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

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on the ancient Greek character of Cassandra (who could foresee the future though no one believed her) as well as historical documents about the struggle for suffrage and personal stories of Women's circus members.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