By JONATHON HOWARD
AN ICONIC Sunshine Coast circus school was at risk of closing this month due to red tape and a failure from Sunshine Coast Council to assist the business.
But not all is lost after a big-hearted Eumundi local gave the circus school a lifeline.
Cirque Espace was set up in July 2005 by Spaced-Out Productions, to make circus activities such as juggling and tightrope walking accessible to the general public.
The school also offers the only high flying trapeze lessons and trapeze practice.
Since then thousands of tourists and locals have enjoyed trying their hands as cirus performers, with courses receiving wide ranging praise.
Owners and married couple Nikki and Luc Gheysen said the business had been located at Novotel Twin Waters Resort for the past 10 years.
But when the business was required to move on, it had approached the Sunshine Coast Council to assist with locating a suitable new site.
“The flying trapeze needs a lot of space and we had a few sites in mind, but the Sunshine Coast Council were simply progressing too slow, and we feared the business could fold,” Mrs Gheysen said.
The couple sought advice from members of the Eumundi community that suggested they should approach the Eumundi Golf Driving Range.
The driving range owner has since offered the circus school a temporary site, as they progress with permanent options.
“We have lost some momentum over the past months grappling with bureaucratic red-tape,” Mrs Gheysen said.
“We are artists and performers who just want to share the thrills of the flying-trapeze with everybody, we’re not that great at politics.”
Noosa Today attempted to contact Sunshine Coast Councillor Steve Robinson for comment in relation to the circus school, but he was unable to respond before the print deadline.
