WORKSHOPS

Directing and Creation Tools

/ with Chloe Pisco (2025)

Come learn directing and a whole bunch of creation tools for circus, dance and physical theatre.
This is a 3 hour, highlights only, version of the 3 month full time professional directing course created by Chloé as a commission for the Dept of Arts and Culture in Western Australia.
She has been obsessed with collecting and sharing knowledge over the last 24 years and has amassed a list that is hundreds of creation tools long.

Whether you wish to make circus from text, or text / narrative / just meaning from circus. Whether you wish to abstract all narratives and work with pure form and aesthetic - in this workshop :
you will get a smorgasbord tasters of a super broad range of approaches to directing.
You will understand dramaturgy and choreoturgy.
Also working with group physical and human emotion directing, leading large casts and solos.
As well as how to craft and invite: powerful, evocative performances from the artists that you work with.

Looking at your duty of care is as a director, with respect to acknowledging power dynamics, co-creation and IP, colonial extractive systems seeping into the arts, and the roles in imbalance.
Ideas on how to redress those imbalanced roles, while safeguarding your contributing artists and their physical and mental health, through your processes... But most of all how to create a fun playful generative and abundant space for creative liberation for all of you.

Stage Makeup

/ with Lucinda B. Hind (2025)

Makeup Workshop: Bold & Dramatic Stage Looks for Performers - with Lucinda B.Hind!

Step into the world of high-impact stage makeup with Lucinda B. Hind (aka Lulu Vincent), a creative director, performer, and producer, who will guide you through the process of creating bold, dramatic looks that stand out on stage. This workshop is perfect for anyone in performance arts—whether you're into drag, burlesque, circus, or aerial —and it will teach you how to use makeup to elevate your stage presence.

What You’ll Learn:

Contouring: Master the art of shaping the face to create striking, powerful looks that will make you pop under the stage lights.
Colors & Shape: Discover how to use color & shape to complement your unique style and the lighting of your performance, creating a flawless visual impact.
Makeup Techniques & Tricks: Learn tips and tricks for creating makeup that stays bold and beautiful throughout physically demanding performances.

While the workshop has a focus on drag makeup, the techniques taught are easily adaptable to other performance styles like burlesque, circus, and aerial arts. This isn’t just about makeup—it’s about helping you develop a stronger stage presence and confidence that will shine through in every performance.

About Your Instructor:

Lucinda B. Hind, also known as Lulu Vincent, is a non-binary, queer artist with a diverse background in drag, burlesque, circus, and theatre. With years of performance and creative direction experience, Lucinda has worked with prestigious events like Wintergarten in Berlin and the Zurich Burlesque Festival. As an aerial circus artist, Lucinda has a deep understanding of how makeup needs to stand up to the physicality of intense performances.

Lucinda’s workshops are a celebration of bold, unapologetic self-expression, and they offer you the opportunity to enhance your artistic skills and confidence.

Workshop Details:

Duration: 2.5 hours of hands-on learning and creative exploration
What to Bring: Please bring your own makeup kit (recommended list provided), Lucinda will also bring additional colorful paints, eyeshadows, and glitters to add some extra fun and creativity!

Download makeup list here.

Hair Hanging Tal

/ with Nicole Malbeuf (2025)

Debunking Hair Suspension Myths: Rethinking Our Approach to Hair Hang

Are you curious about the newly popular discipline of hair suspension? Are there rumours you've heard that make you concerned or of the belief that it's only for select people? In this talk, Nicole will share her personal experiences, research and conversations with other practicing artists to elaborate on the common misconceptions in hair suspension and to expose more nuanced truths.

We'll discuss suitable hair types, prerequisites, expected physical sensations, progressing towards self-suspension, industry needs and hair damage. Whether you are interested in hair health or are a prospective student, a producer or a studio owner, this talk will teach you about many of the specific needs of- and common experiences in hair suspension.

There will be time for questions at the end. This is not a physical workshop, purely talking.

CLASSES

Aerial Burlesque

/ with Emma D'Lemma (2025)

The art of the tease— in the air!

We will go over some beginner-intermediate friendly movements on silks, sling, and lyra and how to make them burlesque. There will also be a short talk about performance, stage presence, is it funny or sexy or both, and some history.

Be sure to wear a comfortable under layer that you will keep on, and feel free to bring any thigh high socks/ stockings, undies, bras, or anything you deem easy to remove to this class! I will also bring some things to share.

Prerequisites: some aerial experience preferred

Spin Lab

/ with Kat Doherty (2025)

Join me for this 90-minute spinning lab on aerial straps! If you don't love spinning, but you want to love spinning (or, you already love it but want to work on your technique!), we'll spend this time talking about how we condition our vestibular systems (for those who struggle with spinning faster and longer); and increasing speed and endurance for 1-arm and 2-arm spinning. Time permitting, we'll explore some accessible straps vocabulary that requires fast, strong spins (starting from flares as a foundation, up to inverted 1-arm positions).

Folks taking this workshop should be comfortable being weight-bearing on straps (on one arm or two arms) for at least thirty seconds or so!

Hoops Spins & Flares

/ with Kat Doherty (2024)

This hoop class does exactly what it says on the tin: spinning and flares.

Back to Classes

Untangled - Self-esteem and Body Image

/ with Emma Poole (2024)

Untangling the thoughts and stories about ourselves and our bodies. This workshop is for aerialists who are interested in learning more about self-esteem and body image, and how this impacts us in this unique aerial world. Emma will share her psychological research on this topic and explore ways of helping you feel better in your own skin. It will include discussions, journal prompts, and tools to help build a better relationship with your body and yourself.

All you need is pen and paper. We are not going in the air for this one.

When the Rope Frays: Burnout and Compassion Fatigue

/ with Janelle Peters @cirque_psych (2024)

Formerly thought to only impact first responders and direct care providers, Burnout and Compassion Fatigue actually threaten the mental health of people across many fields.

Circus professionals, due to our deep commitment and care for our work, our students, and our communities, are especially vulnerable, and rarely trained in how to identify and work with Burnout or Compassion Fatigue. This workshop provides an opportunity for reflection and self-assessment, as well as tools and frameworks to help prevent, mitigate, and heal from Burnout and Compassion Fatigue in our work as circus humans.

Extend to Bend: Contortion Technique

/ with Janelle Peters (Janelle Dinosaurs) (2024)

In this workshop, participants will learn some of the main concepts of contortion technique, and dig into a wealth of drills and exercises to find extension, support, breath, and control in end range movement. Since it's the Irish AERIAL Dance Festival, special attention will be paid to finding mobility in shoulders, upper back, and hips - places where aerial and contortion priorities often differ. We'll discuss (while training) ways to safely incorporate deep bends into aerial choreography. Please bring socks, and dress in layers. Backwarmers are welcome, but not required.

Getting Your Shit Together

/ with Rachel Strickland (2024)

This workshop is for emerging and already working artists. It is designed to arm you with the best practices for a career as a professional physical performer, and how to succeed once you get there.

Read more here.