Circa: Art of the Fugue

Yaron Lifschitz, Director & Set Design

Yaron Lifschitz makes shows. Big ones, small ones, and ones that defy easy categorization. More than 80 productions have toured across six continents and played to over two million people picking up a shelf’s worth of awards including six Helpmanns, The ISPA Distinguished Artist Award, and the Australia Council Theatre Award. As CEO and Artistic Director of Circa he has brought circus to the Barbican, string quartets and acrobats to Brooklyn Academy of Music, four years of performances to Berlin, and major shows to major festivals and venues around the world. He’s created strange, beautiful things in tents, concert halls, spiegeltents, and opera houses as well as cemeteries and cathedrals. His film work has appeared at the Berlin and Melbourne Film Festivals. Lifschitz was the founding Director of the Australian Museum’s Theatre Unit; he has taught directing at NIDA and ATYP and has directed opera, concerts, and events. In 1999 he was the first Artistic Director of Rock ‘n’ Roll Circus which, in 2004, he transformed into Circa. In 2018 he was Creative Lead of Festival 2018, the cultural program of the 21st Commonwealth Games—one of the most ambitious arts events in Queensland’s history.
At the heart of Lifschitz’ work is restless curiosity and a fierce belief in the power of performance to connect and transform. He describes his creations as “love letters to a species that not always easy to like.”

Libby McDonnell, Costume Design & Set Design

Libby McDonnell is a designer, director, and creative lead. As Head of Engagement and Design at Circa, she has designed costumes for over 40 productions, co-directed major works, and led key community programs, including the pilot of Circability. McDonnell holds a First Class Honours degree from Queensland College of Art and an Associate Degree in Dance from QUT. Her career has moved fluidly between performance, education, touring, and leadership. McDonnell is known for her clear eye and unwavering belief in the power of art to connect.