Circobotero – Scuola di Circo Ludico Educativo

Circobotero is a fun and educational circus school located in Bari , Puglia, in southern Italy.

The school is run by the Associazione di Promozione Sociale Un Clown per Amico , created on January 22, 2004 .

The association was created with the aim of promoting clowning and circus arts through cultural, social, educational and artistic activities.

From the beginning, she considered circus disciplines not only as performance techniques, but also as genuine educational tools .

The association thus develops its activities around the educational , sporting , cultural and social dimensions of the circus.

Since 2013 , Un Clown per Amico has had a permanent space in the residential area of Bari Domani , near the San Nicola stadium.

It was in this space that the Circobotero project was born in January 2014 .

Circobotero constitutes the association's permanent school of playful-educational circus .

During its early years, the school welcomed approximately 700 students of various ages, ranging from very young children to adults.

A school open from age three

The school currently accepts children from the age of three .

The youngest children take circus motor skills classes.

• The first group is for children aged 3 to 4 years .
• A second circus motor skills group welcomes children aged 5 to 6 .

At these ages, circus techniques are used primarily as tools to explore movement .

Children gradually develop coordination , balance , spatial awareness and knowledge of their own bodies .

Play naturally constitutes a fundamental element of this pedagogy.

The Circo Pulcini group

Children aged seven and over can join the Circo Pulcini group.

This course is mainly for 7 and 8 year olds .

The students then begin to experiment more systematically with the different major families of circus arts.

The school places particular emphasis on the principle of experimentation .

Children are encouraged to explore several disciplines rather than specializing immediately.

They can work in the following disciplines:

• The human pyramids .
• Balancing on a ball .
• The wire , which allows you to discover the first sensations of balancing.
• Ground acrobatics .
• The trampoline , used in acrobatic work.
• Juggling , which helps develop coordination, concentration and manipulation.
• The balls , among the accessories used.
• The diabolo , explicitly included in the program.

The Circo Pulci group

Young people aged 9 to 14 then have access to the Circo Pulci group.

The progression allows for a deeper understanding of previously discovered techniques and for further development of physical and artistic abilities.

A pedagogy focused on the individual

However, Circobotero's pedagogy does not solely seek technical progression.

The school uses circus disciplines to improve movement skills , expression , and coordination .

The practice also seeks to develop a more conscious and creative use of the body.

Self-confidence is an important goal.

Trust in others is also developed through group exercises and techniques requiring cooperation and mutual support.

These dimensions are considered important for the cognitive , emotional , and relational development of children.

Circobotero thus clearly falls within the Italian movement of playful-educational circus.

The school seeks to offer a form of non-formal education using the appeal of circus arts to support the development of participants.

Beyond the weekly classes

Circobotero's activities extend far beyond just weekly classes.

Clown per Amico also organizes circus workshops in schools.

Interventions can involve children from kindergarten to secondary school teenagers.

The association also develops projects with municipalities, associations and various social structures.

• Juggling , for example, can be used to develop coordination and motor skills.
• Acrobatics and balancing allow you to work on self-control, concentration, confidence and respect for safety rules.

The circus thus becomes a true educational tool adaptable to the needs of the group.

The social circus, a historical axis

The social circus is one of the historical axes of Un Clown per Amico.

Since its creation, the association has developed projects aimed at audiences requiring special attention.

In particular, she has carried out social circus and integrated circus projects in collaboration with schools and various local associations.

Actions have also been developed in day centers that welcome people with intellectual disabilities.

This experience makes Circobotero a particularly interesting school for people seeking a circus practice with a strong social and inclusive dimension.

The association also intervenes in disadvantaged neighborhoods or social contexts.

Circus is used there as a means of creating connections , valuing individual abilities and promoting collective participation .

A professional artistic activity

A Clown per Amico also develops a professional artistic activity.

The association produces theatre-circus shows, contemporary circus and street arts .

Its artists practice juggling, balancing, clowning, aerial acrobatics, stilt walking and various fire-related techniques.

Several professional shows are offered for festivals, demonstrations and events.

This activity helps to maintain a direct link between the school and live performance .

The teaching staff

The teaching team consists of teachers with complementary profiles.

• Michele Diana is the president of the association, educational director, teacher of playful-educational circus arts and performer.
• Domenico Pizzutilo is a teacher of playful-educational circus, theatre and clowning as well as a performer.
• Christian Lisco is a teacher of playful and educational circus arts, head of communications and an artist.
• Manila Violante is a playful-educational circus teacher, art therapist and social theatre specialist.

The team also includes several teaching assistants who are themselves jugglers, tightrope walkers or stilt walkers.

This diversity of profiles accurately reflects the Circobotero project.

The school combines technical learning , artistic practice , pedagogy and social intervention .

Training and institutional recognition

Un Clown per Amico also organizes training courses and has collaborated with various national organizations in the sector.

The association has notably organised training modules with the Italian National Federation of Street Artists and the Giocolieri & Dintorni association.

In this way, it contributes to the development and recognition of the playful, educational and social circus in Italy.

The association has also received institutional recognition for its circus and social inclusion projects.

The Italian Ministry of Culture has notably listed Un Clown per Amico among the organizations supported in projects dedicated to the promotion of circus arts, social cohesion and inclusion.

A school and a project center

Circobotero therefore functions both as a regular practice school and as a center from which various educational and social projects are developed.

Regular activities allow children to progress over several years.

At the same time, the external laboratories allow circus arts to be introduced to audiences who would not necessarily attend a specialized school.

The structure in Bari also serves as a performance venue .

Its room can be set up like a small theatre to host performances.

This close relationship between learning and performance allows students to discover different facets of the circus.

An identity marked by playful, educational and social circus

More than twenty years after the creation of Un Clown per Amico and more than ten years after the opening of Circobotero, the association is now a well-established structure in the circus landscape of Puglia.

Its identity is particularly marked by the playful-educational circus and the social circus .

Circobotero thus allows children and teenagers to learn juggling, balance, acrobatics and various circus techniques while developing creativity , autonomy , confidence and cooperation .

The presence of professional artists, specialist teachers and professionals from art therapy and social theatre also allows the school to welcome a wide variety of projects and audiences.

This link between circus school, artistic creation, non-formal education and social inclusion constitutes the main specificity of Circobotero in Bari.