EMERGING WA ARTISTS TAKE THE HELM IN CIRCUSWA’S THE RAFT
3 August 2026
CircusWA is proud to present The RAFT as part of Fremantle’s Winter Festival, 10 Nights in Port in August 2026.
Blending contemporary circus, physical theatre and dark comedy, exploring social inequities and global warming. The RAFT is the newest show from CircusWA’s rising Academy stars. Devised in partnership with the youth performers, the first concept was presented to Fringe World audiences last year. Following rave reviews, further investment is being made, including the languages of set, costume and lighting to bring this work to a fuller vision.
Set inside a 10 x 10m square, audiences will find themselves up close to the action of the circus performers and musicians as they navigate their life-raft with a flawed moral compass in the hope of their own personal survival.
The development of The RAFT reflects CircusWA’s commitment to nurturing the next generation of creative leaders.” At CircusWA, we believe in empowering new artists with opportunities to create original works. The RAFT is a wonderful example of what can happen when emerging creatives are trusted, supported and given the space to take risks,” says CircusWA Artistic Director, Jo Smith.
CircusWA’s Emerging Directors program was funded in 2024 by Creative Australia and The RAFT is the first production developed from this program. Co-directed by Ella Norton and Mackenzie Brown, together they bring complementary artistic practices and fresh perspectives to the work.
Award-winning circus and physical theatre performer Ella Norton, at 25, has built a performance career creating bold, playful work with a penchant for the ridiculous. She is best known as a lead creative of YUCK Circus, which has become an international hit on the Fringe Festival circuits in Europe and Australia. Directing is a new journey for Ella. She has recently returned from a stint as Associate Director with Australia’s Flying Fruit Fly Circus in New South Wales, mentored by extraordinary circus Director Anni Davey. Ella is now ready to transfer this knowledge into the next phase of The RAFT.
Co-director Mackenzie Brown describes themself as an interdisciplinary performance maker and troublemaker. With formal training in performance making and extensive experience as both a facilitator and artist, The RAFT marks Mackenzie’s first circus production. “I have a deep appreciation for transformative interdisciplinary art and am thoroughly enjoying the opportunity to work with Ella and these aspiring circus artists to create something that is playful, bold and unique”, says Mackenzie.
Designer Charlotte Meagher, while not long out of university, is already growing an impressive list of companies she’s designing for. This is Charlotte’s first foray into working with circus. She is more than standing up to the challenge of designing for such a physical art form filled with dangerous tricks and flips.
At the heart of the production are ten young performers from the CircusWA Youth Academy. Over the past year, they have dedicated themselves to refining their circus skills and exploring new creative possibilities. With the creative team The RAFT will be their next unique and ambitious work.
The RAFT celebrates the power of collaboration, creativity and emerging talent, providing a platform for Western Australia’s next generation of circus artists, directors and creatives to develop bold new work together and captivate audiences.
EVENT DETAILS
The RAFT presented by CircusWA
Victoria Hall, Fremantle| 29–30 August