Cirkusfera – Fabrika savremenog cirkusa

Cirkusfera – School and training center for contemporary circus in Belgrade

Cirkusfera is an artistic and cultural association based in Belgrade, Serbia, which works to develop, transmit and gain recognition for contemporary circus. Founded in the late 2000s, it brings together artists, educators and creators specializing in circus arts, street arts, physical theatre and contemporary forms of live performance.

Education is one of Cirkusfera's core missions. Through various educational programs, the association enables children, teenagers, and young adults to discover circus disciplines, acquire technical skills, and develop their creativity.

The organization advocates a conception of the circus as a fully-fledged artistic discipline, in which physical virtuosity is combined with personal expression, dramaturgy, and collective creation.

The Contemporary Circus Factory: a multidisciplinary training program for young people

The Fabrika savremenog cirkusa program, or Contemporary Circus Factory , is one of Cirkusfera's main educational initiatives.

Developed since 2016 , it is aimed primarily at young people aged 15 to 25 who wish to discover or deepen their knowledge of different disciplines of contemporary circus.

The training offers an introduction to several major technical families: aerial acrobatics, object manipulation, balances and partner acrobatics.

Students can thus explore juggling, tightrope walking, unicycling, stilt walking, acrobalancing and aerial practices, according to the content of the different editions of the program.

The learning process is organized in several stages. Participants begin by discovering different techniques during intensive sessions led by specialized instructors. This first phase allows them to experiment with several disciplines before choosing those that best suit their abilities and artistic aspirations.

They can then delve deeper into one or more specialties, refine their skills and develop their own body language.

The goal is not just to learn tricks, but also to understand how to use circus techniques to create a personal artistic proposition.

Training in the creation of shows

One of the distinctive features of the Contemporary Circus Factory is its focus on stage creation .

After discovering the different disciplines, the participants develop short acts which are gradually integrated into a collective performance.

They discover the fundamental principles of artistic composition: choice of movements, organization of space, construction of a sequence, rhythm, relationship with the public and group work.

The training also incorporates elements of theatre, dance and physical expression.

Students benefit from the guidance of educators specializing in circus disciplines, as well as in dramatic and choreographic arts.

This approach allows for the development of a comprehensive vision of contemporary circus, where acrobatics becomes a means of storytelling, moving, and communicating.

Talentarijum: a circus school for children

Cirkusfera also offers a program for children called Talentarijum .

This activity welcomes young people aged 7 to 14 , divided into groups corresponding to their age and development.

The program aims to introduce circus arts in a fun, collective and stimulating environment.

Children experience different disciplines through technical exercises, games, motor challenges and object manipulation activities.

The teaching method emphasizes progressive discovery, the pleasure of practice, and respect for individual abilities.

The activities help to develop coordination, dexterity, concentration, balance and body awareness.

They also encourage perseverance, autonomy, creativity and self-confidence.

Group work plays an important role in the sessions. The children learn to cooperate, to help each other and to participate in group exercises.

Talentarijum is part of Cirkusfera's desire to make circus accessible from a very young age and to promote the emergence of new generations of practitioners and artists.

Workshops for teenagers and students

The historical program Fabrika novog cirkusa , or Factory of the New Circus , was particularly aimed at high school and university students.

He offered a training program combining juggling, object manipulation, aerial acrobatics, tightrope walking, acrobalancing, unicycling and stilt walking.

Participants also discovered the differences and complementarities between street performance and indoor performances.

The project combined supervised classes, independent training, and preparation for international competitions.

Exchanges with French and German circus schools allowed young people to share their experiences and discover other teaching approaches.

This old formula contributed to the development of the Contemporary Circus Factory and to the structuring of Cirkusfera's educational activities.

An artistic and collective pedagogy

Cirkusfera's educational approach is based on the belief that circus arts can contribute to personal and collective development.

Learning technical disciplines helps to develop strength, flexibility, balance, coordination and concentration.

But the association's objectives go beyond physical progress.

The activities also promote autonomy, self-confidence, creativity, critical thinking and the ability to work with other people.

Collaborative creation allows students to discover the importance of listening, cooperation, and mutual respect.

The diversity of disciplines offers everyone the opportunity to find a practice suited to their abilities, interests and artistic expression.

This approach helps to make the circus a tool for education, cultural participation and inclusion.

The training of artists and educators

Cirkusfera also organizes workshops for artists, cultural workers and people wishing to deepen their skills in the field of contemporary circus.

Its historic project , Laboratorija cirkuske umetnosti , or Circus Arts Laboratory , has made it possible to welcome international artists and educators, notably from France, Spain, Italy, Germany, Argentina and Croatia.

These meetings promote the transmission of new techniques, artistic research and exchanges between different circus traditions.

The association also participates in projects dedicated to circus dramaturgy, pedagogy and contemporary creation.

These initiatives are aimed at artists wishing to enrich their practice, develop their stage skills or acquire tools to transmit circus arts to other audiences.

Significant international cooperation

Cirkusfera maintains relationships with many European circus organizations.

She collaborates in particular with Cirkorama , a Croatian association specializing in contemporary circus, as well as with artists and circus schools from different countries.

The organization participates in international networks dedicated to the development of circus arts, notably Circostrada .

She also maintains long-standing ties with the Turbul circus school, located in Nîmes, France.

This cooperation, developed since 2012 , has resulted in joint shows, educational exchanges and technical training.

In September 2026 , Turbul staff led five days of workshops with Cirkusfera students, focusing in particular on duo acrobatics and Korean cradle.

These exchanges allow participants to discover specific disciplines and benefit from the experience of international artists.

CirkoBalkana: a festival dedicated to contemporary circus

Cirkusfera is also one of the organizers of the international CirkoBalkana festival, developed in partnership with the Croatian association Cirkorama.

This festival is an important event for contemporary circus arts in Serbia and the Balkans.

It presents shows by local and international artists, collective creations, professional meetings and educational workshops.

The event helps to introduce the public to the diversity of contemporary circus, while promoting exchanges between artists and cultural organizations.

The fourteenth edition of CirkoBalkana took place in Belgrade from September 11 to 26, 2026 , under a big top set up in Ciglana.

The program included performances by European companies, workshops, meetings, and presentations by local artists.

Cirkusfera students can thus develop in a dynamic artistic environment, in contact with professional creators and different forms of contemporary circus.

An organization actively involved in the professionalization of the sector

Cirkusfera plays an important role in the recognition of circus arts in Serbia.

The association participates in discussions and projects aimed at improving training, creation and dissemination opportunities for artists in the region.

In 2026 , she was notably associated with the international project Made in y(o)u , developed with Cirkorama and ROOM 100.

This initiative aims to build a traveling circus training program between several cities in Croatia, Serbia and Slovenia.

The project includes a pilot year in 2027 and training combining circus techniques, physical preparation, artistic creation, dramaturgy and theoretical knowledge.

It demonstrates Cirkusfera's commitment to developing more structured training pathways for future circus artists.

An amateur circus school focused on creation and transmission

Cirkusfera occupies a special place in the Serbian cultural landscape by combining amateur teaching, artistic support and development of the professional sector.

Its programs allow children to discover circus arts, teenagers to develop their skills, and young adults to explore a more in-depth practice.

The structure offers a multidisciplinary approach that combines juggling, balancing, aerial acrobatics, lifts, theatre and stage creation.

His commitment to education, international exchanges and collective projects helps to make contemporary circus an accessible and vibrant art form.

Cirkusfera thus constitutes an important reference for the training and transmission of circus arts in Belgrade and the Balkans.