Once known as the world’s only female chainsaw juggler, El’s successful career as a Producer-Director has positioned her as one of Australia’s most dynamic arts sector leaders. She has grown Highwire from a sole tradership into an independent company with expert ambition, management, and expert knowledge of both on- and behind-the-stage worlds.

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Elena Kirschbaum is a creative producer and director, specializing in art, community events, circus, and multi-artform performing arts. El has been creating shows for over fifteen years through her company Highwire Entertainment, and is the director behind critically acclaimed hit like Rouge, The Defiant, Papillon, Bon Appetit, Dinosaur Time Machine, So You Think You Can Drag, and The Blue Marquessa. Elena is also co- Director of Gluttony, one of the major hubs at the Adelaide Fringe , and ‘festival within a festival’ that attracts over 500,000 patrons over the one month that it runs annually.

Natalie is a highly knowledgeable and sector-engaged arts manager with a Doctorate in circus and theatre, bringing an immense passion for the sustainability and growth of the sector with expertise across administration, technical production and tour building.

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Natalie has worked in circus professionally for 10+ years, in almost every role, with arts management being her focus. Her experience is predominately centred on festivals, events, and touring, where she worked extensively as a stage, production, and venue manager. Natalie has also written many successful grants, organised artist residencies, worked as a circus dramaturge, has coordinated and produced tours of circus, clown, physical theatre, and storytelling shows, for the past 10 years. 

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Outside of arts management, Natalie has been a playwright, a tour guide, a researcher, and, a long-distance cyclist.

Highwire brings together some of Australia’s most exciting creatives, spanning skills in circus, cabaret, sideshow, opera, dance, theatre, puppetry, and education. We have acrobats and aerialists, world-class athletes, award-winning lighting designers, and storytellers of diverse media that will have you on the edge of your seat!​