Flying Fruit Fly Circus
Flying Fruit Fly Circus is an Australian nonprofit operating the country\u0027s only full-time circus training school for students aged 8-19, complemented by community classes, professional artist residencies, and touring contemporary circus productions from facilities in Albury and Melbourne.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1980
- HeadquartersAlbury, Australia
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Flying Fruit Fly Circus does
Flying Fruit Fly Circus is an Australian nonprofit performing arts organization founded around 1979-1980 in Albury, NSW, and recognized as Australia\u0027s National Youth Circus. It operates Australia\u0027s only full-time circus training program for students aged 8-19, delivering circus arts education (aerials, acrobatics, juggling, trampoline) integrated with accredited academic education through partner schools (Wodonga Senior Secondary College, Wodonga Middle Years College) and delivering the nationally recognized Certificate III in Circus Arts in partnership with NICA. Up to 80 students are enrolled annually in the full-time program, supplemented by National Training Project outreach, Public Classes for community members aged 18 months to 80+, and tailored Circus Workshops for schools and groups.
The organization\u0027s core infrastructure centers on purpose-built physical facilities: a 900sqm Training Hall with 12m ceiling height, the 240sqm Borderville Theatre black box studio, Guang Rong Lu Stage, and the newly opened Circus Centre Melbourne at 50 Perry Street, Collingwood (October 2025), which also serves as a professional artist development hub. Revenue is diversified across full-time program tuition, public class fees, performance ticket sales ($5-$25 per ticket), venue hire, the Under Construction creative residency program ($5,000 cash plus in-kind support per artist), tax-deductible donations funding the Noel Tovey and Neil McDermott Scholarships, and substantial multi-tiered government arts funding from Creative Australia, Creative Victoria, Create NSW, AlburyCity, and the Australian Government Office for the Arts.
The company maintains an exclusive partnership with Cirque du Soleil as the only Australian NexGen Talent Development Program partner, plus venue relationships with Sydney Opera House, Arts Centre Melbourne, and a regional touring network. Production operations generate contemporary circus shows that tour nationally and internationally, with alumni performing at Cirque du Soleil, Casus Creations, and Gravity and Other Myths. Distribution is hybrid: direct ticket sales via Borderville Theatre and website, channel partnerships with premium venues, and annual Borderville Festival. The organization is governed by a volunteer Board of Directors chaired by Lara Block, with executive leadership including CEO Richard Hull, Artistic Director Anni Davey OAM, and Executive Producer/Deputy CEO Tahni Froudist.
Flying Fruit Fly Circus firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Flying Fruit Fly Circus
- Legal name
- Flying Fruit Fly Circus
- Website
- https://fruitflycircus.com.au
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1980
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Flying Fruit Fly Circus is an Australian nonprofit operating the country\u0027s only full-time circus training school for students aged 8-19, complemented by community classes, professional artist residencies, and touring contemporary circus productions from facilities in Albury and Melbourne.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Flying Fruit Fly Circus industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Performing Arts Training & Education
- NAICS
- Sports and Recreation Instruction (61162), Other Amusement and Recreation Industries (7139)
- SIC
- Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Circus & Physical Theatre (MPAGABAL)
Keywords
Where Flying Fruit Fly Circus is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Albury
- HQ country
- Australia
- HQ region
- Oceania
Offices2 records
Markets served
Flying Fruit Fly Circus business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Infrastructure, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Full-time Program Tuition: Revenue from enrolling students in the full-time circus training program for young people aged 8-18
- Public Classes and Workshops: Fees from community circus classes and tailored workshops for schools and community groups
- Performance Tickets: Ticket sales from performances at Borderville Theatre, touring shows, and events like Borderville Festival
- Creative Residencies: The Under Construction residency program provides $5,000 cash plus in-kind support to artists; venue hire for external users
- Donations and Scholarships: Tax-deductible donations to support student scholarships through Noel Tovey Scholarship Fund and Neil McDermott Scholarship
- Venue Hire: Hiring of training facilities, studios, and Borderville Theatre to community and external artists
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Grad Show - Early Bird |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Performance tickets - Standard range |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Wodonga Show tickets |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Preparation and Foundation Cabaret |
| Other | Multi-year contract | Under Construction Residency |
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Scholarship Donations |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels6 records
Marketing channels9 records
Flying Fruit Fly Circus product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Flying Fruit Fly Circus is Australia's only full-time circus training program for students aged 8-19, delivered in partnership with an academic school that provides a holistic creative education combining circus training with accredited academics. The organization produces and tours contemporary circus performances nationally and internationally, runs public circus classes and workshops for the community, and operates artist development programs (Under Construction residencies and NexGen with Cirque du Soleil).
Product overview
Flying Fruit Fly Circus is Australia's National Youth Circus, operating as a unified portfolio of circus arts training and performance programs. The organization offers a comprehensive ecosystem including the core Full-Time Circus School (the only full-time circus program for ages 8-19 in Australia), Public Classes for community participants, National Training Project for aspiring students, and Circus Workshops for groups. Professional development programs include Under Construction Residency for emerging artists, Open Training for circus professionals, and the NexGen Talent Development Program in partnership with Cirque du Soleil. The organization also operates Circus Centre Melbourne as an additional hub. Performance offerings include original contemporary circus productions touring nationally and internationally. Supporting infrastructure includes Flying Fruit Fly Circus School (academic partner), Certificate III in Circus Arts qualification, and scholarship programs (Noel Tovey and Neil McDermott) for financial accessibility.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Borderville Festival: Annual circus and cabaret festival held in Albury-Wodonga
- Under Construction
- NexGen
- Circus Centre Melbourne
Products and services
- Full-Time Circus School Australia's only full-time circus training program for students aged 8-19, delivered in partnership with an academic school providing holistic creative education. Students train 10-20 hours per week alongside academic studies.
- Public Classes
Quantifiable outcome
- 80 students enrolled annually in full-time program
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Flying Fruit Fly Circus
Customer profileNamed customers11 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Flying Fruit Fly Circus technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Flying Fruit Fly Circus partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
17 partnerships are on record, tiered core, strategic and minor.
- Cirque du SoleilcoreFlying Fruit Fly Circus is the only Australian partner for Cirque du Soleil's NexGen Talent Development Program, providing high-calibre training opportunities to emerging Australian circus talent. The program is delivered by Cirque du Soleil coaches in conjunction with FFFC team.
- Sydney Opera HousecoreMajor presenting partner and venue for Flying Fruit Fly Circus performances. FFFC has performed multiple seasons including Time Flies, Tempo, Big Sky, and Pay No Attention at the Opera House.
- Arts Centre MelbournecorePerformance venue partner including Girls With Altitude 2022 and national tour presentations of Tempo 2024.
- National Institute of Circus Arts (NICA)coreAcademic partner for Certificate III in Circus Arts qualification delivery. Students pathway to NICA for further tertiary circus education. Both organizations are Arts8 members.
- Casus CreationsstrategicAward-winning circus company founded by FFFC alumni Jesse Scott and Lachlan McAulay. 2024 Borderville Theatre Company-in-Residence. Presented Knee Deep by FFFC ensemble.
- Gravity and Other MythsstrategicIn residence July-September 2026. Company led by FFFC alumnus Darcy Grant. FFFC alumni have performed with GOM ensemble.
- Creative AustraliacorePrincipal arts investment and advisory body of Australian Government. Supports Under Construction residency program with over $100,000 of cash and in-kind support.
- Creative VictoriacoreVictorian Government arts funding partner supporting full-time circus training and performance program.
- Create NSWcoreNSW Government arts funding partner supporting circus training and performance programs.
- Wodonga Senior Secondary CollegecoreAcademic partner for Years 10-12 students. Delivers Certificate III in Circus Arts in partnership with NICA. Provides VCE, VET and VCAL pathways.
- Wodonga Middle Years College (Felltimber Campus)coreAcademic partner hosting Flying Fruit Fly Circus School (specialist school for Years 3-9 students) on same grounds as Felltimber Campus.
- The Cube WodongacorePresenting partner venue for performances including Big Sky, Pay No Attention, and other shows. Venue located in Wodonga.
- Arts on TourminorTour coordination partner for national touring of performances.
- Arts8coreElite group of performing arts training organizations including Australian Ballet School, AFTRS, ANAM, AYO, NAISDA, NICA, and NIDA. United by commitment to excellence in performing arts training.
- Australian Government (Office for the Arts)coreFederal government arts funding supporting full-time circus training and performance program.
- AlburyCitycoreLocal government partner supporting circus operations and community programs in Albury.
- Circus Centre MelbournecorePartnership between Flying Fruit Fly Circus and Circus Centre Melbourne for Under Construction residencies, providing facilities at both Albury and Melbourne locations for artist residencies.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Flying Fruit Fly Circus competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- National Institute of Circus Arts (NICA): Australia's tertiary circus training institution based in Melbourne. NICA is the most direct competitor for advanced circus education in Australia and is simultaneously an FFFC academic pathway partner via Certificate III in Circus Arts delivery.
- Circus Oz: Historic Australian contemporary circus company previously headquartered at the 50 Perry Street, Collingwood building now occupied by FFFC's Circus Centre Melbourne. Closely comparable in mission, audience, and national-touring model, and a direct antecedent of the Melbourne expansion.
- Casus Creations: Award-winning Australian contemporary circus company co-founded by FFFC alumni Jesse Scott and Lachlan McAulay and 2024 Borderville Theatre Company-in-Residence. Directly comparable as a graduating-pipeline circus company and touring peer.
- Gravity and Other Myths: Adelaide-based contemporary circus company led by FFFC alumnus Darcy Grant and in residence at FFFC in 2026. Directly comparable as a touring, award-winning Australian circus ensemble with overlapping artistic lineage.
Broad incumbents
- Cirque du Soleil: The global incumbent in contemporary circus and FFFC's exclusive Australian NexGen Talent Development partner. Overlaps in audience and training pipeline but operates at vastly larger scale across entertainment production rather than youth education.
Regional players
- École nationale de cirque de Montréal (ENC): Canada's flagship circus training school and recognized worldwide leader. Highly comparable as a full-time professional circus training institution but serving a different geography; often cited as the international benchmark FFFC references in its positioning.
- New England Center for Circus Arts (NECCA): US-based professional circus training school in Vermont offering full-time and recreational programs. Comparable in operating model (training, performance, community classes) but serving North American students rather than Australian cohorts.
Emerging players
- The Circus Studio / Circus School of Atlanta: US-based circus training school offering recreational and pre-professional tracks. Comparable in curriculum breadth (aerials, acrobatics, tumbling) and youth/adult class structure but at smaller scale and without FFFC's national-youth-circus status.
Others
- Australian Ballet School: Fellow Arts8 member and Australia's flagship classical dance training institution. Comparable as a full-time elite performing arts school delivering accredited academic + artistic education, and a direct cross-promotion peer within the Arts8 coalition.
- National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA): Fellow Arts8 member and Australia's premier dramatic arts training institution. Comparable as a full-time tertiary performing arts school and a direct Arts8 coalition peer that shares federal funding visibility and student exchange programming with FFFC.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Flying Fruit Fly Circus social profiles
Digital presenceFlying Fruit Fly Circus financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Flying Fruit Fly Circus leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles8 records
Flying Fruit Fly Circus subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
Flying Fruit Fly Circus funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Flying Fruit Fly Circus M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Flying Fruit Fly Circus
What does Flying Fruit Fly Circus do?
Flying Fruit Fly Circus is Australia's only full-time circus training program for students aged 8-19, delivered in partnership with an academic school that provides a holistic creative education combining circus training with accredited academics. The organization produces and tours contemporary circus performances nationally and internationally, runs public circus classes and workshops for the community, and operates artist development programs (Under Construction residencies and NexGen with Cirque du Soleil).
Is Flying Fruit Fly Circus a public or private company?
Flying Fruit Fly Circus is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Flying Fruit Fly Circus founded?
Flying Fruit Fly Circus was founded in 1980. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Flying Fruit Fly Circus based?
Flying Fruit Fly Circus is headquartered in Albury, Australia, in the Oceania region.
How does Flying Fruit Fly Circus make money?
Six revenue lines are on record. Full-time Program Tuition is the primary driver. The others are public Classes and Workshops, performance Tickets, creative Residencies, donations and Scholarships and venue Hire.
Who are Flying Fruit Fly Circus's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are National Institute of Circus Arts (NICA), Circus Oz, Casus Creations and Gravity and Other Myths. Cirque du Soleil is listed as a broad incumbent. Regional players are École nationale de cirque de Montréal (ENC) and New England Center for Circus Arts (NECCA). The Circus Studio / Circus School of Atlanta is listed as an emerging player. Others are Australian Ballet School and National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA).
Does Flying Fruit Fly Circus have an API?
No public API is recorded for Flying Fruit Fly Circus.
What industry is Flying Fruit Fly Circus in?
Flying Fruit Fly Circus's product category is Performing Arts Training & Education. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAGABAL, Circus & Physical Theatre. Its NAICS code is 61162 and its SIC code is 7900.