Associate Degree of Circus Arts

The Associate Degree of Circus Arts at Collarts is a two-year qualification for people who want to train seriously in circus and work in the performing arts. You spend your time on the floor, not just in a lecture theatre. Expect daily physical training in acrobatics, tumbling, hand balancing, aerial work and object manipulation, alongside acts that combine movement, character and stagecraft. Alongside the physical work you study performance skills, safe practice, conditioning and the business side of being a working artist.

As an Australian associate degree, it sits at Level 6 on the Australian Qualifications Framework, between a diploma and a bachelor degree. Study is organised into semesters, with units of study carrying credit points. You complete core practical units, supporting theory units, and a capstone or major performance project in your final year where you develop and present an act or show. Assessment is largely practical: showings, performances and portfolio work, with written components where the unit calls for them. The two-year structure means you move through technique building, then repertoire and creation, then public performance.

Work-integrated learning is central to circus training. You rehearse and perform in front of audiences, work with directors and choreographers, and take part in productions and industry projects. Some units involve placement or collaboration with arts organisations, festivals or community groups, depending on what is running that semester. You finish with a showreel, a body of performance work and contacts in the sector.

The skills you build are specific: physical technique across several circus disciplines, safe warm-up and injury prevention, improvisation, ensemble work, character and stage presence, and the discipline to keep training when no one is watching. You also learn to plan a career, pitch yourself, and manage the practical side of contracts and touring. This degree suits school leavers and mature-age students who want intensive practical training rather than a purely academic path. It also suits dancers, gymnasts, actors and physical performers who want to add circus skills or move into contemporary circus. If you are an international student, you can work up to 48 hours per fortnight while your course is in session, and you may be eligible for the Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485) post-study work stream after you finish. Check the official Collarts page and the CRICOS register for current details, entry requirements and tuition.

• Circus artist or performer with contemporary circus companies, festivals and touring productions
• Physical theatre performer in mainstage, independent and community theatre
• Aerialist, acrobat or hand balancer in cabaret, cruise ship and event entertainment
• Children's entertainer or roving performer at festivals, fairs and corporate events
• Circus trainer or coach in studios, schools and community programmes
• Creative collaborator or deviser of new performance work
• Stage or production assistant in performing arts organisations
• Arts worker in Australia's performing arts sector, including companies, venues and arts centres