Circ'Adour

Presentation

Founded in 1997 by circus enthusiasts , Circ'Adour is a non-profit circus school located in Jû-Belloc, in the Gers region , in the heart of a rural area. Since its inception, the association has pursued a core objective: to enable as many people as possible to discover, practice, and share the circus arts, while fostering a vibrant artistic and cultural scene in a rural setting.

The school is located in Place de l'Église in Jû-Belloc in a hall specially designed for the practice of circus arts and inaugurated in 2009. This facility allows Circ'Adour to develop regular courses, internships during school holidays, occasional workshops, educational projects, but also to host professional artists in residence and to offer shows and meetings with the public.

Circ'Adour is affiliated with the French Federation of Circus Schools (FFEC) and is part of the FREC Midi-Pyrénées. The association also holds accreditation from the Ministry of Youth and Popular Education , reflecting its commitment to cultural access, knowledge transmission, and community involvement.

Pedagogy

Circ'Adour's teaching method is based on a multidisciplinary, playful, and non-competitive approach to circus arts. Students are encouraged to progress at their own pace, to better understand their bodies, and to develop motor skills, balance, coordination, and body control.

The technical aspect is only one part of the project: creativity, imagination, personal expression, cooperation, and relationships with others are equally important. The school considers circus arts a powerful tool for expression and personal growth, where the absence of competition fosters mutual support, solidarity, and teamwork.

Activities and disciplines

The activities offered cover the major categories of circus arts: acrobatics, juggling, balancing, and aerial disciplines . The workshops provide an opportunity to discover aerial apparatus and other circus techniques.

• Acrobatics
• Juggling
• Balances
• Aerial disciplines
• Trapeze
• Aerial fabric
• Aerial hoop
• Mast

Artistic approach

Circ'Adour places great importance on the artistic approach . The objective is not simply to reproduce technical gestures: the school encourages students to give intention to their movements, to develop their own proposals and to nurture their creativity.

Dance, theatre, directing, and other forms of expression can enrich circus work. Participants are invited to take on creative and directing challenges, and the end-of-year show offers them the opportunity to present their work to an audience.

2026-2027 Season

For the 2026-2027 season , Circ'Adour marks a significant milestone with the return of its weekly Wednesday afternoon classes, thanks to a partnership with the French Association of Adapted Circus (AFCA) in Aire-sur-l'Adour . The sessions are open to children from age 4 , teenagers, and adults, with groups organized according to age.

This collaboration is part of a partnership strategy developed by the association over several years. Following the Covid period, Circ'Adour was notably able to maintain its circus workshops for five years thanks to its partnership with the Passing circus school in Tarbes . The instructors from Passing continue to lead workshops organized during school holidays.

Internships

Circus workshops are a key activity at Circ'Adour. They are offered during every school holiday period, except for the Christmas holidays. Two-day sessions are organized for 5-8 year olds and 9-12 year olds , allowing children to discover or develop different techniques in a more intensive format than the weekly classes.

• All Saints' Day holidays
• Winter holidays
• Spring break
• July

Early childhood and families

For several years, Circ'Adour has also been developing activities for young children and families . In particular, parent-child workshops have been created for children aged 3 and a half to 6. Accompanied by a parent, children discover the world of circus arts through games that encourage imagination, coordination, spatial awareness, and body awareness.

Parent-baby workshops were also offered for children from 6 months to 3 years old . These sessions provided a first physical and sensory introduction to the circus, in which the equipment and space became tools for shared exploration between the child and their parent. These initiatives were developed in particular with the AFCA of Aire-sur-l'Adour and with the support of the CAF (Family Allowance Fund).

Residencies, performances and partnerships

Beyond amateur instruction, Circ'Adour aims to be a true hub of artistic life and a meeting place for professional circus artists . The school regularly opens its doors to companies and artists in creative residency , offering professionals a workspace and the public the opportunity to discover the creative process.

The encounter between professional artists and amateur practitioners enriches technical and artistic learning, and residencies can lead to work-in-progress showings and presentations . Circ'Adour also occasionally programs performances and maintains links with local organizations such as CIRCa in Auch and L'Astrada in Marciac .

External interventions

The association can also work with external organizations interested in circus arts . This openness allows the practice to reach beyond just regular members and fully contributes to Circ'Adour's historical objective: to develop a local cultural offering accessible to the inhabitants of a rural area.

Through its courses, workshops, family programs, educational projects, shows, and artist residencies, Circ'Adour goes beyond simply teaching circus techniques. The school aims to create a genuine space for exchange, sharing, and creation , where amateurs and professionals can meet.

Established for nearly thirty years in Jû-Belloc , Circ'Adour occupies a unique place in the cultural landscape of Gers. The association demonstrates that a true circus school can live and develop in the countryside, combining amateur practice, popular education, early childhood, workshops, artistic creation and hosting professional companies .