Who is Charice Rust?
I’m Charice and I’m an acrobat from Narrm/Melbourne, and I co-run, direct and perform in One Fell Swoop Circus. I grew up in Melbourne but with a huge dollop of country life, as I spent a lot of time on my grandparents sheep farm in South West Victoria.
I loved spending days out in the paddock or the shearing shed, and I reckon this set me up for a career as a circus artist. I loved pushing my body through the hard physical labour of sheep work and when I found circus as a teenager, it wasn’t weird to be a strong girl, it was encouraged!
These days I love to go on hikes as well as sit on a cosy couch and crochet. But most of the time you can find me hanging from my arms up high in a circus training space.
What would you do differently from what you do now?
This is a tough question because circus is such an amazing thing to be able to do as your job. Certainly it’s a lot of hard work, but it’s also a lot of fun and I get to work with amazing people. But I always wanted to be a firefighter so I think I’d give that a crack, although I’m on the short side. I still get excited when a fire engine zooms past and I am a full adult.
Who inspires you and why?
I’m inspired by the makers. There’s a lot going on in the world at any given moment that can be so overwhelming, so I’m inspired by the people (writers, filmmakers, musicians, poets, weavers, whittlers etc) that bring an idea from their head and out into the world, who bring people together to feel something in a shared room, who capture our world in a beautiful line or chord. Cheers to the makers!
What would you do to make a difference in the world?
I’m part of a refugee settlement and support group through Community Refugee Sponsorship Australia which is an awesome organisation you should check out. But in day to day situations, I remember something my mum told me when I was nervous going to a new high school as a teenager, which was ‘just find the person in the room that is by themselves or shy or nervous, and go be their friend’. Which is honestly pretty good advice for most situations.
Favourite holiday destination and why?
For several years I’ve done long hikes in Kakadu National Park during the dry season. The longest I did was 12 days. There’s nothing like being that disconnected from everyday life. My mind is quieter and has more space to notice the details around me – the plants, and animal tracks, and bird calls. The days consist of walking and talking, and jumping into a creek to cool off – bliss.
When friends come to town, what attraction would you take them to, and why?
Honestly, I’d take them on a walk down the bike trail to the Preston market where we’d get boreks and maybe some jam donuts. Or further along to Merri Creek for a sit along the banks and a chat while we tried to see how many birds we could name.
What are you currently reading?
A book about two women MMA athletes competing against each other and falling in love. Nawww
What are you currently listening to?
My friends make fun of me for this, but I’m pretty into Irish and Scottish music at the moment. I just love a fiddle and a flute, and also BAGPIPES!
Happiness is?
I’m pretty happy when a magpie chooses to sit on our balcony and chortle. Also cups of tea. In my family, cups of tea are basically punctuation. Before lunch? Cup of tea. After lunch? Cup of tea.
What does the future hold for you?
Definitely a lot of climbing ropes and straps and poles and people in our circus shows, and hopefully getting to meet lovely people from the places we perform in.
Charice can be seen in In Common – presented by One Fell Swoop Circus at the Frankston Arts Centre on Saturday 9 May, as part of the 2026 South Side Festival. For more information, visit: www.southsidefestival.com.au for details.
Image: Charice Rust (supplied)