At the Wind's Equipment

At the Wind's Equipment

Aux Agrès du Vent is a non-profit circus school located in Échirolles, in the Grenoble metropolitan area of Isère. Founded in the summer of 2006, the association arose from the efforts of parents who wanted to allow their children to continue practicing circus arts after the closure of the MJC Prévert community center. Nearly twenty years later, the organization has become a fully-fledged circus school, integrated into the FFEC network.

Status and organization

Established as a non-profit organization under the 1901 French law , Aux Agrès du Vent maintains a structure in which the participation of families and members plays a significant role. The organization is managed by a board of directors composed of volunteers, while the supervision of activities is entrusted to paid professionals. This structure allows for the integration of a dedicated teaching team within a dynamic and collaborative community.

A school dedicated to amateur circus arts

Aux Agrès du Vent views circus arts as a means of developing physical abilities, creativity, personal expression, and relationships with others. Its project is therefore not solely based on the acquisition of techniques: it also seeks to enable participants to gain self-confidence, experiment, create, and share an activity with a group.

The school emphasizes the concepts of enjoyment , creativity and self-improvement , while allowing everyone to progress according to their age, level and abilities.

A teaching method supervised by professionals

The instruction is provided by a team of instructors specializing in circus arts. The association indicates that its instructors hold qualifications such as the BIAC – Brevet d'Initiateur aux Arts du Cirque (Circus Arts Initiator Certificate) – or the BPJEPS Activités du Cirque (Circus Activities Professional Certificate ).

Aux Agrès du Vent is also affiliated with the FFEC and belongs to the FREC Rhône-Alpes regional network. The FFEC lists it as an approved school under number 38302 .

This membership places the association within a wider network of schools sharing requirements concerning, in particular, the quality of supervision, the safety of practice and the educational development of circus arts.

An exploration of numerous circus disciplines

The activities at Aux Agrès du Vent allow participants to explore several major branches of circus arts. The school aims to enable students to experiment with various techniques before potentially developing a stronger affinity for certain disciplines.

• Acrobatics — allows you to work on motor skills, coordination and body control; practiced individually or collectively through acrobatic lifts and various group constructions.
• Juggling and object manipulation — develop coordination, concentration and precision.
• Balances — allow you to discover different sensations related to instability and the search for bodily control.
• Aerial disciplines — provide access to a practice in which the body gradually leaves the ground.

From technique to artistic creation

One of the important dimensions of the Aux Agrès du Vent project is the gradual transition from technical learning to artistic creation. Learning a skill is a first step, but students are also encouraged to think about how they can use their acquired skills to imagine an act, construct a sequence, and present it to an audience.

Circus arts then become a true means of expression. The work can involve movement, rhythm, relationships with partners, stage presence, and composition. This dimension allows young practitioners to discover that circus arts are not limited to technical feats, but also constitute an artistic discipline and a live performance.

Internships during the holidays

In addition to regular classes, Aux Agrès du Vent organizes circus workshops, particularly during school holidays and the summer. These workshops offer the opportunity to discover circus arts, deepen existing practice, and provide more time to work on specific disciplines or develop group projects.

The association occasionally offers more original formats combining circus arts with other activities. In particular, it has developed Cirqu'Arbre , a project for teenagers that combines circus arts with tree climbing. Participants can practice disciplines such as trapeze, silks, and aerial hoop, while discovering rope techniques, climbing skills, and movement in the trees.

This approach allows us to move beyond the traditional setting of the circus hall and to experience aerial disciplines in a different environment.

The Formidable Batch of the Circus (FFF)

Among the most original projects in which Aux Agrès du Vent participates is the Formidable Fournée du Firque , usually abbreviated FFF . Developed in partnership with the MJC of Crolles, this project brings together teenagers around the creation of a real circus show.

• The young people prepare a creation and then go on a cycling tour to present it in different places.
• The project has an artistic dimension, but also an educational and collective one: the participants are involved in the organization of the stay (travel, itineraries, meals, daily life, group functioning).
• During the 2025 edition, which was the 14th edition, sixteen young people (from sixth grade to first grade) participated in a tour in the Trièves; the project that year combined circus arts with tree climbing.

La Formidable Fournée du Firque thus constitutes an experience combining circus, creation, performance, itinerancy, autonomy and collective life.

Creations presented to the public

Performing in front of an audience is part of the curriculum offered by the school. Students are encouraged to participate in various shows and projects, allowing them to transform the techniques learned in class into artistic creations.

Some creations also transcend the local context and are presented at meetings organized by the network of circus schools. Aux Agrès du Vent thus participated in the FFEC National Showcases: in 2023, the school presented Temps Lasse , an acrobatic lift act; in 2024, it was represented again with Chaos , a creation based on acro-dance.

These participations allow young amateur artists to meet students from other schools, to discover different ways of approaching circus creation and to present their work in a context different from that of their usual school.

An active school within the regional circus network

Aux Agrès du Vent actively participates in the activities of FREC Rhône-Alpes, the regional network of the FFEC. Regional meetings are particularly important for both students and teaching staff.

In 2026, Aux Agrès du Vent was among the schools present at the Regional Circus School Meetings in Voiron, which brought together twelve schools and more than 160 participants. These gatherings allow young people to take part in workshops, discover other disciplines, meet students from other schools and present their creations, and also allow teaching teams to exchange experiences and professional practices.

An association deeply rooted in its territory

Aux Agrès du Vent maintains a very local and community-based identity. The school affirms values related to respect for individuals, individual and collective development, initiative, and democratic participation.

It maintains relationships with various stakeholders in its territory: municipalities, schools, associations, and socio-cultural organizations. The municipalities of Échirolles and Pont-de-Claix are among the association's long-standing partners.

This territorial dimension is closely linked to the history of the school. Aux Agrès du Vent was not born from an institutional project but from the desire of families to preserve a circus activity for the children of the area.

The circus as a collective experience

The collective dimension plays a vital role in the educational project. Circus arts allow for the development of individual skills (balance, coordination, strength, flexibility, concentration, perseverance), but some disciplines also require learning to work with others.

Acrobatic lifts, collaborative creations, and preparing a show require developing listening skills, trust, mutual support, and responsibility. Projects like the Formidable Fournée du Firque place teenagers in a situation where they must build an artistic project together while organizing a genuine community life.

Conclusion

Nearly twenty years after its creation, Aux Agrès du Vent retains the spirit that accompanied its inception: to make circus arts accessible locally and to allow children and young people to practice in a structured, friendly, and collaborative environment. Its affiliation with the FFEC (French Federation of Circus Schools), the qualifications of its teaching staff, and its participation in regional and national events now allow it to be fully integrated into the French network of circus schools.

Aux Agrès du Vent is thus an actor in the amateur practice of circus arts in the Grenoble metropolitan area, with a project that combines circus, popular education, autonomy, artistic creation and the pleasure of practicing together.