ARTinCIRCO – Scuola di Circo di Ozzano dell’Emilia

ARTinCIRCO is a fun and educational circus school located in Ozzano dell'Emilia , in the metropolis of Bologna, in Emilia-Romagna.

The school was founded in 2011 by Ferdinando D'Andria and Maila Sparapani , artists from the Compagnia Nando e Maila .

Both have extensive experience in contemporary circus, theatre and music.

Ferdinando D'Andria and Maila Sparapani graduated together in 2001 from the New Circus course at the Scuola di Teatro di Bologna Alessandra Galante Garrone.

They notably worked there with the French company Cirque Baroque .

They then continued their circus training internationally, notably with circus schools and structures in Montreal , Paris and Madrid .

This artistic and educational experience led to the creation, in 2011 , of the Scuola di Circo Ludico-Educativo ARTinCIRCO in Ozzano dell'Emilia.

Circus pedagogy and design

The school develops a concept of the circus in which technical learning , psychomotor skills and creativity are closely linked.

Circus arts are used there to develop concentration , balance , coordination , perseverance , courage , risk management and confidence .

Trust in others also plays an important role.

The teaching approach seeks to promote cooperation rather than competition among students.

The only form of competition highlighted is that with oneself , understood as the desire to progress and develop one's own abilities.

Working together allows students to discover the importance of mutual support and collaboration .

Creativity is another essential element of the educational project.

Teachers use, in particular, problem-solving methods.

When faced with an artistic or technical situation, students are encouraged to look for different solutions themselves.

This approach develops autonomy , active participation and reflection .

Courses and target audiences

The school welcomes children from the age of five with the Circomotricità curriculum.

This first course allows you to gradually approach movement , coordination , balance and basic circus techniques.

From around the age of ten , young people can join the Chi Circo…Trova course.

This allows for a deeper exploration of different families of techniques and for the gradual development of greater autonomy.

Un Gruppo Artistico offers a greater training volume.

In Ozzano dell'Emilia, this group currently works twice a week for three hours .

This organization allows particularly motivated students to further develop their technical and artistic abilities.

The school also offers courses for adults and older teenagers from around fifteen years old .

These courses allow beginners as well as more experienced practitioners to experiment with different circus techniques.

The teaching is intentionally multidisciplinary .

The subjects taught

Aerial disciplines include aerial silks and trapeze .

The Chinese pole is also among the techniques offered by ARTinCIRCO.

Basic acrobatics helps develop the physical abilities necessary for many other disciplines.

Balance plays a particularly important role in education.

• Students can work on a large balance ball .
• Unicycling helps develop dynamic balance, coordination and control of movement.
• Rola-bola , called rullo in the Italian program, is another discipline that is regularly used.
• The pedal boat is also part of the teaching equipment.
• The taut wire allows students to discover the basics of balancing on a wire.

Juggling constitutes another large family of disciplines.

Beginners can start with scarves before progressing to different objects.

• Balls are naturally part of the teaching.
• Clubs are also used.
• Students can discover the diabolo and the flower stick .
• Chinese plates allow us to approach another form of object manipulation and balance.
• The hula hoop completes this important selection of equipment.

This variety allows children to try out several disciplines before identifying those that best match their abilities and desires.

However, the objective is not solely to acquire technical skills.

The educational program combines sport , psychophysical abilities and creativity .

The circus thus becomes a tool enabling young people to better understand their bodies and their abilities.

It also helps to develop social skills that can be useful far beyond circus practice.

A commitment to the playful, educational and social circus

ARTinCIRCO has long been strongly involved in the development of playful, educational and social circus in Italy.

Since 2011 , the school has participated in the CircoSfera network.

This network brings together schools and actors in the recreational-educational circus and social circus spread across the entire Italian territory.

In particular, it contributes to the training of stakeholders , the structuring of the sector and the organization of national meetings .

Ferdinando D'Andria and Maila Sparapani participated in numerous educational training sessions organized within this framework.

These training sessions focused in particular on social circus and integration , the technical and pedagogical bases of circus arts and the use of circus games as an educational tool .

ARTinCIRCO also has a genuine local social dimension.

The association collaborates with the social services of Ozzano dell'Emilia to enable young people from families with fewer resources to attend annual circus courses free of charge .

This desire for accessibility corresponds directly to the playful and educational philosophy of the school.

ARTinCIRCO School and Festival

The school's activities are closely linked to those of the ARTinCIRCO festival .

The festival welcomes Italian and international contemporary circus companies and artists to Ozzano dell'Emilia.

It also offers workshops allowing the public to discover the different disciplines.

The students at the school thus develop in an environment where they can regularly meet professional artists and discover contemporary circus performances.

The festival also organizes training and meeting days for students from circus schools in Emilia-Romagna.

These meetings allow young people to compare their practices, exchange ideas and participate in collective creations .

Galas can showcase original acts created by young artists.

This relationship between school and festival is a particularly interesting characteristic of ARTinCIRCO.

It allows for the creation of a direct link between initiation , regular practice , creation and discovery of the professional sector .

A permanent cultural project in the area

The ARTinCIRCO association is developing a broader permanent cultural project around contemporary circus in the territory of Ozzano dell'Emilia and the Union of Savena-Idice municipalities.

The school is one of the pillars of this project.

Regular classes are held every year from October to May .

The main settlement is in Ozzano dell'Emilia .

A second location in Bentivoglio currently allows us to offer courses to older teenagers and adults.

The association also has a permanent administrative and operational presence in Ozzano dell'Emilia.

More than fifteen years after the creation of its school, ARTinCIRCO is therefore a well-established structure in the circus landscape of Emilia-Romagna.

Its activities combine a circus school , a professional company , a contemporary circus festival , cultural activities and social projects .

This combination allows students to discover circus arts in a particularly rich environment.

The diversity of disciplines taught, the professional experience of the founders and the importance given to pedagogy make it a particularly relevant school for children and teenagers wishing to discover or deepen a circus practice.