who We are
Circus Monoxide isn't your typical circus organisation. Born from the road and driven by a genuine love of community and creativity, we've spent three decades proving that circus arts belong to everyone.
We're a not-for-profit kept alive by volunteers, people who show up week after week because they believe in what circus can do for a person and a community.
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 and never looked back.
Our home in those early years was an iconic hazard-striped bus, both performance space and living quarters for our artists. We toured prolifically across Australia, from regional centres to major metropolitan festivals, earning a reputation as bold, boundary-pushing, and unconventional.
In 2012, we brought that touring spirit home to Wollongong, establishing our training programs. Over the past decade we've grown our enrolments, launched an emerging youth circus performance troupe, and built a performance company that tours productions along the east coast. Our students have gone on to train at institutions including NICA and the National Centre for Circus Arts in London, with many pursuing professional circus careers internationally.
We've built strong relationships with circus companies and arts organisations locally, regionally, and interstate, because we've always believed community is stronger than competition.
Through all of it, we've remained what we started as: a grassroots, community-driven circus organisation with humble beginnings and heart.
Our Mission
Circus Monoxide exists to keep the unique, centuries-old practice of circus arts within reach of the Illawarra community.
We welcome students of every age, building confidence and skill through circus training, and with our troupes, we carry that training back out to the region through performance at local festivals, events, and celebrations.
Our Values
Inclusivity
Circus is for everyone. Regardless of age, background, ability, or experience, there is a place for you at Circus Monoxide!
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.
Healthy Movement
We believe in the transformative power of movement. Circus training 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 supported 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 circus run by, and for, community , and we're proud of it.