Entertainment
30 January, 2026
Talented artist takes to city’s ‘silky skies’
A YOUNG Cairns aerial artist has placed third in the country after competing at a national aerial arts competition on the Sunshine Coast.
Isla Hodgkinson, 10, recently returned from the Bend The Air National Finals on the Sunshine Coast, where she placed third in her age category in aerial silks.
Isla qualified for the national finals after competing at regional events on the Sunshine Coast in April 2025.
She placed first in the silks 7–9 years category and second in the open apparatus 12 and under category, competing on corde lisse, also known as rope.
She also competed in corde lisse at the national finals and, while she did not place, she is considered among the top 10 competitors nationwide in that apparatus. Isla previously competed at the Bend The Air National Finals on the Gold Coast in 2025, where she placed fourth in the silks 7–9 years category.
She trains with Aerial Dynamics in Cairns twice a week and began aerial training in grade 3 at age 7.
Isla trained exclusively on silks for her first two years before adding corde lisse training last year. She is now heading into her fourth year of aerial training.
“It felt exciting to see that I have gotten this far, but it is nerve-racking to know that I am competing with the best in Australia," she said
“One of the judges was a Cirque du Soleil performer, so that was really exciting too,” she said.
Isla is a member of the Far North Air Cats, who will present a show titled Burnt Toast at Bulmba-Ja Arts Centre on 30 and 31 January.
Tickets at www.bit.ly/4akWw4z.
