Campaign Lizard

When it comes to the Flying Fruit Fly Circus, a certain warmth and DIY-attitude has permeated their creative vision. Props, backdrops, and banners (like this one) used in performances have often been adorned with youthful, hand-painted designs which match the energy of the children onstage.

But while it is true that a sense of personality has always been part of Australian circus culture, these thrifty designs also speak to the ongoing limitation that was money. Since its inception, the circus school had to keep costs lower to sustain itself with government funding, but funding was not always guaranteed.

In late 1995, Federal Arts Minister Michael Lee announced that all funding would be cut to the circus. Though money had already been precarious, this confirmed that the future of the organisation was suddenly on the line.

However, the Fruit Flies were determined to advocate for themselves. In their September newsletter that year, a team of volunteers launched ‘Campaign Lizard.’ It was a serious (though tongue-in-cheek) call to action for people in Albury-Wodonga to flood the offices of Federal politicians with support letters alongside ‘unfileable objects’ they had begun distributing – toy geckos, frill necks, skinks, and bearded dragons.

Why lizards? Well, lizards threatened to eat all the Fruit Flies! And so, they hoped each family of lizards that arrived might encourage politicians to keep them in mind and help save the circus.

In early 1996, their show Totally Wicked began a season at Moore Park in Sydney. Banners hung outside the big top all drew attention to the fact that the season might be their last and an influx of newspaper articles from attendees followed. Through their collective efforts, the decision became a hot topic for the upcoming election – a move broadly interpreted as a slight to regional arts itself.

A true display of the creativity and savvy which is cultivated by circus arts, the pressure proved too much for the government. By February, they announced a new funding scheme that would keep the circus schools alive for years to come.