2005: Talent with a twist

Views: 3,196 views. Comments: No Comment.
Tags: summer-2011

Cody Freeman, Bachelor of Science

Cody Freeman

For Cody Freeman, what started as a hobby during his university days has since seen him go from international performer to educator to entrepreneur.

The professional balloon sculptor has featured on Channel 9’s kids’ TV show The Shak, entertained crowds at Brisbane Broncos games for the past three years, and created giant balloon floats involving lights and lasers.

His talent has taken him to the stages of Europe, Africa, India and Australia.

From the simplest animal to giant installations, Mr Freeman’s specialty is being able to create anything people ask for within a couple of minutes.

“If someone says, ‘I want an F-111 fighter jet’, I’ll be able to make it right there and do it fast,” he said.

Mr Freeman said his passion for circus stemmed back to his days studying at UQ.

“My friend and I started a small juggling club that would meet once a week in the Great Court to practise.

“Sometimes 15 to 20 people would turn up to juggle, spin and twirl.”

After busking overseas and experimenting with balloon art for two years, Mr Freeman started a job teaching at an international school in Goa, India.

There, he taught circus to the kids as an extra-curricular activity.

However, his time in Goa was cut short by a motorcycle accident and Mr Freeman was forced to come back to his home in far north Queensland, where he had months of recovery enabling him to focus on his balloon designs.

Most recently, Mr Freeman opened a Circus Training Centre in Brisbane’s West End called The Ice Cream Factory and established his own balloon-sculpting business – Twisted Designs.

“Our creations and entertainment aim to twist people’s imagination by making things out of balloons that you would never have believed possible,” he said.

“We’re combining science, art and entertainment to take balloon sculpture into uncharted territory.”

Mr Freeman credits his UQ science degree with allowing him to experiment with more complex balloon creations.

“I’m using some parts of my degree more than ever at the moment and will continue to use this knowledge as I start to incorporate more lights, signal processing and electronics to circus performances,” he said.

“Having a science degree means I can bring a different approach to doing things in the circus community and allows me to think more creatively.”

By Caroline Bird

• Home
• Graduate Contact
• Alumni Profiles
• Global Education: Divining world trends