Circo Galleggiante – Scuola di Circo

Circo Galleggiante is a circus school based in La Spezia, Liguria, with a second regular activity in Sarzana.

The school was founded in 2017 by Chiara Martini and Federico Faggioni.

However, its birth is the result of a longer educational history.

The two founders had already worked together for several years at the Scuola Facciamo Circo in Sarzana.

They then continued their collaboration with the association A Testa in Giù in La Spezia.

In August 2017, they founded the Associazione Galleggiante .

The project then found a permanent space in a hall in La Spezia as well as a theatrical venue in Sarzana.

This dual structure is still visible in the current organization of the school.

Two locations

La Spezia today constitutes the main center of Circo Galleggiante.

The classes take place in the Palestra Circo on Via Castelfidardo.

Sarzana also hosts groups of children in the Sala Teatro Ocra .

An educational, artistic and community project

The school develops a pedagogical , artistic and community-based approach to circus arts.

His project is based on three pillars: circus, play and education.

The founders wish to gradually build a real community around the school.

Students and their families are part of this community.

Artists, friends, spectators and people participating in events also contribute to the life of the project.

Children's and teenagers' routes

Education begins very early .

For the 2026-2027 season, Circo Galleggiante announces a Mini Micro Circo group for three-year-old children.

This group is scheduled to begin in January.

Children aged four and five can join the Micro Circo .

The sessions are adapted for this first independent discovery of circus arts.

From the age of six, students join the Mini Circo .

This course is suitable for children aged six to nine.

The sessions become longer and allow for the gradual development of a more structured practice.

Children aged ten to thirteen then have their own group.

In La Spezia, this course may involve two weekly sessions .

This frequency allows students wishing to progress further to benefit from regular practice.

Adolescence also benefits from a genuine developmental path.

A specific group welcomes young people aged fourteen to twenty .

The disciplines offered at this level are clearly identified.

• The aerial fabrics are being worked.
• Aerial rope is part of the program.
• Aerial hoop is taught.
• The trapeze is also offered.
• Vertical exercises allow for the development of hand balance.
• Juggling complements this teaching.

The adolescent program thus constitutes a true continuity after the children's groups.

Young people are not obliged to drop out of school when they reach secondary school.

On the contrary, they can progressively deepen their knowledge of several families of disciplines.

This continuity up to twenty years constitutes an interesting point of Circo Galleggiante.

The school maintains a multidisciplinary approach while allowing students to reach more advanced technical levels.

Adult classes

Adults also have a wide range of options.

The 2026-2027 season includes three different courses .

• Monday evenings are dedicated to aerial silks and rope.
• Tuesday evening is dedicated to the trapeze and aerial hoop.
• Wednesday evenings are dedicated to multidisciplinary circus.

This organization allows adults to choose between a general approach and a more specialized practice.

Adults can also attend several sessions per week.

Free training

Circo Galleggiante completes this offer with free training .

This one is organized on Friday evening .

It is accessible free of charge to students enrolled in the courses.

External practitioners can also participate for a fee.

This free training is particularly interesting for practitioners who already possess a certain degree of autonomy.

It allows you to practice the techniques learned during the lessons.

Young people aged fourteen to twenty can also participate in this training space.

The school thus creates a bridge between structured classes and independent practice.

A school specializing in aviation, but multidisciplinary

Aerial disciplines are clearly one of Circo Galleggiante's important specialties .

Aerial fabric occupies a regular place.

The rope has its own teachings.

Trapeze and hoop also have a specific niche.

But the school is not limited to aerial work.

Juggling is part of the curriculum for teenagers.

Verticals are explicitly taught.

The school's visual and educational identity also highlights acrobatics and acrobalancing .

Circus is viewed as a multidisciplinary practice.

This diversity aligns with the educational philosophy of the project.

Play as a means of learning

Circo Galleggiante uses play as a means of learning.

Technical progress is important, but it is not separate from the pleasure of practicing.

The school seeks to develop a joyful approach to educational and artistic work.

The circus allows us to experience several relationships with the body.

• The student learns to jump.
• He discovers balance and imbalance.
• It can roll.
• He learns to balance on his hands.
• Aerial disciplines allow him to explore height.
• Juggling develops another type of coordination.
• Working together adds a relational dimension.

This variety allows everyone to find different ways to progress.

Artistic creation and performances

Artistic creation is another important aspect of the school.

Circo Galleggiante organizes shows.

The students themselves participate in some of the creations and performances.

Learning, therefore, does not remain confined to the classroom.

The techniques can be used to construct a proposal intended to be shown to the public.

This dimension gives meaning to technical progress.

It also allows students to experience the stage.

A territorial and community-based foundation

The school also operates within its local area.

She organizes workshops and activities outside of her regular classes.

This territorial presence reflects its desire to build a community around the circus.

Specialized workshops are also offered.

They allow us to invite speakers or to delve deeper into certain disciplines.

The Circus in Family

Circo Galleggiante also develops the concept of Circo in Famiglia .

These workshops bring together a child and an adult.

It could be a relative.

But the pair can also include a child and a grandparent, an uncle, an aunt, a brother, a sister or another close adult.

No prior circus experience is necessary.

The goal is to discover the circus together.

The game is the main means of entry into the activity.

The shared experience between child and adult then becomes as important as technical learning.

This formula perfectly matches the community philosophy of Circo Galleggiante.

The circus is not just for a particular age group.

It becomes a space for creating shared experiences.

The Sarzana antenna

The location of Sarzana also contributes to the territorial accessibility of the project.

For the 2026-2027 season, Sala Teatro Ocra welcomes a Micro Circo group for four and five year olds.

A Mini Circo group also welcomes children aged six to nine.

Families in Sarzana can therefore benefit from the teaching of Circo Galleggiante without having to systematically travel to La Spezia.

However, the adolescent and adult programs remain concentrated in La Spezia.

This organization warrants only one entry in a directory.

Sarzana functions as an offshoot of the same school and not as an independent structure.

Administrative information

The association also has a clearly established administrative identity under the name ASD Galleggiante .

Its legal headquarters is located in Corso Cavour in La Spezia.

But this is not the preferred address for practitioners.

The Palestra Circo of Via Castelfidardo constitutes the real main place of teaching.

For a directory intended for families and practitioners, this is therefore the address that should appear first.

An amateur, but demanding school

Circo Galleggiante is not a higher professional school.

The goal is not to select artists for a degree program.

This is an amateur school allowing for regular and progressive practice.

This distinction does not preclude the existence of serious technical progress.

• Teenagers can practice up to twice a week.
• Adults can take several courses.
• Specialized disciplines are offered.
• Free training helps develop autonomy.
• The workshops allow for a deeper exploration of certain practices.
• And the performances give an artistic purpose to the learning.

The school therefore constitutes a true place for amateur training in circus arts.

The 2026-2027 season

The 2026-2027 season confirms the current vitality of the project.

Classes begin on October 5, 2026 .

Groups have been programmed for three years, up to and including adults.

La Spezia hosts the majority of the routes.

Sarzana retains its groups for young children.

Teenagers receive multidisciplinary instruction including aerial silks, rope, verticals, hoop, trapeze and juggling.

Adults have access to specialized aerial courses and a general circus course.

Free training complements the program.

In summary

Circo Galleggiante thus constitutes a particularly comprehensive circus school for the territory of La Spezia and Sarzana.

Its identity combines technical learning , play , pedagogy , artistic creation and collective life .

Children can start at a very young age.

They can continue throughout childhood and adolescence.

Adults also have a genuine range of practice options available.

The presence of shows, family workshops, workshops and free training spaces finally allows the school to function as a real small local circus community .