AREA CIRC VIU – Escuela de Circo

AIRE CIRC VIU is a project dedicated to circus arts located in La Floresta, in the municipality of Sant Cugat del Vallès, near Barcelona.

The project has been led since 2017 by circus artist Agustina Monczar .

AIRE CIRC VIU was designed as a space where the circus brings together artistic practice , physical activity , education and socialization .

The school welcomes a particularly wide audience, from very young children to adults.

It also offers activities that allow children and adults from the same family to discover the circus together.

The pedagogy developed by the school is based in particular on Education through Art and Living Education .

The goal is therefore not just to learn tricks or acquire physical skills.

Circus techniques also become tools for developing autonomy , creativity , self-knowledge , confidence and the ability to work with others .

The school emphasizes a practice that respects individual rhythms.

The groups are intentionally small to allow for personalized support.

Competition is not sought. AIRE instead favours cooperation and collective learning .

A progressive curriculum by age

The curriculum for children begins in early childhood.

Workshops are available for children aged 1 to 3 years accompanied by an adult.

At this age, the circus becomes primarily a field for psychomotor exploration.

Children use different objects and equipment to crawl, climb, push, pull, hang and experience their first relationships with space and movement.

A program is also offered for children aged 3 to 5 .

The work then combines motor development, body awareness, expression and emotional management.

From the age of five, the school offers a truly multidisciplinary annual workshop .

• The "Little Ones" group includes children aged 5 to 7.
• The Mitjans welcome children aged 8 to 10.
• The Grans are for 11 to 14 year olds.

This age-based organization allows for the adaptation of exercises and educational objectives.

The annual program is divided into three trimesters .

Special activities with families can complement the lessons. An end-of-year presentation also allows children to share their experience.

The subjects taught

Multidisciplinary practice allows one to discover several major families of circus arts.

Aerial disciplines

Aerial disciplines occupy an important place.

• Aerial silks are taught.
• The trapeze is also one of the main apparatuses at the school.
• Aerial hoop is offered in particular to young people and adults.

Acrobatics

Ground acrobatics complement this work.

Students gradually learn to use their bodies in different movement situations.

Group acrobatics introduces an additional dimension of cooperation. It requires listening to partners and building movements together.

Juggling and balancing

Juggling is another component of the teaching. It helps to develop coordination, concentration, perseverance and creativity.

Unicycling is one of the techniques offered by the school. Stilt walking is also practiced.

The different forms of balance allow us to work on the relationship between posture, movement and instability.

The clown

The clown complements this multidisciplinary approach. He introduces a dimension of expression and stage performance that goes beyond mere physical performance.

Courses for young people and adults

From age 15, AIRE offers regular courses for young people and adults.

The current offering places particular emphasis on aerial acrobatics . Silks, trapeze and hoop are the three main apparatus used in these courses.

The sessions last two hours . They combine physical preparation, aerial training and techniques dedicated to the care and knowledge of the body.

This organization demonstrates the importance placed on reasoned physical progression.

You don't need any prior circus experience or a particular level of fitness to start. Everyone works progressively according to their own abilities.

The goal is to develop strength , mobility and body control without placing participants in a comparative mindset.

Group dynamics are also used to foster exchange and socialization. This relational dimension is essential to the philosophy of AIRE CIRC VIU.

The circus as a community

The project views the circus as a community .

Participants are encouraged to take care of themselves and others. Learning is based on respecting individual rhythms and mutual support .

Circo en Familia

This philosophy is particularly visible in the Circo en Familia program.

Once a month during the 2026-2027 season, children and adults can share a two-hour session.

These sessions are open to all ages. Families discover different circus techniques while sharing a fun activity.

Internships and external interventions

AIRE also develops artistic workshops during the holidays. Programs are organized during the summer , Holy Week and Christmas holidays .

These workshops allow participants to combine circus arts with other forms of artistic creation.

The school does not limit its activity to its own premises. It also works in several schools in the Sant Cugat area.

Collaborations are documented in particular with the Gerbert d'Orlhac , Collserola , Catalunya , Turó de Can Mates and El Martinet schools.

These interventions significantly enhance the educational dimension of the project. Circus arts then become a tool that can be used directly in the school environment.

The social circus

AIRE CIRC VIU is also developing a genuine reflection on social circus.

The project defines social circus as a tool for socio-educational intervention and building community relationships .

Circus disciplines are used to develop different values and skills:

• Trust is one of these objectives.
• Communication and cooperation are also important.
• Circus arts can help with conflict management .
• It helps to develop discipline and perseverance .
• Respect , equality and tolerance are explicitly integrated into this approach.

AIRE also emphasizes social inclusion . The project seeks to democratize access to culture and artistic practices.

He believes that the circus can provide greater visibility and resources to less privileged audiences.

This concept therefore goes far beyond a simple leisure activity. The circus becomes a means of strengthening individuals, groups, and communities.

Recognition and partnerships

This social orientation is consistent with the recent history of the project.

• AIRE CIRC VIU won the fourth social and solidarity economy competition organized by the municipality of Sant Cugat in 2019 .
• The project was also nominated for the Premis Zirkòlika 2022 in the category dedicated to initiatives promoting the development and dissemination of circus arts.
• In 2023 , the school participated in the TV3 series "Això no és Suècia", with a scene dedicated to the circus school.

These recognitions demonstrate its integration into the local cultural landscape.

The organization also works with various associations and educational stakeholders. These partnerships allow it to extend its reach beyond the students enrolled in weekly classes.

A place and occasional proposals

The main activity takes place at the Sala UREF in La Floresta . This space is located in a particularly green environment, in the heart of the Collserola area.

The school presents this proximity to nature as a component of its educational environment.

Regular activities are complemented by one-off events.

AIRE notably organizes masterclasses . In July 2026, for example, masterclasses dedicated to aerial circus were offered focusing on the trapeze, silks and hoop.

These meetings allow practitioners to delve deeper into certain techniques on an ad hoc basis.

The school also develops activities for private or public events. This flexibility allows it to operate both indoors and outdoors.

An amateur and socio-educational practice school

However, AIRE CIRC VIU remains first and foremost a school for amateur and socio-educational practice .

There is no selective annual course designed to professionally train artists.

The teachers are circus artists, each with their own specialties, but the regular classes remain focused on discovery , personal progress and amateur artistic practice .

However, its identity as an educational circus is particularly strong. The social circus dimension is also explicitly claimed and developed by the organization.

The school therefore represents an interesting example of a project in which circus techniques are used simultaneously as an artistic activity , physical practice , educational tool and means of creating social links .