Westside’s Story

The Juggling Youth Worker
Westside Circus was founded in 1996, when Debby Maziarz (then Youth Worker) received a grant from the Department of Justice to purchase stilts and juggling balls and deliver a circus program for young female offenders at the Sunshine Juvenile Justice Unit. The program was hugely successful and Debby with her friend Andrea Ousley, were invited to teach circus skills to young women at the Niddrie Secondary College, the University High School and the Don Bosco Youth Centre in Collingwood. As a part time youth Worker with the Moonee Valley City Council Debby coordinated a range of young women’s groups and used circus and drama as an effective engagement tool. She implemented a circus exchange program for young people who lived on the North Melbourne Housing Estate, teaching stilt walking once a month on a Wednesday night. The classes were free and in exchange the young people would make juggling balls, repair the stilts and assist with teaching in schools and at festivals. Debby was working as a part time Circus Teacher at St Joseph’s College and a casual Youth Worker for the Moonee Valley City Council, when in 1997 she formally launched the Westside Circus, a circus and performance program for local young women. Through a Moonee Valley Community Grant and an equipment grant from the QUIT Campaign, Debby established a circus space first at the Flemington Community Centre and then a year later at the North Melbourne Community Centre. Weekly circus and performance classes were offered to young women for $3. Those who couldn’t pay would coordinate mail outs and assist with teaching. In December 1997 the Westside Circus produced its first large-scale performance ‘Fazed Out’. Twenty five young women and a live band performed over three nights to an audience of 700 people.

The True Essence
It was the weekly classes at the North Melbourne Community Centre where the ‘heart’ of the Westside Circus began beating. Together as a team Debby and Andrea combined their skills and ideas to create a very special community where individuals could learn about trust and grow stronger in every way. It was within these classes that Westside’s culture of support, mentorship and exchange was born. Debby and Andrea continued to teach the Wednesday night class together for the next five years, co directing each large-scale show and various community program public outcomes. Andrea continued teaching at the Westside Circus and mentoring long-term members until 2007.

The Business Decision
By 2002 the Westside Circus had grown into a reputable and popular community arts program for young people aged 12 – 25 years. Over 100 local young people participated in circus workshops each year. Circus trainers were recruited internally from the program’s long-term participant base. Large-scale performances were presented annually in the Next Wave and Fringe Festivals with extensive invitations to perform at youth festivals and events across Melbourne. Still a part-time Youth Worker, Debby now spent up to two days each week training the circus trainers, responding to workshop and performance enquiries, teaching circus workshops, producing marketing materials and fundraising. She had nurtured a pool of five circus trainers who were previous program participants and she was managing up to three youth volunteers. With the growing demand for programs, the building momentum of success and the desire to inspire and support more young people to reach their full potential, Debby decided to leave the safe bosom of local government, quit her part-time youth worker job and create an independent identity for the Westside Circus. Debby’s spent the following year researching business models, interviewing CEO’s, company founders and building organisation capacity skills. She approached Leadership Victoria and secured an interim Board of management made up of six senior executives who assisted Debby with developing a one page mission statement. Armed with this key business tool Debby proceeded to secure business mentors, funding, ongoing Board members and new government and philanthropic partners. In 2002 Debby received a Queens Trust Achiever Award and a $10,000 professional development grant to complete a three month youth circus residency project in Barcelona Spain. In 2003 the Westside Circus became incorporated as a not for profit community arts organisation with deductible gift and charity status. A full time Marketing and Administration Co-ordinator was employed (Steph Urruty) and a small office was established at the Arts House in South Melbourne. In 2004 the Westside Circus moved into its current Fitzroy venue.

2010
Today the Westside Circus is one of the most successful new community arts initiative in Melbourne. With an annual turnover of $950,000 and up to 80 circus projects on the go each year, the Westside Circus uses innovation and entrepreneurship, to deliver a state wide program that has a positive social impact on the most disadvantaged and at risk members of the community. Westside Circus Programs reach 400 local families each week and 8,000 community participants Victoria wide each year. Since establishing the Westside Circus in 1996 a growing team of managers and artists have managed rapid organisation growth with turn over increasing from $211,330 in 2003 to $950,000 in 2009. The Westside Circus has recently completed the following organisation capacity building initiatives which have contributed to a more effective and robust organisation:

June 2010 saw the resignation of the founder and Executive Director of Westside Circus Debby Maziarz. 

Since 1996, Debby has thoroughly enjoyed her journey from Youth Worker to Circus Trainer to Artistic Director (and one time Band member) to Administrator to Manager to Executive Director. The experience allowed her to belong to a community, express her creativity, find her leadership and develop some very rich relationships.Debby says thank you to everyone who has ever participated in a workshop, joined a class, made a donation, purchased a T shirt, volunteered time, offered advice or joined Westside Circus to celebrate the wonderful work that it does.  It is the support and the community that make the Westside Circus so relevant and strong. 

Westside Circus is now very pleased and excited to announce Lena Cirillo as the new Executive Director. 

Lena has a diverse background in the performing and visual arts sector. She is a dynamic leader who has led the culture of focussed, productive and creative arts organisations over the past fifteen years.  Lena has been a past performer, director and a participant of various theatre and circus groups. Lena is a 2007 graduate of the Williamson Community Leadership Program and is a Williamson Fellow.