ABSTRACT
This chapter explores how contemporary circus as an art form and particular acts of circus transform or change the social coding of the spaces they occupy. To gain an insight into the Australian milieu, provided is a short exploration of the history of the two leading Australian Circus cities, Melbourne and Brisbane, along with two short case studies from the Australian sector, “Gravity and Other Myths” and “The Garden of Unearthly Delights” (Strut n Fret Production House). Working with ideas of creative chaos and an argument that circus needs to foster a chaotic space for its chaotic creative process, this chapter investigates the kinds of spaces in which circus takes place; how the artists using those spaces interact with each other as well as with the space itself; how spatiality contributes to performance; and how audiences react to/in different spaces. Through the exploration of the leading cities and case studies, it is possible to begin to uncover how the spatiality of Australian contemporary circus has contributed to Australia becoming a leader and innovator within the international contemporary circus milieu.
