Bayeux Circus

Bayeux Circus School André Hébert

The André Hébert Circus School of Bayeux is an amateur circus school located under a big top at the Laquerbe Stadium, Chemin des Marettes in Bayeux, Calvados. Born directly from the enthusiasm generated by the Bayeux International Circus Festival, it now develops activities combining circus arts instruction, workshops, shows, welcoming school and specialized groups, and artist residencies.

History

Its history is closely linked to that of the Bayeux International Circus Festival. The association that organizes the festival was created in 2003 and launched its first edition in 2005. The success of subsequent editions gradually led the organization to develop a genuine outreach program for the local community. After the third festival, held in March 2009, many parents requested the creation of introductory circus arts classes. The first students were welcomed in September 2009.

Around fifty children participated in the first year, then more than 70 the following year. Faced with this rapid growth, the premises initially provided by the City became insufficient. After the 2011 festival, the association invested in its own big top, teaching materials, and a heating system. The students began practicing under the new big top in September 2011, and the Bayeux André Hébert Circus School was officially inaugurated on April 21, 2012, on the occasion of World Circus Day, notably in the presence of its patron, Émilien Bouglione.

Name and tribute

The school is named after André Hébert, a native of Bajocasse, born in 1937, who was passionate about the world of circus. He was a key figure in bringing together the future founders of the festival and in building the local circus scene. He passed away in September 2011 and did not live to see the school's official opening; his family agreed to have it named after him to perpetuate his desire to promote and foster a love of the circus.

Public and pedagogy

Today, the school welcomes a particularly wide range of students. Regular weekly classes begin at age 4 and continue into adulthood. A special Baby Circus program also allows children aged 2 to 4 to discover the world of the circus with a parent.

The program is designed as a multidisciplinary exploration. For the 2026-2027 academic year, the school is highlighting juggling, balancing, acrobatics, trapeze, and physical expression. This diversity allows students to simultaneously develop motor skills, coordination, body control, creativity, and imagination.

• Juggling
• Balances
• Acrobatics
• Trapeze
• Body language

Course organization

The Baby Circus takes a different approach. Held approximately once a month on Saturday afternoons, it relies on the simultaneous presence of a young child and a parent. The aim is to discover the big top and circus equipment through games that promote motor skills, while creating a moment of connection and shared enjoyment.

Teaching staff

The classes are led by qualified instructors. Among the current team is Fabien Letellier , a former student of the Bayeux Circus School who has become a teacher himself and holds the BPJEPS (Brevet Professionnel de la Jeunesse, de l'Éducation Populaire et du Sport) in Circus Activities. This path also illustrates the continuity that can be built between amateur discovery, in-depth practice, and passing on knowledge.

Internships and presentations

The annual training program is supplemented by workshops during school holidays. For the 2026-2027 season, the school is offering workshops in the fall of 2026 and then during the February, April, July, and August 2027 school holidays. These well-documented workshops combine acrobatics and aerial disciplines, offering opportunities for both beginners and advanced students.

Artistic expression also plays an important role. During workshops, a performance may be organized for families at the end of the week. Advanced students also participate in more ambitious stage projects: in 2017, for example, they worked for several months with a choreographer and their teacher before opening the Bayeux International Circus Festival.

Link with the festival and residencies

This close connection to a professional festival is one of the school's defining characteristics. Students train in a facility directly linked to an event that hosts international professional artists. This allows them to discover the circus not only through their classes but also through the shows, workshops, and residencies held under the big top.

The school regularly hosts artists in residence. The Duo Frénésie notably developed their work there before being presented at the festival, while the duo Dadiva — Amalia and Iyolexan were hosted in residence from May 2022. At that time, the school had approximately 160 students, this figure being considered as a historical reference and not as the official enrollment for the 2026-2027 season.

The circus tent: a place for learning and creation

The Laquerbe Stadium's big top is therefore a place for learning, creation, and performance. This combination brings students closer to the professional creative process and allows the school to organize artistic events beyond its weekly classes.

School and specialized activities

The school also develops significant activity towards educational establishments and specialized structures. It welcomes nursery schools, primary schools, middle schools and high schools, but also medico-educational institutes, leisure centers and senior residences.

• Preschools
• Elementary schools
• Colleges
• High schools
• Medical-educational institutes
• Leisure centers
• Senior residences

Intergenerational activities

The association's history also testifies to a long-standing collaboration with the school system. As early as 2009, fifteen schools in the area participated in the creation of a "walking novel" about the circus, in partnership with the municipal media library.

The intergenerational dimension is also evident in the activities carried out with senior citizens. In 2024, for example, the school organized a World Circus Day with residents of Domitys. These activities demonstrate that the project is not limited to regular education for children.

Position in the Circassian landscape

The school's history remains inextricably linked to that of the Bayeux International Circus Festival, whose successive editions have fostered a thriving local circus scene. Today, the association combines a professional festival, an amateur school, artist residencies, performances, and educational programs, creating particularly valuable connections between hands-on experience and the discovery of live performance.

Proposed route

For a child discovering the circus through a Baby Circus session, a young person progressing in weekly groups, a middle school student or an experienced student wishing to develop their artistic expression, or an adult wishing to practice, the Bayeux André Hébert Circus School offers a path that combines technical learning, pleasure, creativity, performance, and an encounter with the professional world of the circus.