About

Christopher McAuley is an Irish/NI-based circus artist. Since graduating in June 2020 from Codarts University of the Arts Rotterdam with a Bachelor's degree in Circus Arts, Christopher has spent the past few years refining his approach to performance. His contemporary work addresses human emotion, vulnerability and identity, seeking authenticity throughout creation. His graduation act, OMI±POLONE (one of the few selected as a laureate of the BNG Circusprijs 2020), revolved around his identity as a queer male and his acceptance of his natural femininity. This has sparked his research into who and what he is on stage, and how this can be shown.

For the past three years, Christopher has been touring Europe and Asia with Circumstances and their lauded show EXIT. Chris was part of the original team of performers who created the show under the direction of Piet Van Dycke.

Artist Statement:

‘I started my circus journey through a social circus program called “Circus of the North”. This weekly workshop united children from across the peace walls and showed us the joy of circus. After many years of youth circus, I auditioned and graduated from a very prestigious circus education program in the Netherlands - Codarts University, Rotterdam. It was here that I refined my approach to creation and understood how I could use the skill of trapeze as a performative language more than a showcase of skill.

My work is created to forge genuine connections with audiences. I draw inspiration from lived experiences: personal, emotional, and often unspoken, and translate them into performance as a way to reach others who have felt the same.

As a queer, working-class contemporary circus maker, I use my time on stage to shine light on subjects that are often overlooked or left unsaid. My practice is grounded in honesty and vulnerability, aiming to turn individual experience into collective understanding.