Come see the magic this December!
Come one, come all to the 8th annual Borderville Summer Circus Festival! This summer, the communities of Albury and Wodonga would love to invite you to come see our local circus school students and graduates in action! Take part and immerse yourselves in our annual summer arts festival which serves up an exciting program of the world’s finest circus, physical theatre, and cabaret. The festival takes place across Albury-Wodonga over the two-week period of Saturday 3rd December 2022 – Saturday 17th December 2022, with tons of exciting activities and shows, providing something for everyone at Borderville, set against the backdrop of the magical Murray River.
Come see the magic of the circus while staying at Garden Court Motel Albury and be close to the centre of it all! Bring your family or friends (or both!) and enjoy our spacious open plan rooms or apartments while you take in the upcoming excitement of Borderville.
Borderville’s History
Borderville is our region’s annual festival which celebrates the unique circus community that has cemented our place as the regional capital of circus in Australia since 1979. Each summer the festival showcases Australia’s only full-time circus school for youth aged 8 to 19 years, The Flying Fruit Fly Circus, alongside some of Australia’s most acclaimed performing artists and international performers. The Flying Fruit Fly Circus performs at home across Australia and internationally in major arts centres, regional theatres, corporate events, and festivals.
Who are the Fruities?
In 1979 the local Murray River Performing Group (MRPG) initiated a school holiday program along with a few intrepid circus artists. Together they trained more than 80 school children from the region over a six-week period and performed in a circus big top. The show, called The Flying Fruit Fly Circus, was an extraordinary success and an unstoppable momentum had been generated.
Performances at the Sydney Festival, on regional tour and eventually overseas in Canada at the Vancouver Children’s Festival followed, the first of many overseas engagements from Broadway to Istanbul. Subsequent landmark projects helped to influence the development of contemporary circus in Australia, including with China’s Nanjing Acrobatic Troupe and Moscow Circus, and cement the company’s reputation for innovation and excellence.
Today you can find ‘Fruities’ throughout the world in various circus groups sharing their love of the art and community. The annual circus festival, Borderville, represents and important opportunity to celebrate the promise of their current students and past graduates. With former Fruities working throughout Australia – including in the ensembles of Circa, Casus, Circus Oz and Gravity and Other Myths – as well as internationally with the likes of Cirque Du Soleil and The 7 Fingers (Les 7 doigts de la main) their legacy is pretty amazing. To read more of their history, Arts Hub wrote an article in 2019 to celebrate the school’s 40 years of influence, or visit their Wikipedia page for more fun facts and history.
You can view their past performances and other videos on their YouTube page – Flying Fruit Fly Circus
What to look forward to
If 2021’s festival was anything to go by, this year’s festival is sure to amaze and astound! With over 317 artists working on last year’s festival, 18 performances and an expectation breaking record of over 8,000 audiences coming out to enjoy the show we cannot wait to see what 2022 brings!
2021’s festival featured shows for everyone from the youngest circus enthusiasts showcasing their skills in a one-day extravaganza, to an epic ensemble performance from the world class Fruities! The festival was closed out with a sold out farty party, Fart Fabulous, and was a raving success. Come and celebrate the creativity, skill, and resilience of our country’s best emerging and established circus artists.
Produced by the Flying Fruit Fly Circus, Australia’s national youth circus, Borderville has showcased international guests such as Micheline Van Hautem and the Nanjing Acrobatic Troupe, as well as performances by the ‘Fruities’, and many Australian acts.
Don’t forget to keep an eye out for performances and more up to date information on Borderville’s website and social media accounts as they release tickets and show dates. Tickets are available for purchase online and can sometimes be purchased at the door if there were cancellations after the cut-off time. As plans and guidelines are constantly changing due to the ever-changing state of COVID-19, we encourage you to keep that in mind as you plan your upcoming summer holidays.
Where to stay
We would like to invite you to stay with us at the Garden Court Albury, the best comfort luxury motel in Albury! You’ll be close to the action and have plush bedding, clean, spacious rooms, and a cosy atmosphere to relax in when you’re not immersed in the magic of the Borderville Summer Circus Festival.
Visit our website today to check our availability and book your room with free cancellations and late checkout and check in available on request. Our spacious open plan rooms and the apartment have all the facilities and the services you need to relax while you are away from home. At Garden Court Albury, you will enjoy our home away from home experience in our two-bedroom apartment with a fully equipped kitchen, living area, lounge, dining table, laundry facilities and private balconies for each room. In addition, our dedicated staff is always prepared to welcome our guests and their requirements.
When you book with us, you’re guaranteed our best rate with no blackout dates, competitive pricing, and priority room booking! Our motel happily provides free Wi-Fi, laundry, onsite parking, and pool facilities. We also offer options for long stay and business travel accommodation.
For more information or to ask questions, feel free to call us on (02) 6021 6244 or send us an email at info@gardencourtmotel.com.au.
