Aspiring performer Tiana Musico is hoping to backflip away from her desk job in marketing, and into a gig performing aerial circus tricks.

"I'm just over sitting at a desk under fluorescent lights all day, staring at a screen," she said.

The 27-year-old is one of many hopefuls auditioning for the 2026 intake at the National Institute of Circus Arts (NICA) in Melbourne, which is offering courses in circus coaching and live show technical support for the first time.

Circus artists trained in Australia work all over the world, but following a mass exit of professionals from the performing arts during the pandemic, the local industry is facing a skills shortage in backstage and technical roles.

Australia has a critical shortage of backstage professionals including staging technicians, tech

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