News, analysis and comment - museums & libraries 

Is Feminism still relevant? Women's Circus answers the question

By Louise Radcliffe-Smith ArtsHub | Friday, October 31, 2008

  

Is feminism still relevant? I ask Nadja Kostich, director of the upcoming Women's Circus show, Here: Where We've Always Been.

"Of course," she replies. "It's not over. As the 1891 Monster Petition stated: 'All adult persons should have a voice'. Not half the population all. We're not there globally yet. It's our responsibility to keep vigilant on behalf of women who are not able to do so, whether that's in our country or other countries."

The question is relevant because Kostich, 43, is busy pulling together the threads of a production that takes as its starting point 100 years of suffrage for most women in Victoria 'most' because although Aboriginal women were technically allowed to vote, almost all of them were made ineligible by government regulations.

Like other Women's Circus shows such as Lilith and Pope Joan, this one combines myth and reality, drawing on the ancient Greek character of Cassandra (who could foresee the future though no one believed her) as well as historical documents about the struggle for suffrage and personal stories of Women's circus members.

Featuring sixty performers, twenty-odd musicians and technicians, with music directed by Irine Vela, Here conflates present, past and future, exploring themes of memory and body, gender and politics.

Kostich regards suffrage as an ideal theme for the WC, a community group founded on feminist principles in an age where feminism is sometimes not a comfortable word.

"Where have we come in the last 100 years? What are the responses to feminism? Some people are hesitant to use the word feminism, especially younger women who feel they don't need that word. It's already assimilated in their lives and identity; they haven't had to fight in the same way, to carve out their way like some of the older women.

"What I think is powerful about the Women's Circus is it's a macrocosm. It's not a homogenous group. There are as many takes on this as there are women. I think this show is a wonderful current response to the question of where feminism can go. How do we keep moving on? There have been militant protests and actions over the years, but those days seem to be over. Rallies are not a potent way of getting your voice heard these days. This happens through the communities, the small actions in the communities that ripple out into the larger community in strong and powerful ways.

"I think the Women's Circus is a very strong example of that. It's a triumph of the body, of strength and skill and courage over fear. I think it's a wonderful metaphor for what the women of 100 years ago had to go through on an emotional, mental, spiritual plane. I think all those elements marry in our show, in the theme and the form."

Courage and fear are nothing new to the Women's Circus. Founded in 1991 by director Donna Jackson, the Footscray-based group was inspired by the much smaller but no less vocal Real Mighty Bonza Whacko Wimmin's Circus from Melbourne's Pram Factory in the late-1970s.

Jackson's intention was to involve women of all sizes, ages and backgrounds (with survivors of physical and sexual abuse a priority); to create a non-competitive, safe, supportive training environment; to stage large-scale shows, the bigger the better; and to promote feminist views in a challenging and entertaining manner. The idea was to live feminism, not just talk about it.

Eighteen years later, the Women's Circus has gone from being a community group to a corporation; from two paid workers (the director and trainer) to an office staff of five and up to 20 trainers; from off the wall to more mainstream. This year the circus had 200 training members and an outreach program that included school, elderly, health and migrant groups.

Working with such a diverse group has its challenges, admits Kostich. "The community has great ownership and so are particularly vocal, they care about every detail and that's a wonderful passion to work with. It's also challenging as a director because I can get inundated with opinions and desires, and the challenge is to bring those opinions together and make it work as a whole. Having said all that, the reason for making this show is about entertainment. I would hope that the show will entertain, provoke, challenge and move people, men and women."

Women's Circus Presents;
Here: Where We've Always Been
Monday 24 - Saturday 29 November 8pm.
Matinees Saturday 29 November 3pm and Sunday 30 November 12pm.
North Melbourne Town Hall. 33 Errol St, North Melbourne.
Tickets Adult $32, concession $26, and children $15 (12 years and under).
Tickets on sale Monday 27 October.
For bookings phone 136 100 or visit
www.ticketmaster.com.au

Louise Radcliffe-Smith

Louise Radcliffe-Smith is a sub-editor at The Sunday Age and has worked in the newspaper industry since 1989. She did her cadetship and spent her early years as a journalist at The Herald and Weekly Times, before moving on to Melbourne Independent Newspapers and finally to The Age in 2000. She joined the Women's Circus in 1991 and co-authored Leaping Off the Edge, a history of the Women's Circus published by Spinifex in 1997. She was also a founding member of Tentabulles circus in Europe. Tentabulles is a group of women from nine countries who meet once a year to develop and present a show for International Women's Day on March 8.

E: editor@artshub.com

Related news

2010 IMAGinE Awards celebrate NSW & ACT museums

2010 IMAGinE Awards celebrate NSW & ACT museums

ArtsHub (Australia) 31 Aug 2010

2010 IMAGinE AWARDS: Celebrating and acknowledging excellence and innovation, these awards offer ...

Dreams come true for ACMI: Disney exhibition

Dreams come true for ACMI: Disney exhibition

ArtsHub (Australia) 10 Aug 2010

AUSTRALIAN CENTRE FOR THE MOVING IMAGE (ACMI): The Australian Centre for the Moving Image (ACMI) ...

Work starts on $53 million MCA redevelopment

Work starts on $53 million MCA redevelopment

ArtsHub (Australia) 10 Aug 2010

MUSEUM OF CONTEMPORARY ART: Work has now started on the $53 million redevelopment of the Museum ...

Burrinja awarded best small museum VIC 2010

Burrinja awarded best small museum VIC 2010

ArtsHub (Australia) 5 Aug 2010

BURRINJA CULTURAL CENTRE: Burrinja Cultural Centre is delighted to have been awarded The Archival ...

New Chair for AU Nat Maritime Museum

New Chair for AU Nat Maritime Museum

ArtsHub (Australia) 3 Aug 2010

AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT: Minister for the Arts, Peter Garrett, announced the appointment of Mr ...

John Cain named Patron of Multicultural Arts Vic

John Cain named Patron of Multicultural Arts Vic

ArtsHub (Australia) 21 Jul 2010

MULTICULTURAL ARTS VICTORIA: Hon. John Cain named Patron of Multicultural Arts Victoria (MAV)

State Library of Victoria new board appointments

State Library of Victoria new board appointments

ArtsHub (Australia) 21 Jul 2010

STATE LIBRARY OF VICTORIA: The President of the Library Board of Victoria, the Hon. John Cain, ...

The Art of Corporate Match-Making

The Art of Corporate Match-Making

Fiona Mackrell (Australia) 13 Jul 2010

AUSTRALIA BUSINESS ARTS FOUNDATION: Hearing what businesses think is an important part of further ...

Orana Arts signs with five councils

Orana Arts signs with five councils

ArtsHub (Australia) 9 Jul 2010

ORANA ARTS: Orana Arts has signed a memorandum of understanding with five contributing councils.

Tim Burton: The Exhibition (ACMI)

Tim Burton: The Exhibition (ACMI)

Josh Nelson (Australia) 8 Jul 2010

TIM BURTON: THE EXHIBITION (ACMI): Likening the assemblage of his work (previously presented at ...

Festivals Australia recipients announced

Festivals Australia recipients announced

ArtsHub (Australia) 9 Jun 2010

DEPARTMENT OF THE ENVIRONMENT, WATER, HERITAGE AND THE ARTS: Arts Minister Peter Garrett has ...

Vivid Sydney's historic lighting

Vivid Sydney's historic lighting

Fiona Mackrell (Australia) 3 Jun 2010

VIVID SYDNEY: The light component of Vivid Sydney, a festival of light, music and ideas, was ...

Adelaide Festival of Lost Maritime Arts

Adelaide Festival of Lost Maritime Arts

ArtsHub (Australia) 25 May 2010

SOUTH AUSTRALIAN MARITIME MUSEUM: As part of SA History Week 2010 the South Australian Maritime ...

SLV reaches for Rennie Ellis collection

SLV reaches for Rennie Ellis collection

ArtsHub (Australia) 7 Apr 2010

The State Library has launched an appeal to acquire the Rennie Ellis Collection.

Todd Fuller part of ONE hundred

Todd Fuller part of ONE hundred

ArtsHub (Australia) 1 Apr 2010

Artist Todd Fuller has chosen to be part of A Living Collection, celebrating 100 years of the ...

Cool discussions at the SLV

Cool discussions at the SLV

ArtsHub (Australia) 2 Apr 2010

The birth of the new suburb: The rise of cool is a special State Library event.

Museum of WA secures A Day in Pompei

Museum of WA secures A Day in Pompei

ArtsHub (Australia) 26 Mar 2010

The State Government has secured one of the world’s most successful exhibitions - A Day in ...

New director of the Jewish Museum

New director of the Jewish Museum

ArtsHub (Australia) 2 Mar 2010

The Board of the Jewish Museum of Australia is delighted to announce the appointment of brilliant ...

Playwrights forum at the Queensland Library

Playwrights forum at the Queensland Library

ArtsHub (Australia) 11 Feb 2010

Hot New York playwright Will Eno joins Australia’s most prominent playwrights David Williamson ...

New chairman for Murdoch art board

New chairman for Murdoch art board

ArtsHub (Australia) 4 Feb 2010

Murdoch University’s Art Collection has appointed Alan Dodge as the Chair of its Art Board.