Our Team
Harley Mann
Founder & Artistic Custodian
Harley Mann, a Wakka Wakka man from Queensland, Australia, is a leading figure in contemporary circus, drawing inspiration from his
Aboriginal heritage. In 2017, he founded Na Djinang Circus, now recognized as one of Australia’s most exciting contemporary circus companies and a pioneer in the First Nations Circus sector.
A graduate of the National Institute of Circus Arts (NICA), Harley has worked with some of the world’s top contemporary circus companies, including Circa, Circus Oz, Casus, and Les Sept Doigts (The Seven Fingers). In 2018, he won the Melbourne Fringe Award for Best Emerging Circus Artist.
In 2022, he became the artistic director of Circa Cairns, leading a diverse team to create bold new works in Far North Queensland. Harley’s accolades include the 2021 Circus Oz Fellowship and a spot in the Australia Council for the Arts’ Future Leaders Program. He has also held leadership roles as a board member of Theatre Network Australia, PAC Australia, and co-convenor of TNA's CaPT Advisory panel.
Johnathon Brown
Ensemble Member
Johnathon is a proud Anaiwan/Kamilaroi Man from Armidale, NSW. Currently 30 years old, he is an acclaimed dancer/acrobat performer at Na Dijnang Circus in Melbourne since 2022. Johnathon has toured globally, showcasing his talent at festivals like the Fringe and Sydney Festival. His captivating performances in DriftWood, DNA, Arterial, In Place, Of The Land on which We Meet and Common Dissonance have garnered praise.
Additionally, he is a NAISDA Dance College graduate, adding depth and cultural significance to his artistry. With an unwavering commitment to his craft and a passion for storytelling through movement, Johnathon continues to leave an unforgettable mark in the world of dance.
Isabelle Champagne-Chittick
Ensemble Member and Associate Producer
Isabelle Champagne-Chittick grew up in Bega, NSW, where she trained in dance and gymnastics from a young age. She performed as part of Fling Physical Theatre for eight years.
As part of Na Djinang Circus, Isabelle performed in Social Staples at Melbourne Fringe, Catapult Circus Festival, and Adelaide Fringe. She then went on to be a co-creative in Na Djinang’s second work, Common Dissonance and perform in multiple other works by Na Djinang Circus.
Alongside performing, Isabelle has always been a dedicated trainer, staying connected to the community through teaching and mentoring. She later stepped into the role of Associate Producer and quickly developed a deep passion for it.
Maggie Church-Kopp
Ensemble Member
Maggie Church-Kopp is a circus performer, actor and facilitator who was raised in Mparntwe and is proudly of Arrernte and British descent.
She inherited circus as an art form at a very young age and has loved it ever since. Before joining Na Djinang in 2021 Maggie performed circus independently at many festivals including Woodford Folk festival, Wide Open Spaces and Karnidale. Her passion for performance also extends outwards to include music, theatre and dance, most recently alongside Ilbijjeri Theatre company.
Having trained with companies such as Circus Oz, The Flying Fruit Fly Circus (NTP 2019), and Duprada Dance Company Maggie is greatly passionate about the ways in which storytelling and movement can foster and enrich communities.
Manelaya Kaydos Nitis
Ensemble Member
Circus has always been a constant in Manelaya’s life, the culture, challenge, adventure and community has always fuelled her passion to perform.
With over 20 years experience in the circus community, Mannie has trained at a variety of the best circus schools around the world including the Beijing international arts school, the Flying Fruit Fly circus and NICA. As a performer Mannie has been a part of multi-award winning productions like Insomni_Air with Aerialize, and even found herself on the stage of the 2008 youth Olympic Games opening ceremony.
Manelaya hopes to share her passion of circus with the world and continue to challenge the form.
Dylan Singh
Ensemble Member
Proud Wiradjuri man, Dylan Singh is a second generation circus performer with a passion for cultural practice. Using circus as a medium to weave culture into his performances Dylan has searched for the meaning of Dreaming and how he can practise it in a modern day context.
Dylan has engaged audiences for over 10 years, working with some of Australia's leading companies, including Company 2, Circus Oz and Casus.
Growing up in the Flying Fruit Fly circus Dylan's connection to community is reflected through his goal to nurture and inspire the next generation of black performers.
Having found a deep understanding of what it means to be a modern first nations man and practitioner, Dylan hopes to help audiences learn and celebrate Aboriginal culture, struggles, and triumphs.
Sarah Neville
General manager
A live performance specialist with over 15 years' experience in local and international arts organisations. Sarah began her arts career at the Gilded Balloon for Edinburgh Festival Fringe before returning to Australia to work with Melbourne International Comedy Festival, the Garden of Unearthly Delights, Melbourne International Jazz Festival, Sydney Festival, Darwin Festival and Rising Melbourne. Sarah has an overarching view of managing all aspects of an organisation with experience that extends across v operations, ticketing, programming, marketing and sponsorship.
Having grown up in Albury with the Fruit Fly Circus, Sarah is returning to an initial love of circus after working with a wide variety of performance from comedy, theatre, music, to interactive performance art of scale. Sarah’s knowledge of the sector was solidified in 2021 with the completion of a Masters in Business Administration at RMIT.