Badaboum – Circus and Arts School for Brothers

Badaboum – Circus and Arts School for Brothers

Badaboum – École de Cirque et des Arts Frères is a non-profit circus school located in Vaison-la-Romaine , in the Vaucluse region. Created in the late 1980s and established as an independent association in 1991 , it is one of the historical structures for teaching circus arts in its area.

Over 35 years of history in Vaison-la-Romaine

The story of Badaboum begins with Anne-Marie and Daniel Durand , artists known as Capello and Capel . They initially developed circus activities during school holidays before Daniel was asked, in 1989 , to create a circus workshop in Vaison-la-Romaine.

The beginnings were modest, with a dozen students. The success of the activity quickly led to its structuring and, in 1991 , the workshop became an independent association under the name of École de Cirque Badaboum .

A new stage was reached with Mimoun El Youssfi , who took over the management in 2014. A former animator and sports educator, he developed the project towards more contemporary forms and the structure became "Badaboum – School of Circus and Brother Arts", thus affirming its openness to other artistic and physical disciplines.

A school accredited by the FFEC

Badaboum is a member of the French Federation of Circus Schools (FFEC) , within the Mediterranean Regional Federation of Circus Schools.

It has the FFEC Amateur Practice quality approval no. 84064 .

Documents dedicated to artistic education in Vaucluse also mention the presence within the establishment of professionals holding the BIAC or the BPJEPS , as well as an accreditation from the National Education system .

Circus from early childhood

Badaboum offers an introduction to circus arts for children as young as 3. Activities continue for children, teenagers, and adults, with options for both beginners and more experienced practitioners.

This progression allows younger children to discover the circus in a fun way, and then gradually acquire more technical and artistic mastery.

Acrobatics, juggling and balancing

The teaching is multidisciplinary and allows exploration of the main families of circus arts.

Acrobatics plays a significant role in the educational program, alongside juggling , balancing , and various forms of manipulation and body work. Students thus develop coordination, flexibility, strength, balance, dexterity, and body awareness.

The school also develops more advanced work around group acrobatics for some young practitioners.

Trapeze, silks, hoop and aerial disciplines

Aerial disciplines constitute another strong focus of Badaboum.

From the age of 7 , the school offers advanced training on various apparatus such as the trapeze , aerial silks and aerial hoop .

The training courses organized during the holidays also allow for specific work on aerials and acrobatics.

Hip-hop and breakdance

The term " Arts Frères " reflects Badaboum's desire to go beyond simply teaching circus arts.

Hip-hop and breakdancing play a particularly important role in its activities and are offered to children from the age of 5 .

This encounter between urban cultures and circus also nourishes the school's creations. The show " Ris-tropective! ", presented in 2025 , for example, combined retro hip-hop, humor and acrobatics.

Capoeira

Capoeira complements this cross-disciplinary approach. Badaboum develops this activity in partnership with ACCANV, with classes accessible to children from 5 years old , as well as teenagers and adults.

Through its blend of wrestling, dance, acrobatics, music and body expression, capoeira maintains natural links with the circus disciplines taught by the school.

Internships during school holidays

In addition to regular classes, Badaboum organizes numerous workshops during school holidays.

For younger children, adapted programs allow for a first introduction to the circus. In 2026 , for example, workshops for 4-6 year olds were organized in half-day sessions, while children from 7 years old could participate in full days.

Depending on the period, the courses allow for more specific work in circus arts, aerial disciplines, acrobatics or breakdancing.

The adapted circus

Badaboum also develops a circus activity adapted for people with disabilities.

The Vaucluse Department explicitly identifies the school among the establishments offering this practice, alongside courses and workshops intended for the general public.

This dimension complements the project of a school that welcomes very different audiences, from young children to adults and from beginners to experienced practitioners.

A school whose influence extends far beyond Vaison-la-Romaine

Although its main location is in Vaison-la-Romaine, Badaboum has a much wider territorial presence.

The Vaucluse Department lists activities in:

• Vaison-la-Romaine
• Mondragon
• Valréas
• Buis-les-Baronnies
• Nyons
• Tulette

The school thus plays an important role in providing access to circus arts in an area located on the border of Vaucluse and Drôme.

From leisure to high-level practice

One of Badaboum's interesting features is its ability to support certain students far beyond simple initiation.

The school develops a program of advanced training for its most dedicated young people, notably through an acrobatic collective and creations presented at circus school events.

In 2026 , the young people of Badaboum were selected during the regional meetings with their show " Dhikrayat - Remember! ", allowing them to access the national meetings of circus schools in Auch.

A veritable breeding ground for young circus performers

Several students who started their journey at Badaboum went on to successfully join nationally recognized programs.

In 2025 , two young people trained in the school had notably been admitted to major French circus schools.

In 2026 , Yvann Pelini Bakiej , who had started circus arts at Badaboum at the age of 8 before continuing his preparatory training at the ENACR in Rosny-sous-Bois, was admitted to the National Center for Circus Arts (CNAC) . Two other former Badaboum students were already continuing their training there.

This continuity between amateur practice, improvement and orientation towards professional training constitutes a particularly interesting dimension of the Badaboum project.

Shows and a true artistic dimension

Creation and performance finally occupy an important place in the students' educational path.

Badaboum regularly organizes and participates in shows, meetings and cultural events. Historically, the end-of-year shows have notably allowed several hundred children to present their work at the Ancient Theatre of Vaison-la-Romaine .

Even today, the school develops its own productions and performs in local cultural venues. Students are therefore not solely focused on technical learning: they are progressively guided towards creation, collaborative work, and interaction with the public.

Badaboum is therefore both an amateur practice school, a place to discover circus arts and related disciplines, and a real breeding ground for young circus artists, capable of supporting practitioners from their first experiences to entry, for some, into major professional schools.