from yaprap April-May 2011
"They did not care that I’d been in trouble, I was treated good, the same as the others. They knew I‘d been in trouble for stealing, but they still let me use the camera and the computer and helped me write a song. I’m no good with writing or reading, but they helped me and I made my own CD that got played on the radio." - George 17 years
"Sometimes you start to believe that you’re no good.... cos that’s what people tell you... that’s what the teacher told me, so I didn’t want to go to school … then I got to take photographs and make a story on the computer. Rebecca helped me, but I did it myself. I showed it to my friends and my mum, and we showed it to other people and I felt proud." - Jessica 15 years
"I felt like no one cared, then Slippry Sirkus came and let us kids try out all these new things, I learnt to juggle, I thought I couldn’t do anything. Now I know I can." - Tyrone 12 years
"Engaging in creative projects, allows young people to build a sense of belief in their own potential, and to experience what it is to produce something that is of value to others." - Heath & Smyth 1999
Slippry Sirkus Inc. founded in 1996, is a not for profit, community based arts organization with unique experience and in-depth knowledge of regional, rural and remote NSW and with broader experience in Australia’s many diverse communities.
Integrating visual arts, dance, theatre, circus, film, music, art of celebration, digital media & technology to engage with communities and produce notable experiences that affirm the valuable role of art to affect social, health, educational and environmental outcomes.
We encourage leadership, build skills, raise visibility and validate participants' roles within communities, especially young people ‘at risk’ or those disadvantaged by socio-economics, age or culture.
We achieve this through consultation, collaboration, partnerships, community cultural development and arts engagement practice.
Over the past fifteen years, Slippry Sirkus has worked with over a thousand participants and formed an associate team of skilled artists and community workers to deliver arts strategies to effect social outcomes in over fifty communities and forged links to 15 Indigenous communities.
Slippry Sirkus has delivered arts workshops and programs in many cities, towns and small communities in NSW and Queensland.
Slippry Sirkus offers strategies, programs and projects to communities and organisations plus mentoring & training to emerging artists, community workers, service providers & youth services; providing opportunities to work at a grassroots level alongside Slippry Sirkus in a skill exchange that provides practical ‘hands on’ experience in community cultural development and arts engagement practices.
Slippry Sirkus works with communities, agencies and services through consultation and collaboration, to plan and develop arts engagement programs that provide focused outcomes for young people and their communities eg.
- Love Bites young people's sexual health initiative
- Arts engagement program with Juvenile Justice
- PCAC program in 28 communities in outback QLD
- Alcohol & substance misuse awareness & education program
- Initiated and established a 'Circus as Sport' program in a High School
- Initiated several 'Youth at Risk' educational pathways programs and arts & leadership camps.
"Research shows that learning for young people is fostered through interest driven engagement in projects and activities that matter to the young people, and that these learning environments effectively stimulate the acquisition and development of language and multimodal literacy, organisational learning and social enterprise. The young people’s participation has resulted in important social outcomes, a positive sense of identity, the development of and transition to mature roles and responsibilities, an increased sense of confidence in engagement with the outside world and an enhanced quality of life." - Lifespan learning and Literacy for Young Adults in Remote Indigenous Communities - Inge Kral & R.G (Jerry) Schwab ANU 2009
Recent activities
This year Slippry Sirkus again worked alongside Stephen Blanch, Youth Worker and Social Innovator in Tamworth on the third annual Cultural Showcase which provides the opportunity for Indigenous performers of all ages to shine and showcase their talent during the Tamworth Country Music Festival Week.
The Showcase attracts performers of all ages from across Australia and also the support of the big name acts Troy Casey Daley & Archie Roach. The Showcase is fortunate to have the talented Knox family to provide musical support and is fast becoming the platform to discover and launch new talent. From humble beginnings in the youth centre hall, the final Showcase concert is now presented in Tamworth’s new state of the art theatre to a sold out audience.
In 2010, on the Mid North Coast of NSW, the CrossCurrents, Ripples, Healthier Communities and Touching Base Projects worked alongside many organisations with programs on Music, Dance, Visual Arts, Digital Story Telling & Circus which saw young people (especially those ‘at risk’) given access and opportunities to engage with educational pathways and be part of the community.
In Moree, the art and environment project ‘No Walls’ in a partnership with Health, TAFE Aboriginal Arts students and local Gamilaroi artists produced handmade tiled mosaic benches and murals for hospital grounds to develop stronger connections between the health services and the community while improving the environment for staff and patients alike.
In Kempsey, ‘Flow’ an intergenerational digital story telling program in partnership with TAFE provides opportunity for social inclusion, training and pathways for young people .
More information
- www.slipprysirkus.org
- Denni Scott Davis, Artistic Director
- 02 6569 0209 or 0402 715 375
- denni.scottdavis@bigpond.com