Chasing Smoke is an evocative and triumphant performance by Australia’s only Indigenous contemporary circus ensemble.

Both playful and brave, Chasing Smoke is the spark that ignites the question ‘Who am I?’, when you have 40,000 years of history to sift through in search of an answer.

Take a glimpse into the world’s oldest living culture told through the artform of contemporary circus.

A dynamic, fast-moving and touching performance, Chasing Smoke stokes the fires of identity, challenge and success for a unique cohort of young Australians.

WINNER of the 2017 Green Room Awards for Best Contemporary Circus

Chasing Smoke was made possible and created through the Circus Oz BLAKflip Program.

Venue Format
Theatre, Hall, Black Box Venue, Outdoor
Technical Rating
B
Touring Party
8
Considerations

Show is recommended for persons aged 8 and up, may contain references to people who are now deceased, smoke effects

Casus is recognised as a leader in contemporary circus on the international stage.

Renowned for their aesthetic of delicately human circus, Casus Circus’ premier work Knee Deep is an international sensation. Performed in over 15 countries in 2015 alone, Knee Deep won international accolades including Best Circus & Physical Theatre 2016 Adelaide Fringe and Best Circus & Physical Theatre Avignon 2015.

On the success of Knee Deep Casus have grown to an established touring company of sixteen acrobats, making up three casts which tour internationally with the shows Knee Deep, Tolu, Chasing Smoke and Driftwood.

Casus Circus performances are rich in human connection, integrity, cultural diversity and precise, intelligent choreography. Acrobats fill the stage with momentum and stillness, with strength and fragility, and overwhelm audiences with breathless emotion that often leads to a silent theatre throughout the performance– followed by a standing ovation at the end.

Off stage, Casus actively work to maintain their human connections through community engagement, education, and collaboration alongside their performance works.

Company Website
casus.com.au

Unique Selling Point

Chasing Smoke features an cast made up entirely of Aboriginal artists. The show examines the human impact of government policy, and how its effects roll on for multiple generations. Chasing Smoke offers an incredibly personal sharing of stories through circus, comedy and physical theatre and also fearlessly starts a conversation about the Stolen Generations in a unique way, appealing to audiences through comedy, physical theatre and personal stories.

Marketing Materials

Promo video (3 mins) Education Pack Marketing Copy Print material templates Images Performer and key creatives biographies

Community Engagement

Chasing Smoke offers an opportunity for mainstream Australia to hear how these polices and actions have impacted an entire continent filled with a rich, diverse culture older than any other on the planet. It's a chance for conversation between two communities that have been forced apart for too long. We live in a country who's government, within living memory, imposed the forced removal of children from their parents based on their lineage. A lot of Australians struggle in acknowledging this fact, and our country is continuously trying to move on without healing from the emotional trauma of the past.

Alongside the educational benefits that Chasing Smoke provides, we also offer circus skill workshops with children and adults, but primarily engage with school groups. We teach basic skills in acro, tumbling and juggling.