Billie Wilson-Coffey discovered Spaghetti Circus at the age of 11 before moving to Melbourne to study at the National Institute of Circus Arts in 2007. In her graduating year, Wilson-Coffey made her international debut at the 4th World Circus Festival in Moscow.
She joined Circa as a guest artist in 2011 for the world premiere of Nocturne in South Korea. While working as a guest artist for Circa, Wilson-Coffey continued her solo work performing in cabarets and festivals nationwide.
Becoming an ensemble member at Circa in 2013, Wilson-Coffey toured How Like an Angel before an eight-month residency at the Chamåleon Theatre in Berlin performing Circa’s production of Beyond.
How would you describe what you do?
I am an ensemble member at Circa Contemporary Circus. Most often I work in a group of seven or eight acrobats, spending many hours of my day climbing on people or climbing two pieces of material, also known as aerial silks. While I enjoy the creation process of shows, it is performing on stage where I really feel elated.
How did you get started in your career & become an acrobat?
I first crossed paths with circus at age 11 when I joined Spaghetti Circus in Northern New South Wales, I had done some gymnastics before but once I found circus I never looked back. Circus opened my world to a community of talented and generous people which fed my desire to pursue it further by training at the National Institute of Circus Arts in Melbourne. I joined Circa full time in 2013 to perform at Chamåleon Theater in Berlin for 9 months which was truly an incredible experience. From there I was hooked to the touring lifestyle and went on to make many creations with Circa, performing on many different stages across the world.
What’s an average day or week like?
Our average week at the office is spent in the Circa studio in Brisbane. At the moment we are in the studio from 9-5, rehearsing, creating and improvising. Developing and refining how we train and grow as an ensemble in preparation for our next tour or performance. Personally, it has been a nice gear shift to be spending more time in Australia, touring more regionally and having a home base in Brisbane.
What’s the most common misconception about being a circus performer?
When I mention I have a career in circus or that I am a circus artist, I am often asked what kind of animals I perform with or if there is a net underneath me to catch me if I fall. For some circus performers these are true things but they have not existed in my career.
If you were interviewing someone to take over your job, what skills & qualities would you look for?
I would firstly ask if you were afraid of heights. Followed by: ‘Do you enjoy flying through the air?’ Because you will definitely be getting thrown through the air at Circa. So much of what we do in circus relies on trust, in yourself but also trust with the other artists that you share the stage with, so I would ask if you can put your trust in people you have only just met.
What’s the best thing happening in the circus sector at the moment?
Art is beginning to bloom again in Brisbane, it is great to see things cracking open again.
MORE STORIES IN THIS SERIES:
So you want my arts job: Freelance Arts Photographer
So you want my arts job: Puppeteer and puppet-maker
So you want my arts job? Over 20 careers to consider in 2021
