“CIRCUS for Life” – that’s the name of the blockbuster event that Warehouse Circus is calling “Canberra’s very own circus festival,” and it opens tonight at Warehouse Circus HQ in Chifley.

The festival kicks off this weekend with the double bill “Around the World (Circus Style)” and “Mad as a Hatter,” both written and performed by the participants of the Warehouse Circus core after-school program and developed by participants over the past year. Both are at 7.30pm on October 19-20 and 2.30pm on Oct 21 in Warehouse Circus HQ, 4/70  MacLaurin Cres, Chifley.

“Around the World” is a globe-trotting journey around the world, with the British Royal Guards displaying staff-spinning comedy, the Hawaiian Hula Hoopers hula-hooping, a bunch of US hoop-jumping basketballers and several romantic Italian plate-spinning virtuosi.

“Mad as a Hatter” is the Warehouse take on “Alice in Wonderland,” complete with a zany tea party with some extra skills thrown in.

But that’s not all. The two shows will be followed on subsequent weekends by other productions at HQ, The Street Theatre and Belconnen Community Centre’s theatre@bcs.

At The Street Theatre at 7.30pm on Oct 26-7 and 2pm in Oct 27 will be “De Barri’s Bizarre,” as well at “Fourplay” byMelbourne’s Pantsdown Circus at 9pm on Oct 26-7 and 4pm on Oct 27.

“Cabaret in the Sky” performed by Warehouse’s aerialists will show off the grace and thrill of silks, aerial hoop and trapeze at 7.30pm on Nov 2 at The Street Theatre.

“60 Acts in 60 Minutes” on November 3 at Warehouse Circus HQ, will be the feature act of the Warehouse Circus ‘Juggling’ Ball, where you can dress up to see performers speed their way through an hour of one-minute acts, followed by a disco circus-style, at 6pm on Nov 3 at The Street.

The Circus Olympics, also at Warehouse HQ from 10am to 4pm on November 4, has competitions like club combat, a handstand showdown and a unicycle egg-and-spoon race, then on the next night – November 5 – at 7pm in HQ is Woden Alive: A Night at the Circus.

The schools’ show “Bungee Circus Spectacular” is in theatre@bcs at 7.30pm on November 8, then at 7pm on November 9 is “Underground,” by Poncho Circus, also in theatre@bcs.

The festival will wind up from 7.30pm in theatre@bcs on November 10 with a fundraising gala night for ACAPTA, the Australian Circus and Physical Theatre Association.

“Circus for Life” by Warehouse Circus, various venues over 4 weekends until Nov 10. For the full program, visit http://warehousecircus.org.au/

Festival passes available, bookings to www.warehousecircus.org.au/circus-for-life/