Art To Move VZW — Mortsel

Art To Move is a circus school located in Mortsel, in the province of Antwerp. The organization develops a project around circus arts and more broadly different forms of movement, with the aim of making these practices accessible to as diverse an audience as possible.

The school welcomes children from kindergarten onwards and develops activities that can continue throughout childhood, adolescence and into adulthood.

An open and non-competitive philosophy

His philosophy is based on an open and non-competitive conception of the circus. Participants are not placed in a logic of comparison or performance: each is encouraged to discover their own abilities and progress at their own pace.

Art To Move considers each participant as a fully-fledged artist , with their own qualities, needs and objectives.

The team therefore seeks to build an individualized path allowing each person to experience their own successes while being part of a group.

The multi-circus, main gateway

The multi-circus is one of the main entry points into the school.

Children gradually discover a wide range of circus techniques.

• Juggling can be practiced with scarves, balls, or clubs. Other manipulative objects such as diabolo, spinning plates, and flower sticks are also used in the association's activities.
• The work on balance allows us to discover the wire, the balance ball and the barrel.
• Acrobatics is another important component of the teaching. It helps develop a solid motor base but also serves to teach students how to work with others, cooperate, and trust each other.
• Aerial disciplines are also featured. Students can discover, in particular, the trapeze and aerial silks.

Specific courses related to aviation

Art To Move also develops specific courses around aerial arts. Teenagers and adults can participate in modules that allow them to progressively discover silks, trapeze, hoop and other aerial techniques.

These sessions are designed to work simultaneously on strength , flexibility , body control and self-confidence .

A personalized teaching approach

The teaching methods for multicircus courses are organized in such a way as to promote personalized support.

After a group warm-up and some acrobatic work, participants can be divided into smaller groups to work on different techniques.

This organization allows teachers to better adapt their teaching methods to the development of each child.

A practice accessible to all

Art To Move also wants to make the practice as financially accessible as possible.

• The structure collaborates in particular with the UiTPAS scheme in Mortsel in order to offer reduced rates to the people concerned.
• The association also invites families experiencing financial difficulties to contact them directly in order to find a solution enabling the child to participate.

This desire for accessibility is part of a broader educational project focused on equality , diversity and inclusion .

Art To Move aims to create an environment in which each participant feels welcome and can develop their own talents.

Activities also for adults

Programming is not limited to children.

Projects designed for adults allow you to discover circus arts in a relaxed atmosphere, without prior experience.

The sessions can then combine balance, coordination, strength, flexibility and various circus techniques.

The school also wishes to explore practices similar to contemporary circus such as parkour and modern dance , in order to gradually broaden its approach to movement.

Artistic creation at the heart of the project

Artistic creation plays an important role in the development of the structure.

Art To Move is notably behind WannaCirque?! , a production group bringing together young circus artists.

Young people aged approximately 14 to 30 collaborate there each year on the creation of a new show.

This work goes beyond purely technical learning. Participants develop their own artistic language, learn to collectively create a piece, and discover the different stages involved in presenting a show to the public.

WannaCirque?! also performs in professional events and circus festivals, creating an interesting bridge between amateur school and the contemporary circus sector.

Internships and external interventions

Internships constitute another important aspect of the activity.

During school holidays, Art To Move organizes various camps allowing children to practice intensively for several days.

• Some are entirely dedicated to the circus and allow you to discover juggling, balance, acrobatics and different techniques.
• Other projects combine circus arts with complementary art forms and place greater emphasis on creativity.

Art To Move also operates outside of its school.

The association offers free introductory sessions during events, supervised workshops, educational cycles lasting several weeks or a school year, and activities for groups.

Schools and care facilities can thus build with Art To Move a truly progressive journey of circus discovery.

Teambuilding activities also use acrobatics and group techniques to work on cooperation, trust and group dynamics.

The association can finally design tailor-made interventions for specific audiences or projects.

2026: A new stage at the Sint-Lodewijkkerk

The year 2026 represents a particularly important milestone in the development of Art To Move.

From September, the school will be located in the former Sint-Lodewijkkerk in Mortsel.

This former church offers in particular the height and volume necessary for the development of aerial disciplines and allows Art To Move to have a place with a particularly strong identity.

However, the project goes beyond the creation of a simple training room.

In partnership with the City of Mortsel , Art To Move wishes to gradually transform the building into a socio-cultural space open to its neighborhood, allowing residents to meet around circus, creativity and movement.

The move to the Sint-Lodewijkkerk marks a new stage for this young school, which already has around 125 students .

A structured circus school within the Flemish landscape

Art To Move today combines regular classes, aerial specialization, internships, external interventions, social accessibility and artistic creation.

Its non-competitive and inclusive philosophy makes the circus a way to simultaneously develop physical abilities, creativity, autonomy, confidence and cooperation.

With its new permanent location in Mortsel and the development of its various projects, Art To Move now constitutes a truly structured circus school within the Flemish circus landscape.