Roll up, roll up, the Safety Circus is in town

CQUniversity's annual children's theatre performance Safety Circus has reached new heights with Bachelor of Theatre students currently on their biggest tour ever– performing to 66 schools across Queensland this month (1-17 November).

Safety Circus is now in its ninth year thanks to ongoing collaboration between CQUniversity's Central Queensland Conservatorium of Music (CQCM) and the Mackay Crime Prevention Unit of the Queensland Police Service (QPS)' with additional sponsorship this year from the Daniel Morcombe Foundation.

The new Daniel Morcombe Foundation partnership will support Safety Circus performances at primary schools across the Mackay' Sarina' Pioneer Valley' Isaac and Whitsunday regions' reaching approximately 2500 Grade 3 students.

The performances play an important role in the community by addressing vital safety messages for young children' a key priority of the Daniel Morcombe Child Safety Curriculum which has been rolled out to schools Australia-wide.

"Our partnership is an exciting opportunity to teach kids to Recognise' React and Report in the Mackay region'" Denise and Bruce Morcombe said'

The short' sharp and highly energised show puts an entertaining spin on road safety' bullying and protective behaviour education by following the protagonist Jessie' an eight-year-old who travels into a book that she is reading. She gets mixed up in a circus parade which helps Jessie learn many important safety lessons.

Director of CQCM and composer of the Safety Circus music' Professor Judith Brown AM' applauded the hard work of everyone involved in making the performances a success.

"Every year we try to have Safety Circus tour as many primary schools as we can. The opportunity to perform for 66 schools this year is a positive step for the young people of our region.

"We are extremely grateful for the assistance of the Daniel Morcombe Foundation' the Mackay Regional Council and the Friends of the Conservatorium who have helped us to reach this goal'" Prof Brown said.

"I would also like to thank Sergeant Nigel Dalton and Senior Constable Stephen Smith of the Mackay Crime Prevention Unit' who tour with the students and perform on stage!

"Together with the volunteers in policing who manage all the tour administration' we have a fantastic cast and crew who volunteer their time to make sure the production can be delivered' free of charge' to as many schools as possible each year."