Archaos – National Circus Center

Archaos – National Circus Center

Archaos – National Circus Centre is a major venue dedicated to contemporary circus, located at 22 Boulevard de la Méditerranée in the 15th arrondissement of Marseille. A place for creation, performance, practice, training, and encounters, Archaos supports professional artists while developing numerous programs for amateurs, schools, and the general public.

The history of Archaos is inextricably linked to the development of contemporary circus in France. Founded over thirty years ago, the company has gained international renown for its particularly innovative circus language, blending traditional circus techniques with new aesthetics, new scenography, and a resolutely contemporary approach to performance. Creations such as Le Chapiteau de cordes (The Rope Big Top), The Last Show on Earth, Bouinax, Game Over , and In Vitro have marked its history.

From the company to the National Circus Center

In 2001, Archaos moved to Marseille into a former boiler factory and created CREAC, conceived by Guy Carrara, Raquel Rache de Andrade and Simon Carrara.

The aim is to create a space designed by artists for artists, allowing for training, research, creation, transmission, and interaction with audiences. Companies are welcomed for residencies, professional training courses are organized, and amateur workshops are launched.

This approach led to Archaos being designated a National Circus Center by the Ministry of Culture in 2012. The organization continues this mission today by supporting French and international circus arts creation.

A 1,200 m² space dedicated to the circus

Circus workshops for adults

Archaos develops an amateur practice activity, today mainly intended for adults over 18 years of age , beginners as well as already initiated practitioners.

For the 2026-2027 season, three major weekly workshops are offered:

• Trapeze
• Rope & Fabric
• Multidisciplinary circus

The workshops are led by professional artists and combine technical learning, physical preparation, artistic expression, creativity and teamwork.

The goal is not just to learn figures. Participants are progressively involved in a genuine artistic creation process, from researching movement to building a collective staging.

Each journey thus culminates in a performance before an audience, under conditions close to those of a professional show.

Trapeze and aerial disciplines

Amateurs wishing to dedicate themselves to aerial disciplines can, in particular, follow a workshop entirely devoted to the trapeze, led by the artist Ramiro Erburu .

The support provided is tailored to the progress and level of each participant, while fostering a collective artistic exploration. A multi-day residency complements the year's work before the presentation of a performance.

A second course focuses on rope and aerial silks. It allows participants to explore suspended work while developing strength, flexibility, technique, and physical expression. The learning process is designed to be progressive and accessible to different skill levels.

A workshop to discover the different disciplines of the circus

The multidisciplinary workshop, on the other hand, allows for the discovery of a much wider range of techniques.

• Acrobatics
• Juggling
• Balances
• The thread
• The balance ball

The workshop is led by specialist artists, particularly in acrobatics, balance, and juggling. This approach allows adults who do not wish to specialize immediately to discover different branches of circus arts and gradually find the disciplines that suit them.

Important work with children and adolescents

Although Archaos does not currently operate as a school offering a large schedule of weekly courses for children, transmission to young people constitutes a very important part of its activity.

The organization works with schools in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region, from elementary school to high school. The projects combine the practice of circus arts, the discovery of performances, meetings with artists, and the acquisition of an understanding of contemporary circus culture.

The Children of the Ball

The "Children of the Ball" project allows primary school students to discover contemporary circus. During the workshops, the children experiment with acrobatics, juggling, balance and trapeze, in a playful approach that seeks to develop their motor skills but also their creativity, their relationships with others and the pleasure of building something collectively.

The Circus Class

Archaos is also developing a full-fledged Circus Class with the Henri Barnier middle school in Marseille. This three-year program supports students in grades 6, 7, and 8.

• The young people practice different disciplines with professional artists.
• They discover shows and meet professionals.
• They work in the areas of writing and creation.
• The process culminates in the creation of a show.
• The program also uses the circus as a tool for inclusion and combating school dropout.

Circus arts up to the baccalaureate

Archaos is also a partner of the Joliot-Curie high school in Aubagne, which has offered a circus arts program since 2023. Students can choose a circus arts option in their second year of high school (Seconde), followed by a specialized course in their first and final years (Première and Terminale). The curriculum blends theory and practice, allowing students to explore circus arts creation, work collaboratively, and gradually reflect on the role of the artist in the ring.

The goal is not necessarily to train all students for the profession of artist, but to use the circus as a means of developing creativity, personal expression, solidarity, self-discipline, risk-taking and self-improvement.

Educational tools related to the circus

Archaos also develops tools that allow teachers and students to better understand the history and aesthetics of the circus.

• The Zealous Pathways combine educational resources, discovery of the history of the circus, creative activities, meetings and shows.
• An educational circus tent can travel to schools to present in an interactive way the disciplines, equipment, performance spaces and the different professions that make up contemporary circus today.

An essential place for professional artists

One of Archaos's defining characteristics is the constant interaction between amateur audiences and the professional circus world. Professional artists can use the Bouinax hall for their free training almost year-round.

• Attachment points for aerial equipment
• Acrobatic mat
• Dance mat
• Reception mat

Archaos also hosts numerous companies in creative residencies and participates in the co-production of shows. These research periods can culminate in residency showcases open to the public, the Rendez-vous Cirque.

Continuing professional development

Archaos offers continuing education courses throughout the year for contemporary circus professionals. These workshops allow participants to deepen their technical and artistic skills across a variety of themes.

• Acrobatic lifts
• Aerial practices
• Repertoire Recap
• New Circassian writings
• Working at height

Other courses address the less visible but essential aspects of the artist's profession, including the production, distribution and administration of a circus show.

The International Biennial of Circus Arts

Archaos is also behind one of the major events dedicated to contemporary circus: the International Circus Arts Biennial – BIAC. Created in 2015 by Raquel Rache de Andrade and Guy Carrara, the BIAC contributes to the dissemination and visibility of contemporary circus in Marseille and more broadly in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region. Entre2 BIAC, launched in 2016, helps maintain this momentum between editions of the Biennial.

A structure at the crossroads of transmission and creation

Archaos is therefore quite distinct from a traditional circus school. The organization brings together amateur practice, school programs, professional artists, creation, residencies, training, performances, and major events. Its history and status as a National Circus Center allow those who practice circus arts there to develop in an environment directly connected to contemporary creation.