Circus Seed

Circus Seed — Presentation

Graine de Cirque is a circus school founded in 1990 and located in Strasbourg , in the Parc du Rhin, within the Jardin des Deux Rives . Supported by the Association for the Promotion of Circus Arts in Alsace ( APACA ), it has been developing a project dedicated to the discovery, practice, transmission, and promotion of circus arts for over thirty-five years . Operating under three big tops, it is now a major player in amateur circus and arts education in Alsace.

Public and educational organization

The school welcomes participants from the age of 3 and offers activities for children, teenagers, and adults , from beginners to experienced practitioners. Its teaching is built around a multidisciplinary approach, allowing everyone to discover several branches of circus arts before, for those who wish, delving deeper into specific techniques.

Educational project

Graine de Cirque's educational project places three objectives at the heart of its practice: personal growth, balance, and experience . To achieve these, the team focuses particularly on motor skills , expression , relationships with others , and creativity . Circus arts are therefore not seen solely as the acquisition of technical skills; they also serve as a tool for personal development, artistic expression, and collective building.

Disciplines and techniques taught

• Practice of acrobatics , expression , juggling and object manipulation .
• Balancing acts on objects and various aerial disciplines.
• Techniques explicitly taught: fixed trapeze , aerial silks , Chinese pole , tightrope , unicycle and balance ball .

Course outline, advanced studies and specializations

Progress can continue beyond the multidisciplinary courses. Graine de Cirque offers additional advanced and specialized courses for students who already have sufficient experience. Specific instruction may be devoted to aerial arts , juggling , acrobatics , or balancing . This structure allows those who wish to do so to develop a particular group of disciplines more fully while maintaining a broad circus arts foundation.

Artistic creation and groups

Artistic creation plays a particularly important role in the school's project. Several groups allow the most dedicated students to devote more time to developing a show. The "Pousses en Piste" and "Acro de la Piste" groups are aimed at students aged approximately 9 to 13 and combine individual development with collaborative work around the creative process.

For teenagers aged 14 to 18 , the Hors Piste group offers an even more comprehensive program. The young participants combine a multidisciplinary course with a specialized course, totaling approximately four hours of practice, to develop their technical and artistic skills and contribute to the creation of a collective performance.

These creations are not confined to the classroom: they are presented to the public, allowing students to experience firsthand the different stages of an artistic project: research, technical training, choosing a discipline, composition, rehearsals, stage presence, and performance. In 2026 , the Graine de Cirque creation groups presented " Faut pas Pousser " and " Échappée Belle " under a big top in Strasbourg.

Meetings, federation and events

The school also participates in the national network of circus schools. In recent years, its students have presented creations at events organized by the French Federation of Circus Schools , notably in trapeze, aerial silks, and various group forms. Graine de Cirque itself hosted the Regional Meetings of Circus Schools of the Grand Est region in 2025 .

Internships and school holidays

In addition to weekly classes, Graine de Cirque organizes numerous workshops each year during school holidays. Accessible from age 3 depending on the program, these workshops allow children and young people to discover several disciplines or deepen their existing skills over a few days. Specialized workshops are also offered to work more intensively on specific techniques with instructors from the school or guest artists.

Arts education and school partnerships

Graine de Cirque's activities extend far beyond recreational classes. The association develops a significant arts and cultural education program in partnership with schools. Projects can take various forms, from short workshops lasting a few hours to much longer programs developed in collaboration with teaching staff.

Classes can practice directly under the big tops at Graine de Cirque in the Jardin des Deux Rives or benefit from workshops at their schools. Artistic classes and projects combining circus skills with the discovery of live performance allow for the development of genuine artistic and cultural education pathways.

Graine de Cirque holds the " Complementary Educational Association for Public Education " accreditation from the French Ministry of Education for this activity. The association also holds the " Amateur Practice " accreditation from the French Federation of Circus Schools. These recognitions underpin an educational project developed over several decades for children and young people.

Actions with other organizations

The organization also works with community centers, youth and cultural centers, associations, and other organizations wishing to develop a circus-related project. The content and duration can be adapted to the educational objectives and the target audience.

Adapted circus

Adapted circus arts are another important aspect of the project. Graine de Cirque welcomes groups of people with disabilities throughout the year. Sessions take place primarily under a small big top, whose size and equipment allow for more individualized instruction.

Adapted circus workshops can be organized over a specific period or throughout the year. They aim to empower individuals and groups through the acquisition of skills that are different from and complementary to those developed in specialized institutions. Circus arts practice then becomes a vehicle for motor skills , relationships , confidence , and self- expression .

Link with the professional sector and programming

Graine de Cirque also maintains a close relationship with the professional sector. The school programs and hosts companies and artists, creating bridges between amateur practitioners and live performance. The big tops are therefore not only educational spaces: they also serve as venues for performance and artistic encounters.

The Cabaret des Deux Rives particularly exemplifies this aspect. Held under the big tops of Graine de Cirque, this event brings together professional circus artists from France and abroad for a series of acts blending technical skill, humor, and poetry. The event also provides an opportunity for the school's creative groups to present their own shows to the public.

Vocational training

Graine de Cirque also contributes to the development of professional training for circus arts professionals. The association was one of three partner schools for the BPJEPS Circus Activities qualification developed in the Grand Est and Bourgogne-Franche-Comté regions, along with FREC Grand Est, Trajectoire Formation, L'Odyssée du Cirque in Héricourt, and Passe-Muraille in Besançon. This professional qualification prepares students for careers such as circus instructor and educational coordinator.

However, this involvement does not mean that Graine de Cirque offers a CPES or DNSP-AC type circus artist course: its intervention in professional training mainly concerns the supervision and animation of circus arts.

Identity and Location

Graine de Cirque's identity is thus based on the meeting of several dimensions: amateur practice school , place for improvement and creation for young people , actor in artistic and cultural education , adapted circus structure , partner in professional training and venue for live performance .

Its location in the Jardin des Deux Rives reinforces this identity. Under its big tops, practitioners mingle with artists, school groups, people with disabilities, and spectators. The venue thus allows circus to be experienced not only as an artistic practice but also as a space for encounters between generations, skill levels, and diverse audiences.

Statutes, memberships and figures

A member of the French Federation of Circus Schools and the FREC Grand Est , Graine de Cirque holds the Amateur Practice quality accreditation. With several hundred regular participants, a large professional team and more than thirty-five years of experience , it plays a key role in the transmission of circus arts in Strasbourg and more broadly in Alsace.

Offer and diversity of practices

• Acrobatics
• Juggling
• Object manipulation
• Thread
• Unicycle
• Balance ball
• Fixed trapeze
• Aerial fabric
• Chinese pole
• Work in expression and stage creation

Children, teenagers, and adults can discover the circus, develop a regular practice, or embark on a more in-depth training program. This diversity, combined with workshops, school projects, adapted circus programs, meetings with artists, and performances under the big top, makes Graine de Cirque much more than just a place to learn: a true space for practice, transmission, and circus culture in Strasbourg.