Circus ABRAX KADABRAX – Kinder- und Jugendzirkus Hamburg

Circus ABRAX KADABRAX is a major circus school and socio-cultural project located in Osdorfer Born , in western Hamburg. More than 1,000 people participate each year in its various educational, artistic, and social projects.

The facility has its own dedicated circus area, with a large four-pole big top, several caravans, a circus cafe, and workshops dedicated in particular to costumes and accessories.

ABRAX KADABRAX develops a concept of circus in which artistic learning and social education are closely linked.

The goal is not just to learn moves or master an apparatus. The pedagogy also seeks to develop self-confidence , creativity , autonomy , social skills and a sense of belonging to a group .

The Zirkusschule

The school welcomes children from a very young age thanks to various programs adapted to each age group.

The Zirkusschule forms the core of regular education for children.

Children aged 6 to 13 participate in a real circus training program every week.

They discover the major families of circus arts and can gradually identify the disciplines in which they particularly wish to develop.

The subjects taught

• Aerial disciplines occupy an important place, notably the trapeze and aerial silks.
• Juggling is approached through different accessories and allows one to work on coordination, concentration, precision and perseverance.
• The students also learn balance techniques .
• They can, in particular, learn to move on a balance ball or on a tightrope.
• Acrobatics complements this learning and allows for the development of body control, strength, coordination and teamwork.

ABRAX KADABRAX's overall offering also includes unicycling, hula-hooping, stilt walking, clowning, magic, dance, theatre and various forms of balance and manipulation.

The learning process leads to a genuine creative approach.

The children create acts and participate in the production of circus-theatre shows .

The performance thus becomes an extension of the work done during training.

Teenagers have their own weekly circus project, allowing them to continue practicing and gradually deepen their skills.

Inclusive and intergenerational projects

ABRAX KADABRAX is simultaneously developing several projects that use the circus as a tool for encounter and inclusion.

The Zusammen Kunst INszenieren project brings together young people with and without disabilities aged 9 to 27 .

Circus, dance and theatre are worked on jointly with specialized educators and lead to the collective creation of a show.

Zirkus des Lebens, for its part, develops an intergenerational approach .

Children, teenagers, adults and seniors can practice together, making the circus a space for intergenerational encounters.

Practical for adults

Adults also have several practice options.

Open training sessions allow beginners as well as experienced artists to freely work on juggling, acrobatics, tightrope walking, aerial disciplines and other techniques.

Specific training around aerial silks is also offered.

These sessions, designed for adults, function more as spaces for independent training and exchange than as directed classes.

Circus holidays and camps

School holidays play an important role in the programming.

Circus weeks and camps allow children to practice daily for several days.

Participants experiment with different techniques such as juggling, acrobatics, trapeze, human pyramids or the balance ball before presenting their learning in a show for families.

Working with schools and early childhood facilities

ABRAX KADABRAX also develops important work with schools and early childhood structures.

Project weeks , introductory days , circus classes and regular courses can be organised directly with the establishments.

Depending on the projects and teaching teams, participants can discover dance, acrobatics, aerial arts, juggling, clowning, stilts, tightrope walking, magic, theatre, hula-hoop, balance ball or unicycle.

Circus pedagogy is then used to develop the pleasure of movement , creativity , confidence and social skills .

Social accessibility

Social accessibility is an important dimension of the project.

The fees for some courses are adjusted to family income and can, in certain situations, be fully covered.

Several free projects are also developed thanks to public, associative or philanthropic funding.

ABRAX KADABRAX also develops specific actions aimed at children and families newly arrived in Germany or who have experienced a migratory or exile journey.

Professional training

The training of professionals constitutes another historical aspect of the project.

The structure is closely linked to the development of circus pedagogy in Hamburg and also offers training for teachers and professionals wishing to integrate circus techniques into their practices.

Demonstrations and meetings

ABRAX KADABRAX finally hosts events dedicated to contemporary circus , specialized workshops and meetings between artists .

The whole thing makes the structure much more than just a leisure activity: ABRAX KADABRAX is at once a circus school for children and teenagers , a practice place for adults , an inclusive and intergenerational space and an important player in circus pedagogy in Hamburg .