Circuses Nomad Tiny House Towns
I ran away from home and joined a circus in my teens in Australia.
4 King pole, a bigger than normal tent. We lived in mobile tiny houses. Purpose built. Singles lived in bunk houses. Ladies and men in separate bunk houses, each with kitchens. The circus owners kept a careful eye to make sure nobody was molesting or hurting anybody. Or being unruly.
There was also a staff canteen in its own tent. The circus owners and higher paid artists had custom tiny houses for families. Such as a whole family of trapeze artists their equipment. A semi-trailer and a full tiny house for five.
Along with us were performing horses, lions, tigers, dogs and elephants. I rode elephants and helped with the performing horses. They had mobile stables, corals and cages. In case you want to get “Hey, save the animals.” Elephants have a bigger brain than humans and like to play jokes. The elephants liked the lifestyle and we’d all hang out. The jokers.
Elephants are strong enough to leave at anytime. Especially when they coordinate and work together. Tipping over semi trucks and tiny houses on the way out. They can push and pull full semi trucks with trailers around in the mud like toy boats. They didn’t leave. On occasion the elephants will slide semis around in the mud for a joke. If you hang out with elephants long enough, you can tell when they are joking. Strength.
Everybody helps with setting up and taking down the circus. Tents, animal stables and circus equipment and hooking up the tiny houses to semis. The tent was a 4 king pole. The biggest touring circus tent in Australia at the time. One day I’m in pink sequins and feathers. Next day up to my ankles in mud, hauling and lifting seating and stage trusses onto trucks. We all multitasked in any weather.
It’s a fun and interesting and learning lifestyle, and very dangerous. You become aware of what can be dangerous and danger about to happen. And hands on learning on what to do about it or prevent it. No computer gages, solar panels, smoke alarms nor mobile phones. Everything was analog and your own senses and awareness. A nomad tiny house community and tribe of over 100 people with big pets.
Welcomed in towns and cities on local parklands and community land. Circuses and the arts provide a community service. They get people out of the house and off the screen and seeing amazing things that humans and animals can do. For many people it’s the first and only time they get to see a tiger or elephant. Or a tiny house community.
After that I worked with a touring cabaret and band. Then put myself through art college in London, UK, and worked in different arts and media. Then I came to work in festivals in California. Another form of tiny house community. Festivals organized by individual promoters and producers in each town. People from all over come in their tiny houses. To work, attend, perform and sell stuff at festivals. Many do it full time in their tiny houses, traveling from festival to festival.
You might call them caravans, trailers or RVs. Yet it’s their full time home and small town on wheels. And more tiny and self-reliant than residential tiny houses on wheels. The permits are more complicated. But contain elements used for residential tiny houses on wheels.
I say residential, because the beautiful wood and metal tiny houses fashionable today. They aren’t practical or safe for mobile nomad tiny house communities. The weight and lack of streamlining for the wind will eat fuel. Eating into people’s incomes and bank accounts.
There are also many breakable parts on modern tiny houses on wheels. Of which the list is too long for here. Things such as eaves and decor, windows and plumbing. Not designed or engineered for buildings always on the move. Anything of wood joined together will shift out of place after a road trip or two.
Land permits are interesting. I’ve had to read and organize them for a few different land projects in Australia and California. Co-founding an arts venue. Saving an Australian Aboriginal sacred site. Then California festivals, concerts and popup events.
I’ve also read and explained permits to friends for their tiny house communities. And explain to them what kind of land and location is good to park a tiny house or community on. I’m not a licensed lawyer or engineer. I’ve experience with arts land projects, in Australia and Nor Cal, for venues and festivals. Researched and advised on residential small home land and communities for arts friends.
