Spaghetti Circus swings back into action

SPAGHETTI Circus will officially open its upgraded Mullumbimby facilities on Saturday, May 10, following extensive flood recovery works and major infrastructure upgrades.

The project was supported by a $1.2 million investment from Create NSW, which improved site access, entry roads, awnings, and all-weather functionality.

One of Australia’s leading youth arts organisations, Spaghetti Circus provides year-round training in circus and physical theatre, and hosts the biennial National Circus Festival, attracting performers from across Australia and overseas.

The 2022 floods caused widespread damage to the Mullumbimby site, destroying equipment and key infrastructure.

Spaghetti Circus site manager, project manager and coach Casey Douglas said the recovery had been long but rewarding.

“It was a terrible thing, but in hindsight, it’s a great opportunity, bringing lots of positivity to our space,” he said.

“We don’t have to hire equipment anymore, which makes the circus and festival more viable and more sustainable.”

Douglas said two pieces of equipment in particular had made a big difference.

“The forklift and the lifter, a single-person lift, make life so much better,” he said.

“As a circus, we have lots of heavy stuff, and most of our stuff was in shipping containers.

“Now, everything is palletised on shelves, making it much easier and more efficient to manage.”

Spaghetti Circus general manager Alice Cadwell said community support had played a critical role in the recovery.

“It took a huge community effort to salvage, clean and repair Spaghetti Circus’ sheds to a level where our training program and classes could resume,” she said.

“The infrastructure grants from Create NSW meant Spaghetti Circus could not only recover from the flood but also significantly upgrade our existing set-up, meaning we can better serve our community.”

The public and extended circus community are invited to attend the grand opening at Mullumbimby Showground on Saturday at 12pm.