7 Oct 2008

OUR STATUS IN THE AUSTRALIAN ENTERTINMENT & SPORTING WORLD

The classical or traditional circus, by which we mean those dozen or so professional circuses that travel around Australia with animals as part of their programme and provide uncensored family entertainment, is very proud of its growing audience.

We are also proud that we receive no Government subsidy or grant and thus rely entirely on box office receipts to support our business enterprises.

We have collected statistics from various bodies which are set out below.

These are annual paid attendance statistics for Australia, as best as we can ascertain. We appreciate that in the various sports there are massive free attendances for amateur and school/university games but these do not appear to have been calculated and so we have just used paid attendances.

      AUTHORITY
Cinema 83.6 million 2006 “The Australian” Business Media & Marketing. 19 Nov 2007.
Zoos & aquariums 10.5 million   Australasian Regional Association of Zoological Parks & Aquaria
AFL 6.5 million   Australian Football League (AFL)
Pop music concerts 4.0 million 2005/2006 Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS)
Art Galleries 3.6 million 2005/2006 ABS
Museums 3.6 million 2005/2006 ABS
Rugby League 3.1 million    
Theatre 2.7 million 2005/2006 ABS
Ballet & dance 1.6 million 2005/2006 ABS
Cricket 1.7 million Includes 0.4 million domestic matches. Cricket Australia.
Classical music 1.5 million 2005/2006 ABS
Art/music festivals 1.5 million 2002/2003 ABS
Classical circus with animals 1.3 million 2006 Circus Federation of Australia Inc
Soccer 1.3 million   Football Australia.
Rugby Union 0.9 million 2006 Rugby Union 2006 Annual Report- Marketing.
Opera 0.4 million 2005/2006 ABS

 

We would very much appreciate all comments and feedback and in particular any suggested revision or addition to the figures we have researched above. We have not hitherto had the facilities to make more accurate comparisons.

Please send your comments to our Executive Secretary

john@aladdins.com.au

 

 

1 Sep 2008

Fédération Mondiale du Cirque announces Winner of Worldwide Logo Competition

After a review of thirty-three entries from France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Slovenia, South Africa, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom and the USA, S.A.S. la Princesse Stéphanie of Monaco named Richard Molinier's logo design as the winner.


The new logo is a tri-colour design with a performing horse, flying trapeze artists and a clown's face under a circus tent set against a map of the world.


"I tried to symbolize the heart of the circus with a horse, trapeze and clown," wrote designer Molinier of L'Isle-sur-Tarn, France . A life-long circus enthusiast and friend to many European circus artists, Molinier explained that some of his fondest childhood memories were trips with his uncle to the circus.   A member of the French Club du Cirque , he is a strong supporter of the circus, including animals and humans working together. He closed his letter of submission for the competition with a hearty " Vive le cirque !"


"We were thrilled with the response to our logo competition and very impressed with the diversity of designs," said Laura van der Meer, Executive Director of the Federation.  "Narrowing down the selection to five for the Princess was a difficult task, but I think her choice captures the global circus community uniting under one Big Top." The new logo is incorporated into the Federation website at  www.circusfederation.org or www.cirquemondial.org


The Federation was launched in January 2008 as a non-profit association of circus organizations. Inspired by the late Prince Rainier III of Monaco , it operates under the patronage of his daughter, S.A.S. la Princesse Stéphanie. Its goal is to bring together the global circus community in order to promote and preserve circus arts and culture around the world.


Founding Members of the Federation comprise the Festival International du Cirque de Monte-Carlo, the Outdoor Amusement Business Association of the USA, the European Circus Association, the Circus Federation of Australia, the Animal Interest Alliance of South Africa, and the Canadian based En Piste.

 

 

13 May 2008

World Circus Federation Logo Competition Extended until 1 July 2008

The competition for the design of the logo for the newly established Fédération Mondiale du Cirque under the patronage of S.A.S. Princess Stéphanie will continue until 1 July 2008. While a number of Europeans already have submitted logos, announcements of the contest appeared later in press in other world regions. Given the international importance and appeal of the circus, the Federation wishes to ensure that all can participate. The winning logo will be selected by Federation Honorary President S.A.S. Princess Stéphanie. The winning designer will be appropriately recognized; the winning design will be the sole property of the Federation. All entries in the competition should be sent by 1 July 2008 to laura@europeancircus.info :

 

6 May 2008

Bouquet for Stardust Circus

G & D wrote:

“Hi.

“I just have to say that the circus event we went to was the best in a very long time. I took my mum and dad on their 42 nd wedding anniversary along with my 4 year old daughter.

“Both my dad (68) and my daughter (4) nearly died last year 2007. So, needless to say, we don't take life for granted.

“It was great to see their smiles throughout the entire show. Hannah (my daughter) is still beaming about it and is still telling everyone. She particularly liked the horse who turned 18 and delivered wine (pretend of course) from another horse. She liked the photo with the lion cub (even though he growled at us and scared the daylights out of us) and the acrobatics.

“I am a little bothered that she enjoyed it when the one man missed the arms of another in the acrobatics and tumbled to the net. She thought that was just spectacular.

“Anyhow I don't know if you ever receive positive feedback but my parents, daughter and I enjoyed every minute. Apart from the stupid protesters and their caged lions signs. They need to get a life. I have never seen such healthy animals who are loved so much as at the circus.

“We attended the circus on the 16 th of April in Bundaberg.”

 

11 April 2008

European Circus Day

On the occasion of this day the following message was delivered by the European Commissioner for Education, Training, Culture and Youth.

I am happy to address you today on the occasion of the European Circus Day in my capacity as European Commissioner for Education, Training, Culture and Youth.

The circus is a unique form of entertainment that deserves recognition and support, as was also expressed by the European Parliament in its resolution of 2005.

The circus is part of our artistic and cultural heritage.

Although the circus has its roots in many cultures, the circus – as we know it today – is largely a European invention. The first circus performance took place in 1768 in London . Horses and acrobats performed in a ring filled with sawdust, amazing and amusing the public with their daring feats and antics. This simple concept, consisting of a variety of acts presented in a ring, and later under a moveable tent, known as the Big Top, spread throughout the world.  It came to be known, in many places, as “the people's art.” 

Today millions of people across Europe enjoy the circus every year.   The circus can offer simple fun for families or feature high quality and polished artistry. The circus is many people's first experience of the live performing arts. While circus sometimes takes place in purpose-built facilities, its mobility ensures its accessibility to the broadest possible cross-section of society. Indeed, the travelling circus tradition embodies one of the central features of the European Union: it is an art form without borders.

The circus , in short, is a universal art-form, offering something for everyone. It's traditional, yet modern too, constantly updating and renewing itself.  Its artists, many of them international citizens since birth, are at home wherever they go, speaking their own languages and following their own customs. They are working together towards a flawless and seamless production nearly every day of the season.     

The European Union is about links, about joining together.  That joining should be in leisure and art as well as in business.  You may be aware that 2008 is the European Year of Intercultural Dialogue.   Few art forms bring together so many languages, ethnic and cultural backgrounds in one place as the circus .  Indeed, the circus is a natural home for intercultural dialogue and provides daily opportunities for cultural differences to be better understood and celebrated.   That's why I'm pleased and proud to have been invited to inaugurate the first annual European Circus Day.  Thank you for your attention and now….. on with the show!!

 

03 March 2008

Another bouquet for Lennon Bros Circus

Feona M Good, freelance journalist, writes:
“The show was just awesome.
Great to see the Animals and Lions etc.
The Dog show was excellent.
It would have been nice if the Monkey perform a few tricks.
The acrobatics or flying trapeze people were fantastic.
Awesome show they put on thank you we really enjoyed it.”

 

22 Feb 2008

Bouquet for Lennon Bros Circus.

Lorrie Webb from Kallangur writes as follows:

“We attended your 1030 am Saturday morning show on the 16 th of February 2008 and we just want to let you know that we thought it was an absolutely extra super show. Very entertaining and very “clean”. – in other words it was 100% free of any indecent language. Congratulations and we wish you and the performers very best of everything. Keep up the good work. Lorrie Webb family. “ 

 

05 Feb 2008

In January 2008 our Executive Secretary was invited to Monte Carlo for the incorporation of the “Federation Mondiale du Cirque” – or World Circus Federation.

The Circus Federation of Australia Inc is proud to be one of the founding members, together with

These organisations cover many hundreds of individual circuses all over the world and our Executive Secretary is one of the Directors, representing Australia .

The Honorary President is Princess Stephanie of Monaco.

 

13 Dec 2007

The Federation as part of the Australian Animal Welfare Strategy.

Our Association takes a major part in this Commonwealth initiative for which the watchwords are:

Animal Welfare – there is more to it than you think

and

Animal Welfare is everyone's responsibility.

We have attended every workshop and conference in Canberra , Sydney and Melbourne over the last three years for we are part of the “animals used for work, sport, recreation or display” sector.

Our partners are the Zoo Industry, through ARAZPA (the Australasian Regional Association of Zoological Parks and Aquaria) and we are joined by an Animal Welfare organisation, Voiceless.

 

26 Nov 2007

UK rebuttal of animal ban.

Expert Assessment Confirms No Scientific Basis for Circus Animal Ban in the UK

The Report of the Chairman of a Circus Working Group established more than a year ago to assess scientific evidence concerning circus animal welfare was released on 20 November 2007. This Report includes the unanimous findings of a panel of academic and practicing experts, nominated by both the circus industry and activist organizations, which agreed that:

The remit of the Circus Working Group was to consider scientific evidence to carry out the Government's commitment to ban species of animals whose welfare needs could not be met in a traveling circus environment. The Panel of Experts concluded that the evidence was insufficient to justify a ban of any species presented in U.K. circus es (currently including elephants, tigers, lions, camels, zebras, reindeer, llamas, snakes, kangaroo, and crocodiles).

The Circus Working Group Chairman, a professor of law, concluded that, given the lack of scientific evidence, any ban brought forward by the Government under existing legal authority would be vulnerable to legal challenge.

While proposals for a law to ban animals in circus es may still be brought forward in the Parliament as new legislation, the Chairman describes a path forward in which the Government could establish regulations for circus animals to provide greater certainty for the circus community and to respond to critics' concerns by creating more transparency and accountability. Both the U.K. zoo licensing act and the ECA's Model Regulations are identified as possible sources of the content of such regulations.

The full report can be downloaded from DEFRA's website under Animal Welfare.