Circa

What Circa does

Circa is a Brisbane (Meanjin)-based contemporary circus and performance company founded in 2004 by Yaron Lifschitz, recognized internationally as one of the world's leading contemporary circus ensembles. Its core product is original live performance work that blends acrobatics, dance, theatre, and movement; Circa has produced over 80 original productions since founding, delivering 400+ performances annually across 15+ countries and reaching 2+ million people cumulatively across six continents. The company operates the Circa Ensemble of 21+ professional circus artists under the artistic direction of Yaron Lifschitz, supported by an extensive production, administrative, marketing, and finance team, with headquarters at the Judith Wright Arts Centre in Fortitude Valley, Brisbane and a regional base at Tanks Arts Centre in Cairns (Gimuy).

The business is organized around three principal operating units: the core touring Circa Ensemble performing flagship productions such as Humans 2.0, Wolf, Eternity, and Duck Pond; Circa Academy, launched in 2023, which delivers circus training programs from early childhood through pre-professional development at the Judith Wright Arts Centre; and Circa Cairns, a First Nations-led regional ensemble supported by Arts Queensland and the Tim Fairfax Family Foundation. Ancillary programs include Circability (disability inclusion), the National Training Project with Flying Fruit Fly Circus, and the Producing Heroes podcast hosted by Lifschitz. Since 2013, Circa has also managed arTour on behalf of the Queensland Government, delivering 74 tours employing 596 artists across 144 locations.

Circa's revenue is diversified across multiple streams: international and domestic performance fees from 400+ annual touring engagements, federal and state government funding (Creative Australia, Arts Queensland, RISE Fund), philanthropic individual giving supported by a matched-giving campaign up to AUD $100,000 and the Chair's Circle major donor program, corporate partnerships (notably Cunard and QPAC), trust and foundation grants, and Academy term fees. The organization operates on an approximate AUD $10 million scale per its Executive Director role description. International representation is handled through a network of agents covering France, the Americas, Australia/New Zealand, and worldwide bookings, and the company holds six Helpmann Awards, the ISPA Distinguished Artist Award, and the 2024 Premier of Queensland's Export Award for Creative Industries.

Name

Circa

Legal name

Circa

Website

https://circa.org.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Circa is a Brisbane-based contemporary circus company that creates and tours original acrobatic, dance, and theatre productions globally, performing 400+ shows annually across 15+ countries for live audiences, venue partners, and Academy training participants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Fassifern Valley

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Performance Revenue: Ticket sales from touring productions performed at international venues, festivals, and Australian theatres. Circa delivers 400+ performances annually across 15+ countries.
2. Philanthropy and Individual Giving: Tax-deductible donations from individual supporters, matched giving campaigns, and Chair's Circle major donor program.
3. Corporate Partnerships: Sponsorship and partnership arrangements with like-minded corporations seeking association with Circa's brand and audience.
4. Trusts and Foundations: Funding support from charitable trusts and foundations supporting arts and cultural initiatives.
5. Government Funding: Support from federal government through Creative Australia, Queensland Government through Arts Queensland, and programs like RISE Fund.
6. Academy Training Fees: Revenue from circus training programs including Aerial Nights, Youth Circus, Performance programs, and holiday workshops.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Circa is an Australian contemporary circus company that creates, produces and tours original circus-circus-theatre works performed by the Circa Ensemble and Circa Cairns. The company also operates Circa Academy, delivering professional and community training programs in circus arts, including youth pathways, emerging artist development, and a disability program (Circability).

Product overview

Circa is one of the world's leading contemporary performance companies offering a portfolio of circus productions, training programs, and community engagement initiatives. The core offering includes the Circa Ensemble touring contemporary circus shows globally, supplemented by Circa Academy for circus training from early childhood to pre-professional levels, and Circa Cairns as a First Nations-led regional ensemble. Additional programs include Circability Academy for disability inclusion and the Producing Heroes podcast. Productions range from touring shows like Wolf, Wolfgang in the Stars, and Humans 2.0 to collaborations with orchestras and opera companies.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Producing Heroes: A podcast dedicated to creative producers who make impossible things happen, hosted by Yaron Lifschitz
• Circa Cairns
• Circa Academy
• Circability

Products and services

• Circa Ensemble Touring Productions Original contemporary circus works performed by the Circa Ensemble and toured internationally to venues and festivals. Targeted at venue programmers, festival presenters, and live performance audiences.
• Circa Cairns First Nations-led contemporary circus ensemble based in Cairns, delivering performances, workshops, and community engagement across Far North Queensland.
• Circa Academy Professional and recreational circus training programs including youth circus, emerging artist development, and Cert III pathways. Targeted at students, aspiring performers, and emerging artists.
• Circability Program Circus training and performance opportunities designed for people with disability, delivered through Circa Academy.
• Corporate and Cunard Partnership Performances Bespoke commercial performance engagements including a multi-year partnership with Cunard cruise line to deliver Circa productions aboard ships. Targeted at corporate and hospitality partners.

Quantifiable outcome

• 2+ million people reached worldwide
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered major, flagship and core.

• Festival 2018 (Commonwealth Games)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018Circa served as Creative Lead for Festival 2018, the cultural program of the 21st Commonwealth Games - one of the most ambitious arts events in Queensland's history.
• CunardflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018World-first partnership with luxury cruise line culminating in 6-week residency on board Queen Elizabeth sailing Australian and New Zealand waters in 2024. First time a contemporary circus company performed on a Cunard vessel.
• Queensland Government (arTour)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2013Circa managed arTour for Queensland Government since 2013, delivering 74 Queensland tours with 2000+ days on the road, employing 596 artists across 144 unique locations.
• Queensland Performing Arts Centre (QPAC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThree-year partnership announced to enable internationally renowned ensemble to push boundaries and grow opportunities to present groundbreaking works to Queensland audiences.
• Flying Fruit Fly CircuscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThree-year partnership to present the annual National Training Project (NTP) - a training intensive for anyone serious about a career in circus.
• Australian Brandenburg OrchestracoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMultiple collaborations combining Baroque music with Circa's acrobatic performances in productions like The Art of Fugue, English Baroque, and French Baroque.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Netherlands Dance Theater (NDT): Prestige international contemporary dance company operating multiple touring ensembles (NDT 1 and NDT 2) simultaneously. Shares Circa's structural model of running several touring companies in parallel and developing original repertoire at scale for international presenters.
• Sydney Dance Company: One of Australia's flagship contemporary dance companies under Rafael Bonachela. Comparable to Circa in international touring scale, reputation for original contemporary repertoire, and emphasis on physical virtuosity in programming.
• Circus Oz: Historically significant Australian contemporary circus company (founded 1978) that shares Circa's Australian contemporary-circus DNA. A key antecedent in the local industry; after restructuring, it remains a directly comparable Australian peer for audiences, funders and talent.
• Tanztheater Wuppertal Pina Bausch: German dance theatre company and global reference for contemporary physical performance blending dance, theatre and emotional storytelling. The closest international analogue to Circa's contemporary circus + theatre + dance aesthetic and its curatorial positioning within the international festival circuit.
• Australian Dance Theatre: Adelaide-based contemporary dance company with international touring. Circa's Chief Commercial Officer Shaun Comerford was previously Executive Director of ADT, and the two share a structurally similar Australian flagship-contemporary-performance model with government funding exposure.
• Compagnie XY: French contemporary circus collective known for acrobatic ensemble work such as Le Grand Ciel. Directly comparable to Circa on contemporary circus aesthetics, ensemble-based production and international touring circuits that share many of the same European venues and festivals.
• Bangarra Dance Theatre: Australia's leading Indigenous contemporary dance company based in Sydney. Directly analogous to Circa Cairns through its First Nations-led identity and blending of cultural heritage with contemporary dance; comparable in regional and touring footprint.
• Gravity & Other Myths: Adelaide-based contemporary circus company known for acclaimed productions such as A Simple Space and Backbone. Operates in the same contemporary circus + acrobatics niche as Circa with a comparable ensemble-led artistic model and active international touring activity.

Broad incumbents

• Cirque du Soleil: The world's most recognized contemporary circus company, operating large-scale resident shows (O, KÀ) and touring productions. Much larger and more entertainment-focused than Circa, but the most direct global peer in the contemporary circus category and the reference point for international touring circus scale.
• Sydney Theatre Company: Australia's flagship institutional theatre company producing classic and contemporary work. Comparable to Circa on premium live-performance touring dynamics and Australian arts-funding exposure, but operates as a larger institutional venue-presenting model rather than an ensemble-led, artist-driven company.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/circapresents
• Facebookfacebook.com/circacontemporarycircus
• Instagraminstagram.com/circapresents
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/circa_2

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Circa