Board Members
Summer Bland
Summer is an employment relations and workplace wellness specialist at Workplace Mobbing Australia, providing advice and training to individuals and organisations. Summer has nearly 20 years experience in the arts sector overseeing artistic and cultural programming and leading large teams for major festivals and performing arts venues across Queensland.
Sarah Thomasson
Sarah is a theatre and performance studies scholar who researches festivals and has taught at the University of Queensland, University of Otago, and Queen Mary University of London. She also has a background in production and stage management within the Brisbane performing arts industry and since returning from London, where she completed her PhD in 2015, she has served as company manager for indelabilityarts.
Catherine Nufer-Barr
TreasurerCatherine is Flipside’s Treasurer and works as a lawyer at McCullough Robertson, she specialises in corporate taxation and stamp duty across all jurisdictions. Catherine has a degree in Accounting and Law from QUT and is currently completing the Chartered Tax Adviser (CTA) program. Prior to joining McCullough Robertson, Catherine worked as a tax consultant at accounting firm, BDO.
Cameron Hoffmann
Cameron is a Principal with RPS, and has over 20 years experience as a Town Planning Consultant, focusing on master planned communities, major projects and sustainable design and transport policy development. Cameron is a board director of the Australian Green Development Forum, and a member of UDIA’s City Plan Review and State Conference Committees.
Cameron balances his professional life with casual forays into circus and physical theatre, and has been known to rollerblade in outrageous outfits.
Sean Mee
Sean began his professional career in 1976 at La Boite Theatre as an actor in theatre-in-education, and was the Artistic Director and CEO of La Boite Theatre Company from 2000 to 2008. He has been lecturing in Performance Studies at QUT since 2009.
Hamish Clift
ChairHamish is a commercial barrister at Northbank Chambers. With over fifteen years experience in the performing arts sector, Hamish has a background in theatre production where he specialised in lighting design, production and stage management. He is also on the board of the Matilda Awards Inc.
Management & Administration
Brooke Hill
Program CoordinatorBrooke has a wealth of experience and knowledge in and of the circus industry, as a performer, trainer and manager. As well as teaching circus classes Brooke writes lesson plans and makes sure all our students are in the right class. Brooke joined the Flying Fruit Fly Circus at age 9 learning (and perfecting) ground and aerial skills as a solo artist and ensemble member. After 10 years at Flying Fruit Fly, Brooke went on to train and perform with different Australian circus, physical theatre and dance companies.
After moving to Brisbane in 2005, she worked as a trainer and rigger for Circa, Vulcana and Flipside, as a freelance performer, and then as head trainer and training centre manager at Circa.
Robert Kronk
CEO & Creative ProducerRobert is Flipside’s Creative Producer. He is a co-founder of debase productions and was debase’s general manager until 2016. He was the director of programming and director of operations at Metro Arts until 2008 and has worked extensively as a director, writer, performer, and producer for companies including; La Boite, Brisbane Festival, Queensland Theatre Company, and Queensland Performing Arts Centre.
Robert has also worked as an academic at the Queensland University of Technology and the University of Southern Queensland.
Gabriela Gallardo
Marketing Coordinator
Chris Fleming
Venue CoordinatorChris is a lead trainer and our head rigger. His qualifications include Advanced Rigging, a Bachelor of Human Movement Science, Certificate Four in Fitness and a Level Two Strength and Conditioning Coach. He has also trained at the Toronto School of Circus Arts & Trapeze School New York in New York (TSNY) and Los Angeles.
Chris has worked all over the world as a circus trainer with companies such as Flight Club Aerial Arts, High Flyers, Popcorn Here & TSNY, as well as running all kinds of training intensives, circus summer camps, corporate events and touring programs.
Chris has also toured the US, Central America, Turkey, UAE & Canada performing single, duo and flying trapeze with troupes including The Royal Hanneford Circus and Circus Tui.
Jo Volz
Finance and Administration ManagerJo Volz is Flipside Circus’ Finance and Administration Manager. Originally joining the Flipside community as a parent when she enrolled her child in classes in 2010, Jo has been employed at Flipside Circus since January 2011. Managing the accounts and staffing on a daily basis Jo feels she has mastered the unsung skill of ‘admin juggling’, though she has yet to manage keeping three balls in the air for more than a few seconds.
Prior to running away to join the circus Jo worked in independent publishing at Brisbane’s Child magazine and Time Off magazine for over 15 years. Jo has a Bachelor’s Degree in Humanities.
Trainers
Amelia Smith
Amelia started training circus as a child with Trix circus, before moving on to The National institute of Circus Arts, specialising in dance trapeze. She has performed with some of Australia’s most well-known circuses, such as Ashton Entertainment, Circus Phoenix Extreme, Lennon Bros Circus and Circus Royale.
Phoebe Waltham
Gymnastic, dance and circus instructor, Phoebe has over ten years’ experience teaching children. Along with a diploma from the National Institute of Circus Arts and a trail of international performances, which include the UK and USA.
Mia Hughes
Training since the age of 3, Mia joined Flipside’s performance troupe when she was 11, specialising in tumbling and group acrobatics. Her recent performance We Live Here, won the Matilda Award for best physical theatre.
Izzy Lawton
Circa Youth Ensemble Circa Zoo and Flipside Circus troupe performer, Izzy specialises in tumbling, trapeze and group/ partner acrobatics, where she maintains her passion for being upside down. This passion and love for circus has led to Izzy to study a bachelor of exercise science.
Amy Stuart
Performing circus artist Amy, graduated from Flying Fruit Fly Circus school in 2015 and travels Australia with the Madhouse Circus. Her most recent performance We Live Here, received two Matilda Awards.
Brooke Hill
Program CoordinatorBrooke has a wealth of experience and knowledge in and of the circus industry, as a performer, trainer and manager. As well as teaching circus classes Brooke writes lesson plans and makes sure all our students are in the right class. Brooke joined the Flying Fruit Fly Circus at age 9 learning (and perfecting) ground and aerial skills as a solo artist and ensemble member. After 10 years at Flying Fruit Fly, Brooke went on to train and perform with different Australian circus, physical theatre and dance companies.
After moving to Brisbane in 2005, she worked as a trainer and rigger for Circa, Vulcana and Flipside, as a freelance performer, and then as head trainer and training centre manager at Circa.
Kelsey Adams
Circus performer, producer and director, Kelsey has performed in cabarets and festivals. Her creations and performances have won an Anywhere Award, along with directing Revolve for remounts at the Woodford Folk Festival, Gympie Civic Centre and RPAC.
Aliya Abisheva
Performance Troupe Head TrainerAliya is the head trainer of Flipside Circus’s performance troupe and has over 20 years circus experience. She is an accomplished circus performer, producer and director, having trained with some of the world’s best circus artists. Born into a circus family, Aliya graduated from the Moscow State Circus Academy and has performed with companies including the Moscow State Circus, Circus Royale, The Great Siberian Circus, and Circus Olympia. She has toured extensively throughout Australia and the world.
Chris Fleming
Venue CoordinatorChris is a lead trainer and our head rigger. His qualifications include Advanced Rigging, a Bachelor of Human Movement Science, Certificate Four in Fitness and a Level Two Strength and Conditioning Coach. He has also trained at the Toronto School of Circus Arts & Trapeze School New York in New York (TSNY) and Los Angeles.
Chris has worked all over the world as a circus trainer with companies such as Flight Club Aerial Arts, High Flyers, Popcorn Here & TSNY, as well as running all kinds of training intensives, circus summer camps, corporate events and touring programs.
Chris has also toured the US, Central America, Turkey, UAE & Canada performing single, duo and flying trapeze with troupes including The Royal Hanneford Circus and Circus Tui.
Davy Sampford
Passionate juggler and instructor Davy has over 25 years of experience as an independent artist and director. A founding member of two very successful Brisbane companies, Circa and Briefs. He has also worked for Circus OZ and Circus Monoxide.
