TNA is providing six days of on-the-job paid rigging training to four early-career riggers during this year’s Melbourne Fringe Festival, supported by Melbourne Fringe and Circus Oz. 

Placements will be offered to two early-career riggers, as well as TNA’s two Rigging Scholarship recipients, Catherine Horan-Blake and Melissa Tan. Training will take place during the bump-in and bump-out of Circus Oz’s Melbourne Fringe Circus Hub in Collingwood. 

Supervised by TNA Rigging Program Producer, and experienced rigger, Christian Schooneveldt-Reid, trainees will learn about rigging in a dedicated festival circus venue, practice standard circus rigging skills, and connect with circus industry professionals and potential future employers. 

This training initiative aims to equip early-career circus and physical theatre (CaPT) riggers with circus-specific experience and skills, to contribute to a larger pool of skilled CaPT riggers. 

Apply now for TNA’s Circus Rigging Trainee Placement Program.

About TNA’s Safe and Sustainable Circus Rigging Initiative

This initiative has been supporting circus riggers over 2023-24 to meet the critical need of the Victorian sector for qualified and knowledgeable riggers, as well as working to improve safety in circus rigging across Australia. This follows TNA’s research highlighting rigger shortages and under-qualification.

So far, TNA has assisted twenty CaPT riggers to access funded training. Seven experienced riggers have been supported to undertake advanced rigging tickets, and three riggers working regionally have received equity bursaries to help them complete accredited training.

TNA has also created two scholarships that are supporting aspiring riggers from underrepresented communities to enter the circus rigging workforce.

To learn more about the Safe and Sustainable Circus Rigging Initiative, get in touch with Program Producer Christian Schooneveldt-Reid on christian@tna.org.au.

This initiative has been assisted by the Australian Government through Creative Australia, its principal arts investment and advisory body.