Catapult is a biennial festival with a focus of Circus & Physical Theatre. It takes centre stage in Bathurst NSW every second year in September. The first festival was in September 2005 and the next Catapult will run from September 23 - 27 September 2009.
 
While circus may be a relatively self-explanatory term, physical theatre may not. In the context of Catapult this term refers to any form of theatre where physical expression is primary. It can certainly refer to dance, particularly contemporary dance; it also refers to theatrical expression with a strong physical core but which might not fit into the categories of dance or circus.
 
Catapult is the first festival in Australia to showcase the skills of young circus and physical theatre performers and participants are welcome from across Australia and from abroad. Another thing that makes Catapult unique is that it is not only a festival for young performers but also attracts some of the best adult professional performers currently practicing. The Catapult organisers have observed that the interaction between these youth and adult performers is an inspiration to all participants regardless of their age or skill level.
 
The atmosphere of Catapult is incredibly infectious and the benefits are certainly not limited to the participating performers. Audiences of all ages are provided with a non-stop array of diverse and captivating shows. With incredibly affordable ticket prices groups and individuals can fully satisfy their hunger to soak up the festival spirit.
 
One of the main intentions of the creators of Catapult was to create a performance and skill development platform for the growing number of youth circus and physical theatre troupes in Australia. Many of these troupes are linked to schools and circus and physical theatre activity is finding an increasingly important role in school curricula.   
 
Forums which run throughout the festival serve as an information resource, networking platform and an engagement of the artistic, social and educational philosophies which underpin the practice.

The program for the 2009 Catapult Festival will be available soon. Please contact us at catapult.festival@bathurst.nsw.gov.au to be put on our mailing list for updates.