The Edith Spiegeltent in use at the ECU Mount Lawley Campus
The Edith Spiegeltent, long a striking feature of Edith Cowan University's (ECU) Mount Lawley Campus, has found a new home in Western Australia's South West.
The historic mirror tent will continue its life with the Lunar Circus, where it will remain a performance space for artists, students and audiences.
The move marks a new chapter for the ornate structure, which once gave Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA) students a rare stage to perform, rehearse and experiment.
A rare stage for artists
ECU became the first university in the world to acquire its own Spiegeltent when the venue, known as The Edith, was installed at the Mount Lawley Campus in 2016.
Spiegeltent, which is Dutch for "mirror tent", refers to handcrafted travelling venues built from wood and canvas, and decorated with mirrors, stained glass, and often velvet and brocade. Only a small number exist globally.
The Edith was created by the Klessens family in Belgium, builders of Spiegeltents since the 1920s. Its design allowed the structure to expand and contract, stretching up to 42 metres in length and holding up to 300 guests in its largest configuration.
For WAAPA students, the space offered something rare: a theatre where performers worked fully surrounded by audiences.
The Spiegeltent was home to a range of productions, from plays and cabarets to jazz performances, comedy acts and improvisations. Students across disciplines gained hands-on experience: performers adapted their stagecraft, while production, lighting and stage management students learned to work in an unusual venue.
A new home in the South West
When ECU prepared to leave the Mount Lawley Campus, the University began searching for a new custodian for the tent.
Professor David Shirley, ECU Executive Director of WAAPA, said the priority was clear that the tent should remain part of the performing arts community.
He said the search found the right match when Lunar Circus founder Matthew Yates stepped forward with a plan to care for the structure.
"We were keen to find a good home for the Spiegeltent and ideally wanted it to stay within the performing arts sector," Professor Shirley said.
Once the university departed Mount Lawley, and meeting with Yates, Professor Shirley felt confident the tent would be carefully maintained and actively used.
The Lunar Circus has committed to preserving the Spiegeltent's identity and to retain the name of 'The Edith'. A display will also be installed in the tent to detail its history and its time at ECU.
"This is a great outcome for ECU. The tent has a fantastic new home in WA's South West. It will be well-maintained and will continue to delight members of the public and audiences at future Lunar Circus workshops, classes and performances. We are all delighted," Professor Shirley said.
The story of Lunar Circus
Founded in 1998 in Margaret River by Matthew Yates and Zanette Clements, the Lunar Circus has grown from a collaboration between circus artists and musicians into a recognised creative hub for contemporary circus in Western Australia.
The organisation runs Karnidale, formerly the Western Australian Circus Festival, a major annual gathering that combines international training, performances, live music and big tops, bringing together artists and audiences from around the world.
After nearly two decades of building community and supporting new work, the festival will pause in January 2026 to allow the site to recover before returning in January 2027.
Continuing this legacy, The Edith will become part of Lunar Circus' creative life, hosting workshops, classes and performances.
