Since 2017, the CircusWA training and development centre has called the Freo Big Top home. What began as a short-term solution became something much bigger – a creative engine for nearly a decade.

“In this temporary facility, we grew WA’s first funded youth Academy. Since 2017, we’ve created and performed an average of four shows a year, supported four resident circus companies, hosted national and international artists, and built a space where artists could connect and thrive in WA,” – CircusWA Artistic Director Jo Smith.

Last night, we gathered with our youth performers, board, staff, trainers, tent builders, funders, donors, and friends to farewell this Big Top. It was a special evening, celebrating the life of the tent and the many memories held within it.

A special thank you to Hon Simone McGurk MLA, Minister for Creative Industries, City of Fremantle Mayor Ben Lawver, our Patron Hon Dr Brad Pettitt MLC, and Director of Creative Arts and Community Pete Stone. Also joining us were three of our 2017 board members, Pam Nairn, Paul Ingleson and John Bowskill, who in 2017 guided the survival strategy across that year and financed the purchase of the Freo Big Top via a private loan arrangement.

To oversee the dismantling of this decade long enterprise was sail maker Pete Ripley who sewed the new tent skin in 2018 and the two Bens without whom we could not have survived nine years in this temporary venue – Ben (the builder) Alpers and Ben (the rigger) Kotovski-Steele.

But this isn’t goodbye to the Freo Big Top, just a holiday for her. CircusWA will be working to raise the required funds to create a new Big Top skin and replace some of the old infrastructure, with plans to bring it back to the community in the future as a place to perform in around Fremantle.