Circus Stellatus – Zirkuspädagogik Velbert
Circus Stellatus is a circus arts education organization based in Velbert, North Rhine-Westphalia. It develops projects for children, teenagers, and adults that blend juggling, acrobatics, balance, aerial disciplines, diabolo, clowning, and fire techniques. Through its work in schools, daycare centers, and community organizations, Circus Stellatus uses circus arts to foster self-confidence, creativity, cooperation, and personal development.
42551 Velbert
Circus Stellatus is a circus arts education organization based in Velbert, North Rhine-Westphalia. Led by Jessica Manuela Born and Daniel Born, the project uses circus arts as an artistic, educational and social tool for children, teenagers and adults.
Circus Stellatus ' philosophy is based on the idea that the circus can allow everyone to discover sometimes unsuspected abilities and to find a place within a collective project.
Technical learning is therefore not considered an end in itself. The activities also aim to develop self-confidence , autonomy , creativity , concentration , cooperation and social skills .
The organization works in particular with schools, nurseries, social structures, associations and various organizers in order to build projects adapted to the needs of the participants.
The circus disciplines offered
The activities can cover a very wide range of circus disciplines.
- Balance techniques include the balance ball and various exercises to develop stability, coordination and body control.
- Acrobatics is approached in different forms, with static and dynamic acrobatics, lifts, the construction of human pyramids or the use of the mini-trampoline.
- Aerial disciplines are also among the possibilities offered by Circus Stellatus, including trapeze and aerial silks.
- Object manipulation plays an important role, including juggling and diabolo.
- Clowning also allows for the development of an approach more focused on expression, play, improvisation and presence in front of an audience.
- Circus Stellatus also works with magic and offers specific workshops introducing students to magic tricks.
Working around the fire
Another distinctive feature of the structure lies in its work around fire. Circus Stellatus develops a true approach of "Feuerpädagogik", or pedagogy of fire .
Participants learn to discover this element in a structured and safe environment, combining practical experience with theoretical knowledge.
Safety and responsibility
Safety, risk assessment, and responsibility towards oneself and others are central to this approach. The use of fire thus becomes a pedagogical tool for developing confidence, concentration, responsibility, risk perception, and self-control.
This approach can incorporate different experiences and techniques such as fire play or certain practices traditionally associated with fakirism.
An inclusive pedagogy
Circus Stellatus's teaching methods are particularly inclusive .
The projects can bring together children and teenagers of very different ages, backgrounds and situations.
The organization specifically cites its work with young people from immigrant backgrounds, unaccompanied minors, and participants with various special needs.
The principle is to seek out each person's abilities rather than imposing the same performance on everyone.
A child who does not wish to go on stage can also find a different function in the project, particularly in activities carried out behind the scenes.
Representation, an important step in projects
Representation, however, constitutes an important step in many projects.
After a period of discovery and learning, participants can present the techniques they have chosen and worked on to an audience.
The stage then allows progress made to be valued and individual learning to be transformed into collective success.
Interventions and projects
Circus Stellatus regularly performs directly in schools.
The projects can allow children to discover acrobatics, juggling, balance, magic and various creative practices over several days before participating in a final performance.
Similar projects can be developed with nurseries, youth structures, associations and social organizations.
Circus Stellatus also organizes occasional workshops and programs during school holidays.
2026-2027 Season
For the 2026-2027 season, the organization is announcing various workshops, including magic workshops.
Projects funded or carried out with partners also make it possible to make certain activities accessible regardless of families' financial resources.
Circus Stellatus indeed defends the principle that every child should be able to discover the world of the circus and participate in a collective experience .
Training courses for professionals
The organization also develops training courses around circus pedagogy for people working in the educational, social or therapeutic sectors.
These training courses demonstrate how the various circus disciplines can be used to develop the motor, social, emotional, and linguistic skills of the participants.
Circus Stellatus is a member of the Landesarbeitsgemeinschaft Zirkuspädagogik Nordrhein-Westfalen , the regional network dedicated to circus pedagogy in North Rhine-Westphalia.
Another approach to the circus
Through its school projects, workshops, inclusive actions and educational work, Circus Stellatus offers an approach to the circus where success is not measured solely by the difficulty of the figures performed.
The circus becomes first and foremost a space for experimentation , progress , self-confidence and building something collectively .
