Balancing Acts

The importance of the arts. The need to support arts companies and education in the arts.
To showcase enduring cross cultural collaboration. Soft diplomacy through the arts, successful as a positive diplomatic exchange between China and Australia. Cultural understanding is addressed in the story in front and behind the camera through a pathway of education and mutual respect. In a country of mixed cultures, migrants who have come from all over the world bring skills that enrich Australian culture. The circus story is the best example of the world’s first East-West cultural exchange of skills.
The role of physical training and discipline, used in social circus initiatives, in training people with disabilities, kids at risk, women’s physical confidence and empowerment. We are addressing the transformative power of the arts and the need for storytelling across different art forms and performative styles. The need for community, for laughter and balance of mind and body.

Witness the power of cultural exchange which provides openness, curiosity, generosity, persistence, flexibility and humour. Circus creates community and human connection with a healthy irreverent perspective on life’s absurdity.
To see greater support for the circus arts in Australia, both in terms of funding for companies and training institutions as well as an embrace for the art form and its history. To see a deeper understanding of the role of the arts in soft cultural diplomacy. To witness a deeper appreciation of Chinese cultural heritage and its impact within Australian society. To encourage support for circus through an appreciation of the physical and mental strength offers to people at risk or with disability and fragility in social circus initiatives.

We hope to see an embrace of circus arts in audience attendance, funding and enduring support for NICA, (National Institute of Circus Arts) which is one of only four circus schools in the world – the others are in France, Canada and China. We hope to see a deeper understanding of the power of cross cultural collaboration and a better historic understanding of the cultural exchange between China and Australia. To see greater support for circus through an appreciation of its deployment in social support programs.
The dedicated work of Lu Guang Rong has given generations of young Australian performing artists the possibility of brilliant new careers based on the discipline of physical strength and courage.
The fine man who once held perfect balance on one had on the top of a tower of stacked chairs, has created a new skills in Australian performers drawn from centuries of Chinese acrobatic tradition. It its a unique style that has conquered the world with GOM on tour around the globe.

We have a long relationship with the circus community in Australia. Close to 20 years ago we began filming with Circus Oz, NICA, Silvers circus, the Flying Fruit Flies to capture the multi cultural story of circus arts in Australia. It is story that attracts a particular tribe of people who have a distinctive perspective on the world in all its absurdity and beauty. We have known Mr Lu for over 20 years, a co-author on the project, Robin Laurie, is a co-founder of Circus Oz and was part of the first Nanjing project. We were close to Circus Oz over many years and the key trainers at the Flying Fruit Flies. We have had a close collaboration with many of the trainers at NICA. Jess Zhang, co-director and co-producer was born in China and has a close relationship with Lu. She works at Playking productions whose founders, Ziyin and Carillo Ganter champion Chinese/Australian cultural collaborations and were instrumental in bringing the Nanjing company to Australia in the 1980’s.

To attend the circus. To support physical performers. To advocate for funding support from government. To advocate for the maintenance of a training school. To retreat into childlike silliness, wonder and uncontrollable laughter. To appreciate extraordinary skill and discipline. To understand and support the Motor Neuron Disease community and those living with other forms of disability