Of the Land on Which We Meet

Na Djinang Circus is generously supported by Creative Australia, Creative Victoria, The City of Melbourne, and the Sue Beeton Foundation.

“Our stories are overlapping. Our lives are colliding. Our voices are wailing. But is this it?”  

Of The Land On Which We Meet is Na Djinang Circus’s most challenging work to date, weaving form, story and political inquiry in search of collective hope. Three distinct Australians; a First Nations person, a descendant of settlers and a migrant ask one urgent question:  

How should we acknowledge Country?  

Heartbreaking circus, bodies colliding, lifting up and slipping away reveals the clumsy and dangerous dialogue that surrounds this question. Spoken text threads together the lived experiences of the three performers as they wrestle with the weight of words and the necessity of action.

With five-star reviews both abroad and at home, the work is a physical triumph that refuses simple answers. It holds space for contradiction, discomfort and connection, suggesting that the seemingly impossible can be willed into existence when we choose to move through it together.

“Captivating, breathtaking, and profoundly moving—this show will change the way you think about home and your relationship to it” - Binge Fringe 2024

“Of the Land on Which We Meet is a meta circus performance, a profound commentary on the importance of acknowledgement and connection to Country and a powerful call to truth-telling and accountability. It fully deserved its standing ovation on opening night and deserves to sell out the rest of its run” - Arts Hub 2024

“I left the theatre feeling energised and emotionally engaged. The audience jumped to a standing ovation at the end. You cannot help but feel the joy of circus prowess watching them” - Fringe Review 2024

“Blended with the land acknowledgment physically represented in all its complexities, this is exciting and thoughtful circus/theatre. The extraordinary has intent.”- Fringe Review 2024

Creative Team
Producer: Na Djinang Circus
Created by: Harley Mann, Johnathan Brown, Manelaya Kaydos-Nitis, Isabelle
Champagne-Chittick
Performer/s: Jonathan Brown, Manelaya Kaydos Nitis, Violette Van Geyzel
Directed by: Harley Mann
Associate Director: Benjamin Sheen
Devised with: Margot Mansfield, Emily Loe
Cultural consultant: Uncle Dan Mitchell
Lighting Design by: Harrie Hogan
Sound Designed by: Jason Renehan
Costumes designed by: Emily Barrie
Originally Commissioned By: Deadly Fringe 

Company Bio
Na Djinang Circus envisions a bold future for Blak circus on unceded Indigenous lands, deeply informed by Indigenous Cultural knowledges and ways of being. Our purpose is to elevate Blak Australian circus nationally and internationally, fostering new practices, works, and futures through research, articulation, and agitation.

From the western suburbs of Naarm we create contemporary circus that works to share unique insights with the next generation's Hands & Feet. Our ambition goes beyond creating work—we strive to create holistic cultural processes that shape the future of our work and the circus form.

Audience Advisory

Audience: Recommended ages 12+
Content Warning: Mild coarse language
Special Effects: Sudden load noises and flashing lights