Aquéou Canailles Cirquécole

Aquéou Canailles Cirquécole is a non-profit circus school located in the Var region of France. Its aim is to introduce and promote circus arts to a wide audience . Founded in 2001, the association primarily operates in Garéoult, Brignoles, and Rocbaron, using various venues provided by the local municipalities. It offers regular classes, workshops, and numerous outreach programs with external organizations.

A school accredited by the French Federation of Circus Schools

Aquéou Canailles Cirquécole is a member of the FFEC and holds its "amateur practice" quality accreditation. It is also affiliated with the Mediterranean Regional Federation of Circus Schools.

The school summarizes its approach with this phrase, which forms the guiding principle of its project. Its primary objective is to offer a recreational activity that allows for the discovery and introduction to circus arts, with a progression adapted to the pace and abilities of each participant.

Classes for children, teenagers and adults

Year-round courses are organized by age in order to adapt activities and teaching methods to each individual's development.

• 3-5 years
• 6-10 years old
• 11-13 years old
• Teenagers: advanced courses
• Adults

At the beginning of the year, participants are invited to discover the various workshops and disciplines offered. This multidisciplinary approach allows them to experience several branches of circus arts before, for some, gradually developing an affinity or specialization.

Juggling, acrobatics, balancing acts and unicycling

The practice offered by Aquéou Canailles allows one to approach different major families of circus arts.

• Ground acrobatics
• Balances
• The thread
• Unicycle
• Juggling
• Object manipulation
• Clowning Arts

Technical learning is not, however, considered an end in itself. The school also seeks to develop the physical , artistic , and social skills of its practitioners.

A fun and personalized teaching method

Aquéou Canailles' teaching method is based on a progression that is primarily playful and individualized. Activities are adapted to each child's abilities in order to promote personal development rather than the pursuit of performance or competition.

• Security
• Solidarity
• Creativity

Circus thus becomes a tool for developing motor skills, dexterity and balance, but also confidence, artistic expression, autonomy and the ability to evolve within a group.

Special attention is paid to inclusion

Aquéou Canailles also pays particular attention to children who may have certain difficulties. The school states that it seeks to promote the integration of individuals with behavioral difficulties or mild disabilities, adapting its practices and support as much as possible.

This approach is extended through interventions with specific audiences and specialized organizations. The school's project is based on the idea that circus arts allow everyone to find their place without judgment.

Internships and interventions in institutions

Aquéou Canailles' activities extend far beyond weekly classes. The association organizes circus workshops and works directly with various organizations:

• Nurseries
• Schools
• Colleges
• Specialized establishments
• Structures that accommodate people in difficulty

Through all its courses and interventions, the school indicates that it enables more than 2,000 children and adults each year to discover the circus arts.

This itinerant dimension allows Aquéou Canailles to participate in the dissemination of circus practice far beyond just the members who follow the year-round courses.

An artistic endeavor that culminates in the creation of a show

One of the highlights of the year is the preparation of the end-of-year show. The creation is built gradually with the students.

In consultation with the instructors, the children participate in choosing their creation and then deepen their discipline in order to transform the learning done during the lessons into real performances.

This approach allows students to explore an essential dimension of circus arts: presenting their work to an audience. Therefore, students are not simply practicing to master a technique; they are also discovering how that technique can be integrated into an artistic creation and a collective performance.

A real big top for the end-of-year show

Aquéou Canailles' unique feature is that it offers students the opportunity to end their year in an environment that is particularly symbolic for circus arts: a real big top. For about a week, the school sets up a big top on the Terrain des Clas in Rocbaron to host performances by students and the schools they work with.

The big top can accommodate up to 600 people . The site is set up and decorated for the occasion, and various workshops as well as a food area run by volunteers accompany the performances.

This event represents the culmination of the work done throughout the year and allows children and teenagers to experience the circus ring in real performance conditions.

A local school rooted in the Var region

With its activities in Garéoult, Brignoles, and Rocbaron, Aquéou Canailles Cirquécole is first and foremost a local school dedicated to the discovery and amateur practice of circus arts. Its project combines technical instruction, artistic expression, personal development, solidarity, and inclusion, with the aim of making circus arts accessible to as many people as possible.

From the first workshops for 3-year-olds to adult classes and advanced training for teenagers, including internships and school interventions, Aquéou Canailles allows you to discover the circus in many forms, in an environment that prioritizes the pleasure of practicing and respect for everyone.