Born of the quirky brain of comic genius Daniel Oldaker, Acts of Absurdity brings together local legends, national nobles and international kooks. The launch of the season on April 14th was mammoth!The lineup included:

Mario Queen of the Circus: award winning, New York based, internationally renowned and FUNNY! www.marioqueenofthecircus.com

Ruby Rubberlegs- the twistiest, bendiest, funniest lady you'll meet this side of the moon. www.myspace.com/rubyrubberlegs
Magic Brian: Magic, mayhem and a profound sense of the odd all the way from New York and about to go back! www.magicbrian.com

Betty Brawn: The strongest lady alive! Born with the grace of her mother and the brute strength of her father, she can bend, break and lift heavy things for your amusement, all in a pair of high heels. www.myspace.com/thestrongestladyalive

Birdmann: At the end of a summer spent being funny, insightful and more than a little odd at festivals all over the country, and with a hit show of last year's comedy festival under his wings, Birdmann reached new comedic heights (even for him, and he is very tall)! www.myspace.com/trentbaumann

Daniel Oldaker: Recently sold out at The Butterfly Club with his show " Live Flavor ". He's full of magical surprises and brimming with skits, bits and wonderful tricks. www.danieloldaker.com

Don't miss out on this chance to laugh, gasp and turn your brain inside out as The Acts of Absurdity explodes back onto the radar!
Where:
Lentil As Anything
Abbotsford Covent -1 Hellier St, Abbotsford.
When:
8.30pm every Saturday night in April, May and beyond!
For more info and the latest acts -check out
www.myspace.com/actsofabsurdity or ph : 0404 154 292

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Full Tilt Season 1 2007 - artists at work
www.theartscenter.net.au/fulltilt

If you missed out on Laura’s workshop at the Tasmanian Circus Festival here is your opportunity to try…
“Viewpoints” – Training intensive with Laura Sheedy
When: Sat 5 & Sun 6 May -9:30am – 4pm
Limited numbers, first in best dressed.
Price: $80.
This weekend intensive will immerse participants in the Viewpoints technique and provide an invaluable resource for performers and directors of all styles and experience.

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Samuel Dark's Dinner Hour - A new show, developed by Michael Cohen, Judith Lanigan and the Company - featuring:
Cast: Chris Kelly, Nicci Wilks, Violet Morrison, Tom Flanagan, Alison Daavid.
Chorus: Jonathan Burrows, Matt McFarlane, Simon Tarrant, Tim Elliott, Nicole Cashin, Lauren Cruickshank, Jarrad Koina, Emily Thrower.

As if in a gourmand's dream, you will be served a delicious three-course meal by crisp-starched waiting staff in the industrial cathedral that is the Honeysuckle Boilershop. While crack trapeze artists and acrobats soar above you, some of the country’s finest nu-vaudeville comedians will delight you on the ground.

Where: Honeysuckle Boilershop, Merewether St, Newcastle - opposite the new Forum gym.
When: Fridays and Saturdays in May, 7pm. OPENING NIGHT: Thursday, 3 May. Preview 2 May.
Entry: $80 for the 3-course dinner + A Reserve table; OR
$50 for entrée and dessert only + B Reserve table
Tickets: Our online bookings at Tickets, above, or phone Ticketek. Credit card bookings attract a $3 fee/ticket.

About Sam Dark: Born in Newport England, he took to the seas in the merchant navy before settling in Newcastle in 1882. He founded Dark's Ice and Cold Storage Works on Wharf Road in 1914. It flourished into one of the city's largest enterprises, providing ice to the local pubs, storage of fresh produce and occasionally acted as the morgue. He was known as the 'Digger's Friend' for his tireless efforts assisting returned soldiers, giving on occasion from his private means.
http://www.livesites.org.au/newSite/index.php

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ACAPTA Activity Report
1. The Small Companies Project
As most of you will know, ACAPTA is now in the process of preparing to conduct surveys for the Small Companies Research Project funded by the Australia Council. We expect the project findings to be available by the end of June.
We are working with Maakan Consulting to develop the research. Maakan Consultants Paul McGill and Andrew both have a background in providing consulting and economic modeling services for government and commercial enterprises, and have previously contributed to arts consultancies for the Australia Council. Paul McGill has a practical knowledge of the international market for circus and physical theatre through his current role as international market development manager for Circus Oz, and in his former capacity as a board member of Strange Fruit.

Our advisory board for the project consists of:
• Mike Finch, Artistic Director, Circus Oz;
• Pam Creed, Director, National Institute of Circus Arts, Australia’s first tertiary course for circus skills;
• Hall Murray, Circus Director, Circus Monoxide, Australia regionally touring tent-based contemporary circus;
• Ross Mollison, Mollison Communications, providing marketing and publicity for clients such as Cirque du Soliel, The Australian Ballet, CarriageWorks, Keating the Musical and producing shows including The Famous Speigeltent in New York, and Slava’s Snow Show Internationally);
• Peter Williams, Head of Innovation, Deloitte International.
At the time of writing this report, our key research question is “To what extent are Australian small circus and physical theatre companies benefiting from the growing national and international market for contemporary circus; and what, if anything, is limiting their ability to do so?”.
In conducting this project, we are not in a position to research the full spectrum of circus and physical theatre in Australia. This is a preliminary research project which we hope we will lead to further research. For the purposes of this project, we are interviewing a selection of small contemporary circus and physical theatre companies, with a focus on companies with a strong emphasis on artform development.

2. Advocacy
Through the implementation of the small companies research project, ACAPTA is developing it’s role as an industry advocacy body. There is now a much greater awareness of our activities, and the depth of our industry representation, within the broader arts sector, including arts funding authorities. As the circus industry grows in Australia, it is vital that ACAPTA continues to provide a voice for this diverse industry, from individual artists to flagship companies. ACAPTA is committed to maintaining the extraordinary level of artistic excellence that Australian Circus and Physical Theatre has demonstrated over the last 25 years.
Recent government initiatives, such as the Victorian Government’s election commitment to develop a Circus Arts Strategy, and the Federal Government’s support of the new NICA Circus Centre demonstrate a growing awareness that there is a need to support contemporary circus in Australia. It is ACAPTA’s role to ensure this emerging government support continues to contribute the vibrant and diverse Australian circus culture for which Australia is internationally renowned.

3. The Future
Most of my time at the moment is dedicated to working on applications for projects for 2008. They include the next national conference, National Youth Circus Day 2008, and a project to develop national safety guidelines for circus and physical theatre (see website for details as they emerge). Should these applications will be successful, ACAPTA can build on the successes we have had in the last two years in terms of expanding our activities beyond the national conference.