10 years of Safety Circus
Since launching in 2013, Safety Circus has been a significant educational tool in providing essential safety lessons to primary school students across regional Queensland.
The award-winning initiative has been viewed by more than 23,500 students over the past decade, and the 2023 tour will continue to be a beacon of empowerment for young minds.
This year’s annual tour will feature two teams of performers from CQUniversity’s Central Queensland Conservatorium of Music (CQCM), visiting primary schools in the Mackay region from 30 October to 15 November.
Safety Circus is a musical theatre production that utilises drama, music, and dance to effectively deliver vital safety messages including protective behaviours, bike safety, and strategies to combat bullying.
Over its 10 years, Safety Circus has been performed more than 350 times to more than 450 different schools.
The initiative is facilitated through a partnership between CQUniversity Bachelor of Theatre faculty and students, and the Mackay Crime Prevention Unit of the Queensland Police Service, with Sergeant Nigel Dalton and Senior Constable Lisa Frost accompanying the performance as police representatives.
“Early intervention and connection with school children and officers is critical in their future relationship with police,” Sergeant Dalton said.
“I have been involved with Safety Circus for many years now and have seen how the project has evolved to address the changing needs of students, and am proud to continue spreading safety awareness.
"We have a great line-up this year, and we're looking forward to reaching even more schools.”
In 2021, the Safety Circus script was updated to align more closely with the Daniel Morcombe Foundation (DMF) Child Safety Initiative which is now embedded in all primary schools across Australia.
This partnership emphasises the need for children to have a safety network. Safety Circus helps children recognise body cues, react to unsafe situations, and report them.
CQUniversity Central Queensland Conservatorium of Music Director Professor Judith Brown AM explained that the main messages embedded within Safety Circus have been examined through research, and the medium of children’s theatre renders them in a way that is accessible and fun.
“Research has shown that live theatre can significantly impact behaviour change in young people.
“Safety Circus follows in the footsteps of the successful Choices program, which has positively influenced safety behaviours in Year 12 students,” she said.
“The long-term success of these outreach programs is a testament to the power of community partnerships, education, and the arts to inspire and empower.”
Professor Brown AM recognised the support of the Daniel Morcombe Foundation as a major sponsor of the Safety Circus tour, alongside the Queensland Police Service Community Based Crime Action Committee (CBCAC).
Additional support is provided by Mackay Regional Council and Conservatorium Friends, Mackay Inc.
“Funding from DMF has allowed for the employment of two emerging professional directors,” she explained.
“The directors for 2023, Kiara Davis and Alice Dalton are both graduates of the Bachelor of Theatre program.
“The employment of the local professional performing artists as the directors ensures that our local community benefits from a performance that is of a high professional standard.”
She also added that involving local talent is one of the reasons Safety Circus had continued to resonate with audiences.
One of the current performers, Jenelli Gorrion shares a unique connection to Safety Circus as one of the young primary students who attended the very first production in 2013.
“I was a Grade 3 student at Victoria Park State School in East Mackay when the Safety Circus tour visited. It certainly is a full circle moment to be involved in the performance a decade later,” Jenelli said.
“Although it was 10 years ago, a memory that sticks out to me was the safety network that we learned by using our hands. Sergeant Nigel asked me to come up and allocate the different types of adults we could trust on a giant hand.
“I feel the performance made a positive impact on me as a child as afterwards I talked to my mum about a family password.”
Additionally, multiple members of the 2023 cast will have the opportunity to perform at their former primary schools.
Bachelor of Theatre students Hannah Herwin, Jade Petersen, Lucy Fitzpatrick, Isabella Davidson and Max Kingsbury are excited for the opportunity to carry on the legacy and impact of the project in their home towns.
