Ben Apfelbaum

ZIRK! CIRCUS – THE BIG TOP SPECTACULAR

To create this extravaganza producer Andrew Guild spent eight months seeking out and signing up the most entertaining acts on the international circus circuit. This show boasts artists coming from Canada, Turkey, Cuba, USA, Colombia, Russia and a jaw dropping contortionist from  Dagestan. Prior to arriving in Sydney for its premiere season, ZIRK! toured South Africa and  Singapore garnering rapturous reviews. 

Eschewing animal acts, this cavalcade of circus stars create eighteen action packed acts and in some cases death defying performances without a net! These include athletic trampolinists, juggling clowns, aerialists, and a motorbike globe with a record breaking seven riders hurtling around at thrilling and dangerous speeds. 

To house this striking show a brand new tent made in Italy has been brought to Australia to accommodate 1450 spectators. 

To further complicate an already complex show the apparatus used by some of the artists had to be shipped in from such places as Germany and Canada. 

Sydney seems to have an appetite for circus acts large and small and this large and dramatic production has been extended by a week.  

ZIRK! will light up the Show Ring at the Entertainment Quarter, Moore Park until 21 July. Much of the circus’ run coincides with the winter school holidays and would make perfect family entertainment. After its Sydney season The Big Top Spectacular will tour Brisbane, Melbourne and Canberra.

All pics by Ben Apfelbaum

http://www.zirk.com.au

 

 

Published by Ben Apfelbaum

My photography began when my father handed me the proverbial brownie box camera as a child. As cameras developed I went through Fujica and Olympus range finders graduating to my first single lens reflex camera, the Minolta SRT101, the latter being the greatest facilitator to my growth as a photographer. Digital photography has only added to this. I was a regular contributor to Camera Craft magazine (Australian Camera ) for over three years. During Australia’s Bicentennial year (1988) I made it a personal project to document the celebrations. This culminated in the creation of a book of my photos which was published in 1989. The book was called CELEBRATING AUSTRALIA and came with an accompanying calendar. My works have appeared in a number of publications including the coffee book entitled MY AUSTRALIA (1989), publisher Robertsbridge Severn. This book had a preface by the then Australian Prime Minister Bob Hawke. I was a co-photographer on a book entitled SYDNEY- DISCOVER THE CITY with text written by Robert Treborland. Major Mitchell Press was the publisher. Also for two years I was the photographer for calendars celebrating Sydney’s multicultural communities. The two calendars were entitled MULTICULTURAL SYDNEY. My work appeared in a group exhibition held at Sydney’s Town Hall pertaining to the diversity of life in South America to raise money for orphanages there. I have over one hundred photos stored in the New South Wales State Library archive. I had a solo exhibition held in 2007 entitled Ben’s Lens at the Sydney Jewish Museum which celebrated the vibrancy of the Sydney Jewish community. Some of these photos are on the Museum’s permanent display. I have exhibited internationally firstly at the Spruill Gallery in Atlanta Georgia, united states, and in an exhibition entitled Kosher and Co at the Jewish Museum in Berlin. Currently I am a regular contributor to J-Wire and this esteemed publication.