Meet the Curator, Antonella Casella
Updated: Oct 7, 2020
Antonella is an influential circus advocate, producer, director, dramaturg and performer. She is The Circus Arts Hub Curator, and she is also a circus consultant (www.antonellacasella.com). She was Senior Artistic Associate at Circus Oz for 15 years Since she began her career as an artist in 1986 she has worked for, and collaborated with, leading companies in the UK, France, Canada, USA, Latin America, China, and throughout Australia. She co-founded the company now known as Circa (circa.org.au). She also led the advocacy work of the Australian Circus and Physical Theatre Association for many years (ACAPTA's charter is now part of Theatre Network Australia). Antonella's career has always been focussed on facilitating excellence and innovation in the Circus Arts, and The Circus Arts Hub is her first major foray into doing this in the digital realm.
Reviews for Antonella's work
PRODUCING
"Pushing the artform into new spaces" Theatrepress;
"Sidesault at the Melba will zero in on your preconceptions of what a show in a tent can be, and blast them to oblivion" Stagewhispers;
"Playful, provocative, boldly original...an exhilarating night... to be congratulated." Arts Hub.
DIRECTING
"Brilliant physical theatre...pure theatre: smartly designed, conceptually coherent, musically brilliant...uplifts the spirits as triumphantly as the performers built their towers [of acrobatic bodies]" The Australian;
"Soaring tricks, fiery grace, and wicked humour" The Courier Mail.
DRAMATURGY
"Who knew circus could be like this" New York Times
"It's a funny, intelligent circus that not only entertains but also provokes." South China Post.
PERFORMING
"Antonella's poetic, nostalgic character was a standout in this show" Time Out London;
"I recall watching iconic artists such as Anni Davey and Antonella Casella, with their amazing strong, dynamic bodies." Kirsty Seymour; Bodies, Temporality and Spatiality in Australian Contemporary Circus;
"Individual acts are splendid [including] Anni Davey and Antonella Casella in the air and bossing the audience. But it is the whole darn thing, magic music included, that adds up to the best show in town." The Age.
ADVOCACY AND ANALYSIS
'Circus: Second Class Artform?' http://www.realtimearts.net/article/115/11129
'Circus and Physical Theatre in Australia: The Maakan Report' commissioned by the Australian Circus and Physical Theatre Association
'Circus in Australia 2020: A Sector Snapshot'
AWARDS
Green Room Award for best experimental circus 2019
Green Room Nomination for curatorial contribution 2019
Winner, Glasgow International City of Culture Buskers Ball, Best Dressed! 1990
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
International Study Tour to Circus Centres in New York, San Francisco, Montreal, London, Toulouse and Tokyo 2019-2020.
You can read a bit about Antonella's hometown, and 'circus city' here https://performing.artshub.com.au/news-article/features/performing-arts/richard-watts/how-to-make-a-circus-city-254591
