World Sideshow Festival
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World Sideshow Festival

Shep Huntly has been performing sideshow for about 15 years or more and, if you’re from the area, he was long known as the “Circus in a Suitcase”. It’s been around 20 years since Ballarat has seen the face of the freaky sideshow stuntman. As he finds Ballarat to be his second home, he is bringing some of the world’s most critically acclaimed superstars of freaks to Ballarat ONLY, in May 2015 for the World Sideshow Festival. Stunts, the freaky-looking, burlesque, music and stunning superstars of the sideshow industry will perform at the Mechanics Institute, Sturt St over May 23-26.
Shep goes on to say that he has travelled the globe with his own sideshow spectacular, has met some “amazing performers” along the way and made some great friends within the industry.
Within the scheduled line up of shows for the festival is The Dark Party: “A show that’s performed in France, Spain, National Theatre of London. Sydney Opera House and hundreds of other theatres”. Don’t miss the ‘League of Sideshow Superstars’ that have performed at “massive rock festivals like Big Day Out and all royal shows in this country.”
Shep is also bringing you a show called ‘Not Dead Yet’ with Aerial Manx – a sword swallower – and seeing his show you’ll wonder how he can swallow swords in those positions, and up in the air! And don’t forget The Lizard Man from Texas who is 100 per cent tattooed!
The performer that I am more than interested in seeing is The Space Cowboy. He has broken multiple Guiness World Records with his sword swallowing stunts and he will also try to break another Guiness World Record within one show, that’s just one part of this amazing festival.
Not only does Shep love Ballarat and the people, he goes on to say that the Mechanics Institute is, “A beautiful heritage theatre built in 1861. The perfect marriage of heritage, history and modern sideshow art”.
“This festival wants to develop a relationship with Ballarat that goes on for years – a festival landscape, and we can’t do it without your help”. What Shep means by this is that with all that’s needed for the back draft of this festival, and the sky-rocketing prices of everything, there is a pozible campaign where you can donate to make this festival even more of a masterpiece, and let Ballarat see the world’s best freaks for years to come. If you can donate, please head along to www.pozible.com/project/187848
and make a pledge. I assure you, you will not regret it!
The festival will see the year 2015 students from the Sound and Lighting Production of Federation Uni use their skills to help beautify this festival. It will also be streamed so you can watch the acts all over the globe, if for some reason you’re unable to make it.
If you want to know more about the festival, please head along to www.worldsideshowfestival.com and check it the hell out!
When&Where: Mechanics Institute, Ballarat – May-23-26
By DeeJ InnaScence