Circus Fantasia – Circusschule Rostock

Circus Fantasia is a circus school and cultural venue located in the port of Rostock , in northern Germany. Since 1996 , its big top and various spaces have welcomed children, teenagers and adults around circus arts, dance, theatre, music and movement.

The circus school operates all year round and offers weekly classes, workshops, holiday camps as well as various artistic projects.

An inclusive circus school

Inclusion is one of the historical foundations of Circus Fantasia. The organization welcomes people with and without disabilities and seeks to make artistic practice accessible to everyone, regardless of their abilities or experience.

This philosophy has its origins in the very history of the organization. The project stems from Behinderten Alternative Freizeit eV, an association created in 1991 to develop alternative leisure activities and promote the integration of children, adolescents and adults with disabilities.

This approach has gradually expanded to become a genuine inclusive cultural education project. The organization is now called Fantasia AG and develops activities in the fields of circus, theatre, dance and music.

Discovering the circus from a very young age

Even the youngest children can discover the circus from the age of three with the Flohcircus groups.

The approach is intentionally playful . Children gradually discover different possibilities offered by the circus through acrobatics, juggling and balance games.

The teaching methods respect each individual's pace and abilities. The principle upheld by the school can be summarized by the idea that everyone can participate, but no one is obliged to complete an exercise.

The child thus has a space where he can experiment, learn and gradually overcome certain difficulties without a competitive mindset .

A progressive learning path for students

As they grow up, students can continue their journey in different circus groups.

Zuckercircus allows school children to experience many circus techniques while developing their autonomy.

Other groups cater to teenagers and young adults.

The Fantastischen, for example, are aimed at young people aged 12 to 25. They discover different disciplines while working on coordination, strength, dexterity and sense of rhythm.

Group work plays an important role in these courses.

Participants learn to practice together, to help each other and to gradually build acts intended to be presented under the big top.

Aerial arts

Aerial arts also have an important place in the teaching of Circus Fantasia.

Several groups are specifically dedicated to this family of disciplines.

• the trapeze
• aerial fabric
• the aerial hoop

The Li-La-Luft groups allow children and teenagers to gradually deepen their understanding of these techniques.

Aerial arts classes are also offered to adults .

Learning combines technique, strength, endurance, mobility and research around movement.

A space for free practice

A free practice area complements the supervised classes.

The Freier Circusraum allows people interested in circus and movement to meet, practice and exchange ideas on different techniques.

It is a place where you can practice juggling, acrobatics, aerial arts or unicycling.

Projects for schools and groups

Circus Fantasia does not limit its educational project to students enrolled in regular classes.

The organization also develops project days and weeks for schools, nurseries, after-school programs and other groups.

The circus then becomes a tool for learning through experience , combining physical activity, creativity, cooperation and reflection on collective life.

Shows and cultural programming

Performances are an integral part of school life.

Several groups prepare presentations under the big top at the beginning or end of the season, allowing students to discover the stage and share their work with the public.

The site also hosts a professional cultural program .

During the summer season, the marquee becomes the Kulturhafen Rostock and hosts concerts, theatre, cabaret, readings and shows.

The students at the school thus develop in a true artistic environment rather than in a simple sports activity room.

Theatre, dance and music

Circus Fantasia also develops significant activity around theatre, dance and music, including inclusive groups .

This coexistence between several disciplines promotes encounters and interdisciplinary projects.

Accessibility and professional networks

The organization also pays particular attention to the physical accessibility of its spaces.

The circus grounds and the big top are accessible to wheelchair users, as are several other venues used for activities.

Fantasia AG also participates in professional networks for cultural education and circus pedagogy in Germany.

She is notably a member of the Bundesarbeitsgemeinschaft Zirkuspädagogik , a national network dedicated to circus pedagogy.

A social and cultural project

Circus Fantasia is therefore much more than a series of technical courses: it is an inclusive circus school , a cultural space and a social project in which circus arts are used as means of expression, encounter and emancipation.

Its year-round operation, the diversity of its groups, its teaching of circus disciplines, its shows and its historical commitment to inclusion make it a particularly important structure in the landscape of amateur circus in Rostock and the state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania .