Circus CIRCULI – Stuttgart

Circus CIRCULI is a major educational circus project for children and teenagers based in Stuttgart, Baden-Württemberg. Run by the Stuttgarter Jugendhaus Gesellschaft , it operates both as a mobile circus and as a network of circus schools spread across different parts of the city.

Throughout the school year, Circus CIRCULI organizes weekly training sessions allowing children and teenagers to discover circus arts or to further develop existing skills. Several groups are offered depending on the age and skill level of the participants, from the early years of primary school to groups for teenagers.

Circus CIRCULI schools and groups are present in several districts of Stuttgart, including Botnang , Degerloch , Sillenbuch , Waldau , and Ostend, as well as at the Stadtteilbauernhof . This presence in different parts of the city allows them to offer regular circus activities close to children and families.

Disciplines practiced

Participants discover a wide variety of circus disciplines. The program includes ground and group acrobatics , aerial disciplines , juggling , magic , and clowning . Depending on the groups and projects, children may also practice trapeze , vertical silks , unicycle , tightrope walking , and various balancing and object manipulation techniques.

Training organization

Training sessions are structured progressively . No prior circus experience is necessary to join a group when spaces are available. New participants can benefit from trial sessions before committing to a regular activity. Throughout the year, everyone can explore different disciplines before developing the techniques that best suit them.

Creation and representation

Creation and performance play a significant role in the educational program. Once a year, young artists from the various Circus CIRCULI schools present their work at the Circus Circuli-Festival . The skills learned during training then become fully realized acts performed before an audience.

Circus CIRCULI also develops ensembles for teenagers wishing to deepen their artistic practice and experience. These groups work on more elaborate creations and allow young people to participate in various shows, events, and exchanges. The project maintains an international dimension through encounters with other youth circuses and participation in festivals.

Young coach training

Passing on knowledge is also an important aspect of the project. From the age of 14 , interested young people can undertake specific training to become young circus instructors. This qualification takes place over several months and provides them with the necessary skills to then volunteer as instructors for circus activities for children and teenagers.

Holiday internships

In addition to regular classes, Circus CIRCULI organizes workshops during much of the school holidays . These weeks allow children and teenagers to immerse themselves in the world of circus. Participants begin by discovering different disciplines and then choose those they wish to work on further. They gradually develop their own acts, contributing their ideas, before ending the week with a performance for family and friends .

The activities offered during these workshops may include ball juggling , trapeze , vertical silks , and other forms of aerial acrobatics, but also more original practices such as fakirism or magic . Music, costumes, and staging complement the technical work, transforming the learning into a true spectacle.

Interventions in schools

Circus CIRCULI also works directly in schools . The team can set up a circus project within a school for a full week , allowing students to discover different disciplines and create a performance together.

An inclusive pedagogy

The project also champions an inclusive approach to circus pedagogy. The goal is to enable everyone to participate, with or without a disability , to discover their own abilities, and to find their place within the group. Beyond technical learning, the activities aim to develop self-confidence , autonomy , creativity , mutual support , and the joy of building something together .

With its many local schools , year-round training, holiday camps , school projects , teen ensembles and shows , Circus CIRCULI is today a particularly comprehensive network for practicing and teaching circus arts for children and young people in Stuttgart.