Dear Vulcana Community,
We, Allie and Deb, are now in the seventh month of stepping into the enormous (and much missed) shoes of Celia White. So, we thought it was a good moment to write this letter to inform you of some exciting news, announcements of what’s coming up and some special thank yous.
First of all, heartfelt gratitude to all Vulcanistas—trainers, staff, former staff, students, board members and our extended community—for your support, advice, institutional knowledge, dedication, commitment, friendship, laughter and… for your patience and kindness, as we hit the ground running.
We are delighted to announce Vulcana’s success in securing the latest round of Brisbane City Council’s Lord Mayor’s Better Suburbs Grant of $180,000 to upgrade our home to a more purpose-built, community-friendly and accessible venue. A long awaited and cherished dream of Vulcana becoming a community arts hub. Acquiring this grant, in true Vulcana fashion, was an accumulation of community work and generosity which could not have happened without the support of artists, local MPs, neighbours, friends, family, our staff and board.
Now, for the mammoth part… turning our dreams into a reality! We’re currently in consultation with builders and council to develop the renovation project plan and this may mean temporary venue closures or partial space closures for periods of time over the next 12 months as we work to complete these exciting and essential works. We will keep you all updated with notice of any closures, so as to try to minimise any impact on your work, training, rehearsing and creating.
Following last year’s Circus Exchange Program with Youth Performance Troupe and Milpera students, we’re excited to continue working with Milpera SHS, supporting young people from refugee and migrant backgrounds to learn and explore through circus in Term 1.
This term for the first time Inclusive Aerials was launched and led by aerial artist Lauren Watson. This sold-out workshop creates a welcoming and empowering space for people with disabilities to explore aerial movement. Focused on accessibility, creativity and individual strengths, the class celebrates what every body can do while building confidence in the air.
Coming up in April is the Tipping Point Festival (7-12 April). This is an evolution and expansion of last year’s “Test Site” Festival, which has incorporated the long tradition of the Tipping Point Cabaret. The theme is professional development and supporting established and emerging artists to ‘take the next step’ in their practice.
The 6-day program is jam-packed with skillbuilding workshops, panels, talks, showings, performances and networking events for performing artists. We are passionate about professionally developing artists to build sustainable livelihoods and creative journeys. We hope this range of opportunities will support our community and beyond to grow their careers, make connections and spark collaborations that truly nurture and inspire.
On the Tipping Point Festival program, there will be three wonderful showings from the FRESH Residencies—our 2026 Artist Development Program:
- FRESH Youth: Collective Circus
- FRESH Disability: Allycia Staples & Chaos Fae
- FRESH First Nations: Bizzi Body
It would be lovely to get a warm and enthusiastic Vulcana audience for them to share their works with.
Also on the program, senior trainer and emerging director Chloe Callistemon is leading an ensemble of Vulcanistas in a collaborative creative project ShowLab and will share what they’ve been creating at Tipping Point Festival alongside Collective Circus. This will be preceded by our Youth Performance Troupe led by senior trainers Mayu Mato and Emma Aitchison with a sneak preview of their performance for Sherwood Community Festival in May.
For the first time, Hannah Cryle is leading a Street Performing Workshop Series, kicking off from 15th April. This workshop series supports emerging artists to develop street performance skills in a fun and supportive environment. Participants will build confidence, create their own short piece, and test it with a live audience, gaining real-world experience along the way.
Keep an eye on our newsletters and socials for Nicci Wilks’ Elevate Masterclass series in late April, this year’s Incubator/Act Lab process (culminating in the mid-year Incubator/Elevate Cabaret), and the upcoming callout to be part of our 2026 community show, Cashless & Care-Free.
A very special arrival happened in January 2026 for Angela Willock, Vulcana producer and program manager, and Abbey Church, long term Vulcanista, trainer, and rigger, welcomed baby Alfie Charlie Church into the world. Congratulations Abbey, Ange and Nanny Wilde. We are ecstatic for you, and can’t wait to officially welcome Alfie into the fold.
It’s a privilege to be a part of this community and play a role in supporting the future of Vulcana. Please know we are always keen to hear from you about your personal hopes, dreams and aspirations for your journey and Vulcana. So, please do reach out and we will do all we can do to support you (e.g. assistance with idea development, funding applications, introductions, provision of support letters, provision of additional training, etc.)
Thank you, so much, for all you bring to and do for Vulcana. We really appreciate each and every one of you!
Allie Wilde [Artistic Director] & Deb Cleland [CEO]