Baltringues et Compagnie was born out of a very real need. Titoune and I already had our own company, Cirque-En-Spray. We mainly did street performances. Since we didn't receive any subsidies, each new production required us to find funding. And on top of that, we didn't have a permanent space to train or rehearse.

After talking about it with friends, several of them said: "Buy a big top. In winter, you can rehearse under it. In summer, you can rent it out."

Initially, it wasn't a childhood fantasy. It was almost a practical solution. But very quickly, we realized that a circus tent isn't just a canvas and poles . It's a place. And that changes everything.

Yes, the CTS standards have evolved, that's obvious. But in the world of traditional circus and fairground operators, there's a real collective weight. We haven't been stifled by the standards.

We set up events more efficiently than we did 20 years ago, we're more organized, and we clearly pay more attention to the teams. We take things more seriously . When it comes to very large event structures, the constraints are more significant, but at my level, we haven't lost any freedom.

I discovered it in a book: originally, the baltringues were the circus tent erectors. Those who stretch the tarpaulins, who hammer the clamps ... in short, those who set up the tent.

Historically, riggers were often unskilled workers from elsewhere. The word slipped into the insult we know today. We thought it was perfect to reclaim the name. That's exactly what we do: we put up big tops.

It was in Saint-Cadou. A slightly tired volunteer let go of a mast stay instead of a ratchet . I saw the 9-meter mast swinging towards me. I thought everything was collapsing: the big top and my 25,000 euro loan on my back.

Seven volunteers jumped onto the rope and held the whole thing before it toppled. The angle was already 30 degrees. Since then, my safety briefing on the difference between a guy wire and a ratchet is sacred.

For the Ethnofolk festival, we were working on asphalt. We didn't have a Bobcat , everything was done by hand. Under the tarmac, we found a reinforced concrete slab. We had to dig every hole by hand, it was a nightmare.

But my favorite part is still the drawing . Making giant pitagoras with a compass to ensure the structure is perfect is very satisfying.

Adrien had been working with me as a volunteer for years. He has experience with heights (tree climbing) and technical expertise with ropes and pulley systems . He was the natural choice. I'm handing him over with complete peace of mind for my new position in the theater. I know he'll do a great job.

The image: the white stripes scrolling by on the road. The smell: that of wet plastic when you reopen the big top after winter, or the smell of fuel oil from the heaters that permeates your sweaters forever.