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Eve, affectionately known as NZ circus’s Beyonce, discovered physical storytelling at drama school. It very quickly became her vocation, passion and her life’s drive.

Graduating with a Bachelor of Acting in 2002, Eve has been working as a circus performer, actor, experimental filmmaker, costume-creator, and producer for the last 15 years.

As well as training her acts, running the The Dust Palace Productions and heading The Dust Palace School, she has also co-directed all 20 of The Dust Palace’s full-length circus theatre works since 2009 – convincing many she keeps a troupe of nocturnal elves.

2021 saw Eve pursue further training in Directing at The Actors Program and 2022 has seen significant artistic and organisational developments for both Dust Palace and Eve.

Organisation/Company

Name: The Dust Palace Productions ltd

My Role: The Dust Palace Productions ltd

Established by Eve Gordon and Mike Edward in 2009, The Dust Palace is now the leading circus theatre company in Aotearoa and represented 56% of the Tāmaki Makaurau circus community in the 2019 circus sector census.

The Dust Palace exists to elevate contemporary circus culture, grabbing audiences by the guts, shifting hearts, minds and lifting spirits. We build multi-generational creative capacity in the circus performers of Aotearoa, holding the next generation of talent, encouraging practice and empowering a bold future for the art form.

Our recent collaborations have been; DAWN and MIDNIGHT with the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra, sections of HEAVENLY BODIES with Auckland Arts Festival; international tours of THE WONDERWOMBS and THE GOBLIN MARKET with The Cultch in Vancouver and large-scale stadium collaborations in Palmerston North, ITHACA and LE CIRQUE VOLÉ, and Invercargill, HUMAN.

2021 saw us develop both outrageous, speed-sewing cabaret HAUS OF YOLO for Splore and the Right Royal Cabaret Festival in Taranaki, and an environmentally focussed show for 4 - 8 year olds, THE ICE CREAM IS MELTING!, commissioned by Auckland Live.

We’re currently developing TE TANGI A TE TŪĪ with Te Rēhia Theatre Company, rehearsing a season of HAUS of YOLO for Q Theatre in November 2022 and sourcing funds for 2023 seasons of THE ODYSSEY.

How I got where I am today

I am first and foremost a performer and creator and have always been intensely interested in pushing the boundaries of form. I was a dancer as a young person and, despite not being naturally brave, I was naturally attracted to the extreme physical possibilities of cirque arts. I fell into producing out of necessity and I look forward to handing it over to someone more skilled in that area than I. The Actors Program Directors Course has been a wonderful new step in my path and really given me the tools I had been missing.

Whānau

I know it's a cliché but my whānau are my circus people around me. Historically this idea of the circus family comes from the fact that no matter what is going on, no matter what the drama, when you're on stage your primary purpose is to keep each other safe and that's exactly how a family operates.

Te Tangi ā te Tūī

Artform: Māori Circus Theatre

Development Status: Ready To Premiere

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The Performing Arts Network of New Zealand (PANNZ) Arts Market is New Zealand's premiere event for artists, producers, presenters and industry leaders from across the performing arts sector.

Town Hall, Auckland, New Zealand
Mar 04 2024 To Mar 06 2024

The Performing Arts Network of New Zealand (PANNZ) Arts Market is New Zealand's premiere event for artists, producers, presenters and industry leaders from across the performing arts sector.

Auckland, New Zealand
Mar 13 2023 To Mar 16 2023

The Performing Arts Network of New Zealand (PANNZ) Arts Market is New Zealand's premiere event for artists, producers, presenters and industry leaders from across the performing arts sector.

New Zealand
Feb 28 2022 To Mar 03 2022

The Performing Arts Network of New Zealand (PANNZ) Arts Market is New Zealand's premiere event for artists, producers, presenters and industry leaders from across the performing arts sector. 

Auckland
Feb 22 2021 To Mar 05 2021