Ever stumbled upon a circus in the magical rainforests of the Sunshine Coast? If you’re one of the lucky ones, you have! Between 2009 and 2015, local arts organization Deer Crossing The Art Farm produced the annual Rainforest Circus amongst the towering firs and cedars of the Sunshine Coast. Sold-out audiences, so many generous participants, and a whole lot of beauty and magic inspired them to create–year after year–a unique production intertwined with dancers, aerialists, clowning, installations, and live music.
In 2016 the organization took a break from production to re-envision what the Rainforest Circus could be. The team wanted to include more community in the creation process and continue to foster right relations with the First People upon whose lands our shows took place.
Between 2016 and 2021, the cast and crew toured to four ocean-based communities along the BC coast, building relationships with partner organizations, Knowledge Carriers, performers, and community groups to create two entirely new iterations of The Rainforest Circus, inspired by the theme “Submerged.” They performed sold-out shows in each location and were overwhelmed by the support and involvement of these communities.
Deer Crossing The Art Farm is excited to announce the long-awaited return of the Rainforest Circus to the Sunshine Coast at shíshálh Nation’s ancestral village of klaath in Porpoise Bay Provincial Park. From August 8 to 11, “The Rainforest Circus: Intelligence” will bring together artists, performers, aerialists, musicians, storytellers, and dancers with community members to share a theatrical journey with audiences that explores the many diverse ‘intelligences’ in the human and natural world. This is a partnership with one of their closest creative collaborators, xets’emits’a Candace Campo, and her company Talaysay Tours. Candace started her tour operations in Porpoise Bay almost twenty years ago and has since expanded to provide remarkable tours in locations all around the Salish Sea, including Stanley Park, the North Shore, and beyond.
Rainforest Circus: “Intelligence” will be performed August 9 to 11, 2024, with a gala opening on August 8. Keep an eye on their website and social media channels for ticket launch announcements!
