Circus performers hit Geraldton’s QPT in show, She is Strong, including projections, exhibitions and dance

The physical and emotional strength of women — as well as their vulnerability — will be on full show at the Queens Park Theatre next week, as a troupe of circus artists share the stage in a performance delving into motherhood, heartbreak and mental health struggles. With an emphasis on not needing to be perfect all the time, She is Strong is a storytelling experience coming to the QPT on Saturday, February 25, promising to be an immersive and unique show told from different mediums. Circus performer and photographer Rachel Collier, aerial artists Dawn Pascoe and Stephanie Pick and Indian-Australian contemporary dancer Isha Sharvani make up the group, and will share their stories of birth trauma, leaving home and injuries. Collier said She is Strong arose at the beginning of COVID after she captured a nude photograph of Ms Pascoe in the wilderness. “She saw one of the images and she was like, ‘Whoa, she’s strong’ and I sat on that for a while and I thought it’s pretty rare that women actually see photos of themselves and think positive things. It’s about sharing vulnerable stories, it’s about getting vulnerable within the show and showing the strength within that,” she said. An exhibition will be on display prior to the intimate show, welcoming you into the hidden world of circus women before an array of projections and storytelling through dance and supporting each other — sometimes very literally. “The girls all share a story about their life with the live performance which helps to add to the story, so we’ve got the three dimensions coming together to tell the one story,” Collier said. The performers will spend the week leading up to the show engaging with the community and gathering individual stories to incorporate into the performance. “We’ll get them to share a story and then basically, that’ll be made into a bit of a soundscape so it’ll be chopped and changed so that it’s not just a whole story of one person it’s lots of stories intertwined. “It’s almost like a mini-exhibition involving community and that audio will be accessible for people to listen to whilst they’re looking at those images.” Collier said meeting with the community and making women feel supported was her favourite and most fun element of the show. “People were really honest and open to talking to us and shared some pretty deep stories, but also got a lot out of it,” she said. The She is Strong show has visited Narrogin, Margaret River and performed at the Perth Fringe Festival. For tickets, visit the City’s website. The February 25 show at the QPT starts at 7.30pm.