WHO WE ARE

Circus Monoxide isn't your typical circus school in Wollongong. Born from the road, built by volunteers, and driven by a genuine love of community and creativity, we've spent nearly three decades proving that circus arts belong to everyone.

We are a not-for-profit circus organisation run entirely by volunteers — people who show up week after week because they believe in what Circus can do for a person, a community, and a city. That spirit has been at the heart of everything we do since the very beginning, and it still is today.

Our Story

Circus Monoxide was founded in 1996, not in a studio, but on the road. We began as a touring circus performance company, and our name was no accident. Coined as a defiant gesture against human-induced climate change, we made our debut at the Bathurst 1000 races and never looked back.

In those early years, our home was an iconic hazard-striped bus that served as both performance space and living quarters for our artists. We toured prolifically across Australia, bringing circus performances to regional centres and major metropolitan festivals alike, earning a reputation as bold, boundary-pushing, and brilliantly unconventional.

In 2012, we transitioned into a circus school in Wollongong, and over the past decade, that same touring spirit has fuelled something remarkable. We've grown our enrolments exponentially, launched an emerging youth circus performance troupe, and established a performance company that tours productions across the east coast of Australia. Our students have gone on to train at prestigious institutions including NICA and the National Centre for Circus Arts in London, and many have pursued professional circus careers on international stages.

We've also built strong collaborative relationships with circus companies and arts organisations locally, regionally, and interstate,  because we've always believed that community is stronger than competition.

Through all of it, we've remained exactly what we started as: a grassroots, community-driven circus organisation with humble beginnings and an enormous heart.

OUR MISSION

To nurture a creative and inclusive community-based circus school in Wollongong that collaborates with arts organisations and community groups across the Illawarra and beyond. We are committed to developing circus performers and enthusiasts alike by establishing a vibrant, welcoming, and accessible safe space  where students can thrive, feel a genuine sense of belonging, and above all, have fun.

OUR VALUES

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OUR VALUES

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OUR VALUES

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OUR VALUES

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OUR VALUES

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OUR VALUES ✳︎ OUR VALUES ✳︎ OUR VALUES ✳︎ OUR VALUES ✳︎ OUR VALUES ✳︎

  • INCLUSIVITY

    Circus is for everyone. Regardless of age, background, ability, or experience, there is a place for you at Circus Monoxide! Wollongong's most welcoming circus school. We are committed to creating an environment where every person feels seen, welcome, and valued from the moment they walk through our door

  • Community

    As a not-for-profit circus school run entirely by volunteers, everything we do is in service of our community, not a bottom line. From our collaborations with local Illawarra arts organisations to our performance troupes that give students a real pathway to the stage, community isn't just a value we hold, it's the reason we exist!

  • Creativity

    From our hazard-striped bus beginnings to our current productions touring the East Coast, creativity has always been our compass. We encourage every student, from preschoolers in our Wollongong circus classes to advanced aerialists, to explore, experiment, and express themselves through the art of circus.

  • Safety

    A safe training environment is non-negotiable. At Circus Monoxide, we are committed to maintaining a physically and emotionally safe space for every student, performer, and volunteer. Our experienced circus coaches deliver high-quality, progressive instruction that prioritises wellbeing at every level.

  • Activity & Healthy Movement

    We believe in the transformative power of movement. Circus training in Wollongong builds strength, coordination, flexibility, and confidence, but more than that, it makes being active genuinely joyful. Whether it's a toddler finding their balance in our Microbats preschool circus class or an adult discovering aerial silks for the first time, we're here to make movement something to look forward to.

  • Integrity

    Nearly 30 years on, Circus Monoxide is still run by volunteers who give their time because they care. That commitment to showing up, humbly, consistently, and with purpose, is woven into everything we do. We're a community circus school in Wollongong, and we're proud of it.

Join our circus community in wollongong

Whether you're a prospective circus student, a parent looking for kids' circus classes in Wollongong, a local organisation interested in collaboration, or simply someone who has always wanted to try something extraordinary, we'd love to have you. Circus Monoxide has been part of the Illawarra community for nearly three decades, and we're just getting started.

Come find your place in the big top.