Ian Mortimer (known as ‘Mort’) was a guest artist performer in the company’s 1985 production The Haunted.
Mort was a graduate from the Victorian College of the Arts (VCA)’ inaugural intake, in 1978. From there, he worked with the Murray River Performing Troupe in Albury, on the border between Victoria and New South Wales, and became co-founder of Australia’s flagship youth performing company, the Flying Fruit Fly Circus.
Peter Oyston, founding Dean of the VCA, and guest director with Handspan for The Haunted, introduced Mort to Handspan to supplement company artists’ skills with his adventurous physical and clowning skills. Following the production, which inspired his interest and commitment, Mort engaged in many projects with Australian indigenous communities in Central Australia and Queensland.
He remained a close associate of Handspan while pursuing his independent career working with young artists, and in street theatre performance.
Mort founded his own company Longyard Sideshow ,writing of his own career in 2016, shortly before his death: