If you are skeptical that gravity-defying circus feats could tell the stories of terminally ill children and their families – then the return season of Flipside Circus’s awe-inspiring circus show We Live Here will challenge those misconceptions.

Developed by young circus artists from Flipside, We Live Here is based on the stories of the parents, siblings and guests of Hummingbird House, Queensland’s only youth hospice.

The resulting show opened at Metro Arts new Benner Theatre this week for a short season until October 29.

Flipside Circus CEO Robert Kronk is incredibly proud of the way his young performers sensitively tell the stories of families’ experiences, saying they drove the storyline and its development.

“We Live Here was a collaborative process with young artists from Flipside Circus’ performance troupe and professional artists working together to find ways to translate some of these stories and moments onto the stage,” Kronk said.

“At Flipside, we are lucky to have the opportunity to help artists to develop their skills – and to help empower young people to tell their own stories in their own voices.”

Flipside Circus is Queensland’s largest youth arts organisation which trains and supports emerging artists in Queensland’s circus sector.

Luke Whitefield stars in We Live Here and has performed with Flipside for nearly a decade now, starting his professional career with the troupe at just eight years old at Woodford Folk Festival.

He said he trains five nights a week, so that he can tell compelling stories such as these with his body and movement. He was part of developing the show, visiting Hummingbird House to hear the stories of families and develop that into a show that reflected their lives.

“I feel like I always believed in the power of circus to tell a story in such interesting ways,” Whitefield said.

“We went to the house and it took a second for it to click in my brain. Once we went to the house, I was like, “Oh wow, this is really, really important for us to tell.”

“And it was not only great to go there, but it was like we could become a part of their stories and we get to tell their stories. Because it’s definitely something people should know – the stories of the children and families through Hummingbird House.”

He said the show has opened his eyes and helped him communicate a serious topic that so many people find so hard to talk about.

“It shows the other side, I think,” he said.

“I hope audiences take away the themes of family, and no matter what situation you’re in, family is always the most important thing and it can make everything okay no matter what’s happening.

“Flipside’s just been an incredible place for me since I was so young. It’s been where I can go to be safe and happy every day of the week for such a long time, and it still to this day is my happy place.

“During COVID, we took a big hit, but I think we’re coming back, and circus and the arts is definitely coming back strong, so this is definitely the time to get back into it.”