Cie Bruit de Couloir
62000 ARRAS - FRANCE
The Bruit de Couloir Company — Hop Hop Hop Circus
The Compagnie Bruit de Couloir , founded in 2008 by four former students of the Centre Régional des Arts du Cirque de Lomme, develops an artistic, educational, and social project dedicated to circus arts in Arras, Pas-de-Calais. Its school, Hop Hop Hop Circus , is affiliated with the Fédération Française des Écoles de Cirque (FFEC) and currently welcomes around 300 regular participants , from toddlers as young as one year old to adults.
Installation and mission
Located under big tops at 7 rue de la Briqueterie in Arras , the school is part of a community education initiative. Its goal is to make circus arts accessible to everyone , regardless of age, skill level, or ability. The workshops allow participants to progress from discovery to initiation and then to advanced training, while placing significant emphasis on creativity , independence , self-confidence , and the joy of practicing together .
Pedagogical approach and disciplines
The teaching is based on a multidisciplinary approach to circus arts. Students experiment with various physical and manipulation techniques, including juggling and acrobatics , before developing their skills further. The work is not limited to technical learning: the creation of acts, artistic expression, stage presence, and the relationship with partners and the audience also play a significant role in the students' development.
Courses, workshops and meetings
- Weekly classes for children, teenagers and adults, with an offering for early childhood from 1 year old .
- Advanced workshops for motivated practitioners and participation in collective projects.
- Involvement in the meetings of the FREC Grand Nord and the FFEC to promote inter-school exchanges and the presentation of creations.
During school holidays and some weekends, the Compagnie Bruit de Couloir also organizes circus workshops: introductory workshops for children and specialized workshops for teenagers and adults, led by professional instructors and artists. These more intensive practice sessions allow participants to discover new techniques or delve deeper into a particular discipline.
Actions outside the walls
One of Bruit de Couloir's key characteristics is its outreach work. The team works year-round with schools , community centers , after-school programs , local municipalities, and various educational institutions. Projects can range from introductory circus arts workshops to multi-session programs or more in-depth projects combining technical training, performance expression, and the creation of a show. The organization thus plays a vital role in arts and cultural education related to circus arts in the Pas-de-Calais region.
Adapted circus and inclusion
Adapted circus arts and inclusion play a significant role in the association's mission. Bruit de Couloir works with organizations in the social and medico-educational sectors, particularly specialized educational institutions (IME, MECS, and SESSAD), adapting circus arts to the abilities and needs of the participants. Circus arts then become a tool for developing motor skills , coordination , confidence , autonomy , creativity , cooperation , and interpersonal relationships.
Professional creation center
Hop Hop Hop Circus has a unique feature: its big tops also serve as a welcoming space and support for professional artistic creation. Contemporary circus artists and companies can be hosted there for residencies to develop their new works. This regular presence of professional artists fosters exchanges with students and the teaching staff, creating a direct link between amateur learning and contemporary creation.
The Compagnie Bruit de Couloir thus participates in supporting several artistic projects and regularly appears as a residency, partner, or supporter of creation. This close relationship with the professional sector enriches the school's educational program and allows participants to discover circus not only as a leisure activity, but also as a true artistic discipline and a world of creation.
Identity and practice — juggling
Juggling plays a significant role in the organization's identity. Bruit de Couloir has participated in federal projects focused on passing and has hosted juggling-related events. This openness to contemporary practices allows them to move beyond a purely technical approach to explore object manipulation, movement, collective creation, and staging.
Other activities
- Organizing birthday parties around circus arts.
- Occasional workshops and various projects to discover circus disciplines in a fun and friendly setting.
In short
With its school of around 300 regular practitioners , its activities accessible from early childhood , its courses for teenagers and adults, its workshops, its school activities, its adapted circus work and its hosting of professional companies, Bruit de Couloir — Hop Hop Hop Circus occupies a special place in the circus landscape of Arras and Pas-de-Calais.
- License: affiliation with the FFEC.
- Suitable for ages 1 year and up, including adults.
- Approach: multidisciplinary, creative and inclusive.
- Activities: courses, internships, outreach programs, professional residencies.
His project combines amateur practice, popular education, inclusion, transmission and contemporary creation, with the desire to make circus arts a space for discovery , expression , encounter and emancipation accessible to the greatest number.
