For more than 50 years, Albury Wodonga has been home to one of Australia’s most vibrant performing arts companies and the nation’s only full-time circus school, the Flying Fruit Fly Circus.
Here, generations of young performers have trained, trapezed and taken flight into the world of circus performing, building a community of creativity and connection, all while seamlessly becoming part of the region’s identity.
It is only fitting that Hyphen – Wodonga Library Gallery hosts the latest celebration of these talented acrobats, showcased by the photographer who has been documenting the magic of the ‘Fruities’ for the past decade.
Ian Sutherland began capturing the Flying Fruit Fly Circus in 2015 when his daughter joined the program, prompting the family’s move from Melbourne to Albury.
What began as a parent volunteering to make a fundraising calendar for the performers soon evolved into a more than 10-year creative partnership, photographing the artistry of Australia’s most captivating youth circus.
Now, these artefacts have been carefully curated for Hyphen – connecting the community that know the Fruities best with a special look behind the lens.
Flips and Tricks: 10 years of photographing the ‘Fruities’ by Ian Sutherland showcases a vibrant display of large-scale photographs, paste-up pieces and intimate small-format prints, filling the Community Gallery with the colour, movement and energy that define circus performance.
“The exhibition is about young people doing cool stuff and having fun!” revealed Ian.
“So many people have some connection to the Fruit Flies – whether they went there themselves, have a child there, know someone or have been to see them perform locally.”
“I’m hoping that a big part of the appeal of the exhibition is local people going along and being able to say ‘Oh, there’s (name) …’ or ‘I remember that show …’” he reflected.
Ian’s passion for photography began as a nine-year-old with a black-and-white Kodak camera in hand. His work first appeared in The Age newspaper and since then, Ian has become a renowned live performance photographer across the circus and theatre, now residing in Melbourne once again.
“[Photographing the Flying Fruit Fly Circus] has been a pretty amazing entry point into the circus community and to make connections through it with people here in Albury–Wodonga and beyond.”
The exhibition traces his decade of working alongside some of Australia’s most talented performers and features Ian’s quiet passion for capturing aerial performance.
While he insists he couldn’t name just one favourite image, a photograph from his very first Fruit Fly show in 2015, featuring a duo-trapeze act of two graduates, continues to stay with him.
“I didn’t have much idea what I was doing shooting that show,” Ian shared.
“The gear I had wasn’t really up it but it kind of captures what I love about circus, especially aerials – the connection and trust between the two performers, and the two of them seeming to float together quite serenely in the ether.”
“I’m hoping that pretty much everyone who comes to the exhibition can find something in it for them … and maybe be inspired to get along to see a Fruit Flies show if they haven’t already. Or better still, start doing some circus themselves, whatever their age and stage.”
Hyphen’s landmark neighbour, The Cube Wodonga, has hosted countless Flying Fruit Fly Circus performances over the years, with the latest production, Pay No Attention, set to take the stage from June 18 to June 20, 2026.
Visitors can immerse themselves in the world of the Fruities with Hyphen’s latest exhibition, then wander across the courtyard to experience an awe-inspiring live performance by the next generation of Fruit Fly performers at The Cube.
Flips and Tricks: 10 years of photographing the ‘Fruities’ by Ian Sutherland officially opened to the public on Friday, May 8 and will be on display in the Community Gallery until Sunday, November 15.
Visit the exhibition