Propel: Creative and Performance Development

Act Lab

The Act Lab supports professional circus artists to develop new acts through creative exploration, mentorship and peer exchange. The program culminates in a community cabaret, providing artists with the opportunity to share their work, receive audience insight and connect with the wider circus community. Artists will also receive professional footage and photos of their new act. The upcoming Act Lab will be facilitated by Flying Fruit Fly Circus Artistic Director and acclaimed director and teacher of physical theatre and circus, Anni Davey.

To apply, you only need to know who will be in your act and have the seed of an idea. That seed might be a song you want to use, an apparatus you’d like to explore, a theme, an image, a story, or even a single quote. Your idea can certainly be more developed, but it doesn’t need to be. This program is designed to give you the tools and support to grow a simple starting point into a fully realised act. You’ll walk away from this program with a new act, footage and photos of that act, and new skills in devising and act creation.

Expressions of Interest are now closed.

Act Lab Intensive

The program begins with a creative development intensive led by Anni Davey. Through workshops, discussion, and practical experimentation, participants will explore creative processes, devising tools, and approaches to making contemporary circus and physical performance work.

Artists will be encouraged to bring their own act ideas, explore new ideas of creating, and identify concepts they wish to develop throughout the program.

What artists receive:

Creative workshops and mentorship
Space to experiment and develop ideas
Connection with fellow artists and collaborators
Opportunities for feedback and discussion

Space: The Studio

Dates & Times:

Tuesday 25 August: 12:30pm – 5pm
Wednesday 26 August 10am – 5pm

Act Development

Following the intensive, artists will enter a supported development period at Circus Centre Melbourne.

Participants will have access to space, peer feedback opportunities, and online check-ins with Anni Davey as they refine a short work, act, or creative concept for presentation.

The development phase is designed to provide artists with the time, space, and support needed to move an idea from inspiration to performance.

Artists will have access to:

Space at CCM
Peer-to-peer feedback
Mentorship and artistic guidance
Technical and production support where appropriate
A network of fellow creators and performers

Space: The Hub

Dates & Times:

Artist-led creation/rehearsal (without Anni) will be held at 4pm – 5:45pm on Wednesdays and Fridays in the Hub. Please note artists can also use regular open training times, but the below times will be exclusive for this project.

Friday 28 August 4pm – 5:45pm
Wednesday 2 September 4pm – 5:45pm
Friday 4 September 4pm – 5:45pm
Wednesday 9 September 4pm – 5:45pm
Friday 11 September 4pm – 5:45pm
Wednesday 16 September 4pm – 5:45pm

Facilitator-led creation/rehearsal (with Anni) will be held in the Hub on:

Sunday 6 September 10am – 4pm
Sunday 13 September 10am – 4pm

Act Performance & Technical

The program culminates in a public cabaret performance in the CCM Studio.

Artists will present their new acts to a supportive audience of peers, industry professionals, and CCM and Collingwood Yards (CY) community members.

The cabaret provides an opportunity to test material in front of an audience, gain valuable feedback, and celebrate the creativity emerging from Melbourne’s circus community.

Participants receive:

A professionally supported performance opportunity
Technical Support (Simple Lighting Design and Sound Playback)
Audience feedback and reflection
Photo and video documentation of their work
Increased visibility within the circus and performing arts sector

Space: The Studio

Dates & Times:

Cabaret Rehearsal and Blocking Friday 18th of September 4pm to 10pm
Technical Rehearsals 19 September (times to be confirmed)
Performance 19 September (times to be confirmed)

Key Dates and Times Snapshot

Act Lab Intensive

Tuesday 25 August: 12:30pm to 5pm
Wednesday 26 August 10am to 5pm

Act Development

Artist-led creation/rehearsal:

Friday 28th of August 4pm – 5:45pm
Wednesday 2nd of September 4pm – 5:45pm
Friday 4th of September 4pm – 5:45pm
Wednesday 9th of September 4pm – 5:45pm
Friday 11h of September 4pm – 5:45pm
Wednesday 16th of September 4pm – 5:45pm

Facilitator-led creation/rehearsal:

Sunday 6th of September 10am – 4pm
Sunday 13th of September 10am – 4pm

Act Performance & Technical

Cabaret Rehearsal and Blocking Friday 18th of September 4pm to 10pm
Technical Rehearsals 19 September (times tbc)
Performance 19 September (times tbc)

About the Facilitator

Anni Davey joined The Flying Fruit Fly Circus as Artistic Director in July 2018. Shows she has created for them include BACK IN THE BIG TOP featuring 70 young acrobats, TIME FLIES for Sydney Festival 2020, ENDANGERED SPECIES, GIRLS WITH ALTITUDE, SPHERICAL for the 50th anniversary celebrations of the Sydney Opera House (2023), BIG SKY, LIVE & FAMOUS and most recently PAY NO ATTENTION. Anni has had a significant history with Australian Contemporary Circus – she first joined Circus Oz in 1987 and has worked in many capacities there ever since including Acrobat, Show Director, Acting General Manager, and she was Technical Coordinator for the New Building project 2011 – 2014. Anni directed their acclaimed show TWENTYSIXTEEN, the USA tour of STRAIGHT UP (2017), the Australian regional tour of MODEL CITIZENS (2017, 2018) and the education show STACKS ON and TIN TOP (late 2017).

In the early 1990s Anni was involved in the formation of two independent performing companies, both highly regarded as creating seminal works in circus and in musical theatre. Club Swing toured their aerial shows APPETITE and RAZORBABY around Australia and internationally from 1994 to 1999. Crying In Public Places toured three a-cappella theatre shows (CRYING IN PUBLIC PLACES, JUMP! and SKIN) around Australia and internationally until 2001.

Anni has won two Green Room awards for Cabaret for Best Director for her work with Sarah Ward.

In 2019 Anni was declared a Melbourne Fringe Living Legend and in 2020 she was awarded an Order of Australia Medal (OAM) for services to Circus and Physical Theatre.

Cost

Act Lab fees include the Act Lab Intensive, all rehearsal and development time, and professional footage and photos of your new act from the first ever CCM Community Cabaret.

$250 per solo artist
$450 per duo ($225 pp)
$645 per trio ($215 pp)
10% off for members

If cost is a barrier for you, please reach out as support may be available.

How to Apply

Expressions of Interest are now closed

Access and Support 

We encourage anyone who needs specific services, support or would like to discuss how they can fully engage with the EOI process or Company in Residence program to contact us on (03) 8456 7199 or email hello@circuscentremelbourne.com.au.

This includes those who may need an alternative to the linked EOI form below (eg. word document application) or 1:1 support to complete the form.