What The Dust Palace does

The Dust Palace is a privately held circus theatre company and charitable trust based in Auckland, New Zealand, founded in 2009 by Eve Gordon as the country's most established circus theatre producer. The organisation operates a dual-structure model comprising a for-profit production company and The Dust Palace Charitable Trust (founded 2013), with a board chaired by Grae Burton. Its core offering is narrative-driven circus theatre productions (22+ full-length works including Te Tangi a Te Tūī, The Goblin Market, HAUS of YOLO, and The Ice Cream Is Melting), supported by a portfolio of education, performance, and venue services: term-based circus classes for all ages and abilities, bespoke corporate event entertainment, workshops and holiday programmes, venue and costume hire, a training membership for professional artists, a 10-week circus residency, and Te Kura Maninirau (Aotearoa's first kaupapa Māori circus school, established 2023 with Te Pou Theatre). The company is supported by funding partners Creative New Zealand, Ministry for Culture and Heritage, and Auckland Council, plus individual donors via the Pals of the Palace monthly giving programme.

The business generates revenue through six streams: subscription term-based classes ($200–$350/term with casual rates of $30–$42 per class), professional services for corporate entertainment and bespoke events (clients include SkyCity, BMW, NZ Warriors, Mitre 10, and Marsh Insurance), ticket sales and licensing for touring shows across NZ, Australia, Canada, and the UK, pay-as-you-go holiday programmes ($85/day, $400/week), venue/equipment/costume hire from the new Ellerslie Arts facility (opened 2025), and merchandise sales via an online store. Distribution is hybrid: self-serve online booking through Acuity Scheduling for individual class and holiday programme customers, direct sales via the Artistic Director and Executive Director for corporate entertainment, and Producer-managed bookings for festival and theatre presenters. The go-to-market relies heavily on brand recognition earned through 15+ years of festival appearances, four industry awards (Best Circus Production Company 2018, Circus Theatre Company of the Year 2022, Lou Clauson Award 2019, Best Circus Skills Training Centre NZ 2021), and international touring reputation.

Name

The Dust Palace

Legal name

The Dust Palace Charitable Trust

Website

https://thedustpalace.co.nz

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Dust Palace is an Auckland-based circus theatre company that produces narrative-driven touring shows, runs a term-based circus arts school, and provides bespoke corporate event entertainment, venue hire, and workshops. It serves consumer, corporate, and festival clients across New Zealand, Australia, Canada, and the UK.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Circus Theatre / Performing Arts

NAICS

Performing Arts, Spectator Sports, and Related Industries (711), Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters (711110)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900), Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)

akta.pro primary industry

Circus & Physical Theatre (MPAGABAL)

akta.pro secondary industry

Circus, Magic & Variety Shows (THAJAFAH)

Keywords

• Circus theatre productions
• Circus arts training
• Event entertainment services
• Performing arts education
• Venue and costume hire

Headquarters

HQ city

Auckland

HQ country

New Zealand

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Circus Classes and Training: Term-based circus classes for adults, youth, and children. Classes run during school terms at Ellerslie Arts. Package-based pricing with 10-week terms. Also includes casual class rates and training memberships for professional artists.
2. Circus Theatre Shows: Narrative-driven circus theatre productions performed at festivals, theatres, and events. Shows include The Ice Cream is Melting, Te Tangi a Te Tūī, HAUS of YOLO, The Goblin Market, The Wonderwombs, Top of the Heap, Human, Ithaca, and Wallace and Ned. Touring nationally and internationally.
3. Event Entertainment: Bespoke circus entertainment for corporate events, weddings, private functions, and galas. Customized aerial and acrobatic shows tailored to client messaging and aesthetic.
4. Venue and Equipment Hire: Studio space hire at Ellerslie Arts including circus training space, theatre facilities, dressing rooms, and equipment. Also costume hire service with approximately 500 costumes available.
5. Merchandise and Store: Online store selling Dust Palace branded merchandise including hoodies, leg warmers, water bottles, and HAUS of YOLO couture items. Also sells student show videos and images.
6. Workshops and Holiday Programmes: Circus workshops for schools, community groups, and organisations. Holiday programmes for children aged 7-16 during school breaks. Birthday parties and team building experiences.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Dust Palace produces narrative-driven circus theatre shows, runs term-based and casual circus arts classes for all ages, and delivers bespoke aerial and acrobatic entertainment for corporate events, weddings, and private functions. It operates from the Ellerslie Arts studio in Auckland and supplements its shows, classes, and event services with workshops, holiday programmes, a youth company, a kaupapa Māori circus school, venue/costume hire, and a residency programme.

Product overview

The Dust Palace is Auckland's premiere circus theatre company offering a multi-faceted portfolio of circus arts services. The core offerings consist of circus theatre shows (narrative-driven productions including The Ice Cream Is Melting, Te Tangi a Te Tūī, HAUS of YOLO, The Goblin Market, The Wonderwombs, Top of the Heap, Human, Ithaca, Wallace and Ned, and Kua Rewa Te Aihikirīmi), circus classes for all ages (adult aerial/ground-based training, youth/teen programs, and children's Little'Uns classes), event entertainment (bespoke aerial and acrobatic performances for events), and workshops/parties/holiday programmes. Supporting services include venue and costume hire, professional training membership, the Ellerslie Arts Circus Residency programme, and the subsidiary Te Kura Maninirau (kaupapa Māori circus school). The company operates through The Dust Palace Charitable Trust, which also manages scholarships and subsidizes training space.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Te Kura Maninirau: Aotearoa's first kaupapa Māori circus school providing circus arts education with Māori pedagogy, founded in partnership with Te Pou Theatre in 2023
• Ellerslie Arts - Home of the Dust Palace
• Te Māwhaiwhai
• Pals of the Palace
• Ellerslie Arts Circus Residency

Products and services

• Circus Theatre Shows Narrative-driven circus theatre productions combining aerial, acrobatics, contortion, and storytelling for festival, theatre, and touring audiences.
• Circus Classes Weekly term-based and casual circus training for all ages and abilities, covering aerial silks, lyra, rope, ground-based skills, duo trapeze, partner acro, flexibility, tumbling, handstands, dance fitness, and youth/teen programmes.
• Event Entertainment Customised aerial and acrobatic performances tailored to client values, messaging, and aesthetic, with full choreography, music, production, theatrics, and costuming.
• Workshops, Parties & Holiday Programmes Group circus experiences for schools, parties, team-building, and school holiday care, delivered at The Dust Palace or off-site.
• Venue, Equipment & Costume Hire Hire of the Ellerslie Arts theatre and circus space, aerial and acrobatic equipment, and a 500+ piece costume collection for productions, events, and other performers.
• Ellerslie Arts Circus Residency A 10-week part-time residency providing space, membership, and directorial support for circus artists to create or develop new work, ending in a relaxed showing.
• Training Membership Subscription-based 24-hour access to the Ellerslie Arts circus training space and equipment for professional circus artists.
• Te Kura Maninirau Circus arts education delivered through a kaupapa Māori pedagogical framework, providing koha-based classes to tangata whenua across Auckland locations.
• Te Māwhaiwhai Youth Circus Company Weekly youth circus company for 10–18 year olds focused on performance opportunities and creative circus-making, entered by application.
• Dust Palace Online Merchandise Store Online store selling Dust Palace branded apparel, couture items, and digital products (student show videos and production imagery).

Quantifiable outcome

• 500 costumes in collection after 15 years of production
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Te Pou TheatrecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Co-founded Te Kura Maninirau, Aotearoa's first kaupapa Māori circus school. Also partnered for 'Kua Rewa Te Aihikirīmi' tamariki show presented at Te Pou Theatre and other venues.
• Auckland Philharmonia OrchestracoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative partnership resulting in large-scale productions including 'Midnight' (sold out Kiri Te Kanawa Theatre) and 'Dawn' (4000 seats). Biennial agreement for large-scale collaborative works and youth show KiwiKapers.
• Auckland LivecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommissioned 'The Ice Cream is Melting!' through their Pick & Mix programme. Ongoing collaboration for family and children's circus theatre productions.
• Q TheatremajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerKey venue partner for 'Ithaca' dinner-theatre production and 'HAUS of YOLO' seasons. Long-standing relationship since opening the Loft space in 2011.
• The Cultch (Vancouver, Canada)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational venue that picked up 'The Goblin Market' and 'The WonderWombs' for Canadian seasons. Hosted World Premiere of 'Te Tangi a Te Tūī' in 2023 with 14 artists touring to Canada.
• Venues and Events Palmerston NorthmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerStadium venue partnership resulting in 'Le Cirque Volé' and re-development of 'Ithaca' at stadium scale, marking their largest and most successful story-circus combination.
• Splore FestivalmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAnnual festival appearance featuring 'Top of the Heap' and 'HAUS of YOLO'. 'Top of the Heap' originated from a performance installation at Splore.
• Hamilton Gardens Arts FestivalminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFestival venue presenting 'PULP' in 2020 and 'The Ice Cream is Melting' at Hamilton Arts Festival 2024.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Circa: Queensland-based contemporary circus company producing internationally touring ensemble works that blend circus, dance, and theatre - the same hybrid positioning The Dust Palace pursues in NZ.
• NoFitState Circus: UK/Wales-based contemporary circus combining touring productions with community training programmes, mirroring The Dust Palace's dual production-plus-school model.
• Circus Oz: Australia's flagship narrative circus theatre company, combining contemporary circus with theatrical storytelling. Closest international analog to The Dust Palace's model of touring circus theatre productions alongside training and community programs.
• The 7 Fingers: Montreal-based contemporary circus company creating original narrative-driven shows for global touring, residencies, and bespoke corporate events - directly comparable to The Dust Palace's touring + corporate entertainment model.

Emerging players

• Westside Circus: Melbourne-based circus organization combining training programmes, community workshops, and performance - smaller scale and more community-focused, analogous to the Dust Palace Charitable Trust's social-impact arm.
• Te Pou Theatre: Auckland Māori performing arts venue and co-founder of Te Kura Maninirau; shares The Dust Palace's indigenous storytelling mandate and overlapping audience base in Tāmaki Makaurau.
• Te Rēhia Theatre: Auckland-based Māori theatre company and co-creation partner on 'Te Tangi a Te Tūī'; comparable in scale and mission, intersecting The Dust Palace's indigenous circus-theatre work.

Broad incumbents

• Auckland Live: Auckland Council's venues arm that commissions Dust Palace family productions and presents larger-scale circus-theatre; broader entertainment incumbent with overlapping programming role.
• Cirque du Soleil: Global circus-entertainment incumbent operating large-scale touring shows and resident productions; defines the upper bound of the circus theatre category The Dust Palace competes within.
• Q Theatre: Auckland's flagship mid-size theatre venue and long-standing Dust Palace partner (since 2011); overlaps as a presenter of narrative circus-theatre work in the same market.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/thedustpalace
• Facebookfacebook.com/TheDustPalace
• Instagraminstagram.com/thedustpalace
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/thedustpalace

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 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 The Dust Palace