National Institute of the Circus Arts (NICA) 

The National Institute of Circus Arts (NICA) is an internationally renowned Centre of Excellence, providing innovative tertiary-level education, training, performance and research, and nurturing leaders and talent for the local, national and global circus arts industry.

This year, NICA announced the selection of eight emerging circus artists for Beyond Our Boundaries, its 2026 international exchange program taking place in China later this year. The program offers a rare opportunity to train in China and engage directly with one of the world’s most influential circus traditions. It is a reciprocal exchange between NICA, the Nanjing Acrobatic Troupe and the Shanghai Circus School.

In November, NICA celebrated its 25th birthday with a special fundraising performance, Coming Home, which brought generations of alumni, trainers and current students together on stage. From humble beginnings in a shed in Docklands, where a pilot project began in 1999, to today’s purpose-built campus in Prahran, the heartfelt show celebrated the thousands of stories that have shaped NICA since it opened in 2001, brought to life through aerials, wheels, hoops, bikes, foot juggling and more.

Heading into 2027, Zilla & Brook is proud of its five-year collaboration with NICA, which has delivered publicity across national news stories, reviews and features. The key goal is not only to promote performances and events, but also NICA’s significant auditions program, inviting the next generation of circus artists to take the leap. Every year, aspiring artists from across Australia choose to pursue one of the most physically demanding and creatively ambitious careers in the performing arts.