the wall for 10years through to her ever-growing number of adoring students. There isn’t really anyone in the industry who she hasn’t either worked with directly or inspired with her passionate view on Art. 

SHARON GRUENERT

Born the youngest and smallest, Sharon was inspired to be brave and always challenge herself physically. Sharon Gruenert began her circus journey with a bang by joining Cirque Du Soleil’s Saltimbanco. From this elite beginning she has been collecting all the best there is in circus. Her dedication to making risky work is a defining feature of Sharon’s process. Her belief that risk is how you get the audience to care about you, is one of the many provocations that is built into the very core of her style of circus. She is known for just being able to make an act better taking the formal skill and flipping it on its head. For the past 25 years Sharon has flown around and been thrown around with companies such as Circus Oz, Cirque du Soleil, Circus Monoxide, Dislocate, Strange Fruit and A Good Catch.

STEPHEN BURTON

He has written and directed, designed and rigged, trained and taught, managed and teched for Circus Oz, Bizurcus, Dislocate, The Flying Fruit Fly Circus, Rock’n’Roll Circus, The Collapsible Man, Marg and the Beast, The Ukulele Ladies, Belfast Circus School, Hard Hats and Lattes, Horned Moon, Club Swing, De Soxy, A Scam and a Strong Man, Coco and Guido, Toughtitties, The Happy Sideshow, The Business, Throwdown, The Candy Butchers – Sweetmeats, Tooth & Nail, And the Little One Said; Love TV, A Little Bit Tricky, The Orchestra, Riggerous, Kindred Circus, Laughing in the Square, The Great Gondos, Rough Diamonds, Baron of the Trees, Gadgets, Team Loko, Circus Catharsis, Justinsane, The Dictionary of Imaginary Places, We 3, Tassie Circus Festival, Mullum Circus Festival, The WA Circus Festival, Circus Monoxide, The Melbourne International Arts Festival, The Melbourne International Comedy Festival, The Rising Festival, Melbourne Fringe Festival, Your Show, The Regent Theatre, Umbrella Productions, The National Institute of Circus Arts, Sandfly Circus…….. He has performed with/in Circus Oz, Dislocate, The Dekko Gekkos, The Essendon Policewomen’s Marching Band, Choose as you Will, Slow Love, Deadlines, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, The Maurices, The Emperor’s New Clothes, The Flying Falafels, The Miserables, The Comedy Company, Fast Forward, Illustrious Energy, Round the Twist, Circus Explosion, Bananarama……..all over Australia, all over the world. He is currently Coordinator of space and equipment, Stage manager and Assistant Director for “Non Stop” and Production Manager for the Kabloom project, Production Coordinator, all at Circus Oz. Stephen is a qualified Feldenkrais practitioner.

NICCI WILKS

Nicci is a freelance artist performing, devising and directing works of various art forms, touring the world for over 40 years, performing in 14 languages from the Pitjantjatjara lands to 42nd St. New York to New Delhi. She has made work with Circus Oz, Malthouse Theatre, Melbourne Theatre Company, Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, Ilbijerri Theatre Company, CIRCA and various artists and other companies from across the globe. She co-created and performed the award-winning shows The Long Pigs (Sydney Festival), ANIMAL (Dark MOFO), and SHIT (Venice Biennale). Other works include Caravan (Melbourne Festival), Rodeo Clown (Darwin Festival), RUNT (Sydney Opera House), BAD BOY(45 Downstairs), The Teensy Top (she wears the venue!) and Fuck Fabulous/Christmas (Arts Centre Melbourne & Malthouse Theatre). She directed the award-winning circus show Party Ghost and was Assistant Director of the award-winning site-specific work Taxi. A recipient of 5 Green Room Awards, she was recently nominated for Most Outstanding Performer in Independent Theatre – BAD BOY. Film credits include SHIT and the award-winning short film Tarneit. In 2025 her directorial debut show with Circus Oz, Non-Stop was presented for a five-week season on 42nd St. New York.2026 sees her directing another main stage production for Circus Oz, performing Patricia Cornelius’s Savages at Theatre Works, creating the third play in a trilogy with Dee & Cornelius, collaborating with the Flying Fruit Fly Circus and conspiring with other independent artists to make theatre of all forms.

LEO PENTLAND

Completing seven years of Training at the National Institute of Circus Arts with a distinction in creativity, Leo is an artist that is drawn to a challenge and new ways to push his acrobatic and artistic skills. Performing with names such as Circus Oz, Blunderland Variety, Reuban Kaye and Bernie Dieter, Leo is drawn to pushing the form of circus into a new territory. With a passion for aerial and ensemble-based work this multidisciplinary performer has taken his work to in the round big-tops, large proscenium stages and small intimate spiegeltents. Including his award-winning show Cake, where Leo co-produces and performs. Whilst also working in production, using the technologies and capabilities of modern-day theatre to excel circus arts into a new world is where this industry excites Leo the most. Moving forward Leo strives to take his knowledge gained thus far and create ripples in the industry, through ensemble work that fills the unseen space of contemporary based, ensemble aerial productions.