Art Ensemble – Cherche-Trouve Circus School

The Cherche-Trouve Circus and Creativity School

The Cherche-Trouve Circus and Creativity School is located in Cergy, in the Val-d'Oise region, in the heart of the Cergy-Pontoise leisure park. Run by the Art Ensemble association, it offers circus arts activities ranging from early childhood development to workshops for teenagers and adults, as well as advanced training groups, workshops, adapted circus, social circus, and numerous programs for schools and local communities.

History

The Art Ensemble association was created in June 2000 with the aim of developing popular education initiatives through circus arts. The project was initially spearheaded by Lan Nguyen, a former artist with the National Circus of Vietnam, and Jean-Marc Demey, then director of the Marcel Paul Complex in Vauréal.

In 2002, the association created the Cherche-Trouve Circus and Creativity School. It gradually developed its weekly classes, workshops and cultural activities in Vauréal, Jouy-le-Moutier and Cergy, before moving to the Cergy-Pontoise Leisure Island in 2013.

The site

This facility provides the school with a dedicated site for circus arts. Located on approximately one hectare amidst the natural spaces of the leisure park, itself comprised of some 250 hectares of greenery and ponds, the site now includes several big tops, yurts and various educational spaces.

Pedagogical approach

The environment is therefore one of the distinctive features of Cherche-Trouve . Practitioners do not simply come to take a class in a gymnasium: they move around a site entirely dedicated to the circus, where amateur practice, professional teaching, social actions, shows and artists in residence coexist.

The school promotes a pedagogical approach in which circus technique is not an end in itself. The name " Cherche-Trouve " (Search-Find) reflects this philosophy: learning should allow the practitioner to search, experiment, create, and gradually find their own means of expression.

Circus arts are thus viewed as tools for personal and collective development . Children can act, organize, help, invent, and then showcase what they have created. The goal is to foster psychomotor development and body control, as well as creativity, autonomy, and the ability to function within a group.

The practice is intentionally non-competitive . Everyone can progress according to their abilities and desires. The school aims to create an environment in which the differences between participants become an asset and where everyone can find their place.

Disciplines and content

Learning is multidisciplinary. The workshops allow participants to explore, in particular:

• Juggling
• Acrobatics
• The balances
• Aerial disciplines
• Expression and creativity integrated into technical work

Target audiences and pathways

The school welcomes participants from the age of 2 with parent-child workshops. The first sessions allow the youngest children to discover their bodies, the space, the equipment and the other participants through an approach adapted to their development.

The children then continue in groups organized according to their age. The 2026-2027 season notably includes workshops for 4-5 year olds, 6-7 year olds and 8-11 year olds, then different groups for pre-teens and teenagers.

As practitioners grow older, the duration of sessions increases and opportunities for further exploration become more significant. Teenagers can join multi-technique workshops or programs that allow them to dedicate more time to their practice.

The school offers, in particular, an "Apprenticirque" program and advanced workshops. These formats allow highly motivated young people to increase their practice time and progressively deepen their mastery of the different disciplines.

Teenagers and adults also have many time slots available. Some workshops intentionally remain multidisciplinary while others are more focused on a particular family of techniques.

• Acrobatics and lifts
• Juggling
• Aerial disciplines
• Multidisciplinary workshops for adults

Open training sessions are also offered to adult participants and professional artists. At certain times, the site becomes a space for pursuing personal research or independent training in an environment equipped for circus arts.

Security

Safety is a central element of the educational program. The learning spaces are designed and maintained to meet the requirements of circus arts practice, and activities are supervised by qualified professionals. The school also specifies that it does not work with fire or animals .

Internships and holidays

In addition to year-round courses, Cherche-Trouve organizes workshops during school holidays. These are primarily aimed at children and allow them to discover or deepen their knowledge of different techniques over several consecutive days.

These workshops extend the school's educational approach: participants are not solely focused on technical repetition. Experimentation, play, creativity, and expression are integrated into the activities so that each person can gradually master the disciplines offered.

School interventions

Cherche-Trouve also develops a particularly important activity with educational institutions. The school welcomes groups ranging from kindergarten to university and builds projects in collaboration with teachers.

The interventions can last a few hours, a day, several days, or take the form of a more in-depth project. The educational objectives of the school are then linked to those of the circus school.

One particularly well-developed option is the "day at the big top". Classes are welcomed to the site to participate in circus workshops, have a picnic on site and, depending on the chosen option, attend a show or continue the workshops during the afternoon.

The school also organizes week-long discovery classes, with or without accommodation. This option allows for the creation of genuine circus arts programs and the development of a multi-day educational project.

Adapted circus and social circus

Cherche-Trouve also has significant experience in the field of disability and adapted circus arts. Specialized organizations are regularly hosted on the site, and certain spaces have been specifically designed for these activities.

Circus arts then become a medium for developing motor skills, confidence, interpersonal skills, autonomy, and self-expression. The activities offered are adapted to the abilities and needs of the participants.

The association also develops social circus initiatives. It works with various social and educational organizations and uses circus arts as a tool to support groups who may face particular difficulties.

This social dimension is consistent with Art Ensemble's history and its involvement in popular education. The association holds accreditation from the Ministry of Youth and Sports for Popular Education as well as ESUS (Socially Responsible Enterprise) accreditation.

Professional creation and programming

Cherche-Trouve also maintains a strong connection with professional artistic creation. The site hosts artists in residence and supports young artists in their projects. Some of the tents can be used for research, rehearsals, and performances.

The school also develops an artistic program. Amateur practitioners therefore evolve in an environment where they can meet artists and discover the circus not only as a leisure activity, but also as an artistic discipline and a profession in the performing arts.

The association participates in various cultural events in the area. In particular, it has been involved for many years in the Cergy, Soit! festival, where it offers workshops, activities, open stages and different forms of discovery of circus arts.

Vocational training

Cherche-Trouve also has a professional training activity. The association has been a registered training organization since 2009 and launched a BPJEPS professional training program dedicated to circus activities in 2010.

This activity trains future facilitators and professionals in the transmission of circus arts. The school also organizes technical training courses, masterclasses, and various modules for professionals, facilitators, and trainers.

• Training courses on working at height
• Early childhood modules
• Advanced training in tightrope walking and juggling
• Actions in partnership with institutional and training organizations

Identity and transversality

This coexistence between amateur practice, social circus, adapted circus, school projects, professional training and artistic presence makes Cherche-Trouve a particularly cross-cutting place.

The different marquees allow activities to be separated or combined as needed: teaching, training, shows, events and residences can thus find their place in suitable spaces.

Through this diversity, Cherche-Trouve champions a vision of circus arts based on popular education, experimentation, and creativity. Technical progression is important, but it remains in service of a broader objective: to allow everyone to explore, try, create, share, and find their own way of expressing themselves through circus.