Cirque Toamême – Fribourg Circus School
Founded over 30 years ago, Cirque Toamême is a circus school located in Fribourg, Switzerland. It offers weekly classes for children, teenagers, and adults, as well as workshops, introductory courses, and training in show creation. Juggling, acrobatics, aerial disciplines, unicycling, tightrope walking, and balancing are the main focuses of its curriculum. The school also develops two creative programs that allow young artists to experience touring under the big top, both in Switzerland and abroad.
CH-1700 Fribourg
Cirque Toamême is a circus school located in Fribourg, Switzerland , which has been bringing together children, teenagers and adults for over 30 years around the practice, creation and transmission of circus arts.
Since 2016 , the association has occupied the buildings of the former Maigrauge thermal power plant in Fribourg's Old Town. This unique space hosts the school's classes, training sessions, and artistic projects.
Toamême's educational project is based on three main complementary axes: training , creation and cultural mediation .
Weekly classes
The school offers weekly classes that allow for a gradual introduction to the various circus disciplines. The instruction is suitable for both those new to the circus and experienced practitioners wishing to further develop their skills.
Younger children can discover the circus through motor skills classes and parent-child activities . These first experiences allow them to explore movement, coordination, balance, and relationships with others in a fun and age-appropriate environment.
Older children and teenagers can then explore different families of disciplines.
- Juggling
- Balance techniques
- The unicycle
- The thread
- Acrobatics
Aerial arts also occupy an important place in the program.
Learning takes place gradually, taking into account the abilities, desires and pace of each participant.
An educational, artistic and social pedagogy
The teaching methods developed by Toamême are not limited to the acquisition of technical skills. The school considers the circus as a true educational, artistic and social tool .
The benefits of circus practice
Circus arts practice proves beneficial in several ways:
- On a physical level : coordination, agility, flexibility and balance.
- On an artistic level : creativity, body expression and the ability to present oneself in front of an audience.
- On a collective level : cooperation, listening, mutual support and respect for each person's skills.
- On a personal level : self-confidence, overcoming apprehensions and managing stage fright.
Circus practice thus becomes a way to develop self-confidence , overcome certain apprehensions and learn to manage stage fright.
The creation of shows
An important characteristic of Cirque Toamême lies in the importance given to the creation of shows .
In addition to regular classes, the association offers two artistic creation programs allowing students to participate in the design and presentation of real circus shows.
These programs offer young people the opportunity to discover all dimensions of a circus production, from technical work to the construction of a collective show.
The creations can then lead to tours in Switzerland and abroad .
Participants then experience something similar to that of a touring company : traveling in a group, living in a caravan, setting up and taking down the big top, organizing equipment and performing for different audiences.
This dimension constitutes a particularly formative artistic and human experience .
It also allows young people to discover the concrete realities of live performance and to develop their autonomy .
Internships during school holidays
Cirque Toamême also organizes workshops during school holidays .
Open particularly to children from the age of 6 , these courses allow participants to discover several circus disciplines over a period of four to five days .
Professional artists and speakers are involved in supervising these activities.
Cultural mediation
The association also develops a significant cultural mediation activity.
Introductory workshops can be organized for schools, institutions, associations, adults and the elderly.
These interventions allow circus arts to be introduced to audiences who do not necessarily attend school during the year.
Toamême also participates in various cultural events and offers entertainment, shows, cabarets and public presentations.
A philosophy of transmission
The association encourages young adults to design their own artistic projects and to participate in their organization.
The most experienced students are also invited to pass on their knowledge to the younger ones , thus promoting educational continuity within the school.
This philosophy is based on the belief that everyone possesses skills to share and can contribute to the development of the group.
A foothold in professional networks
Cirque Toamême maintains relationships with several professional and educational networks.
- The Swiss Federation of Circus Schools (FSEC)
- Pro Circus
- The Fribourg Frisbee network
- The Youth and Sport (J+S) program
These affiliations demonstrate its place in the Swiss landscape of circus teaching and practice.
With its regular classes, workshops, creation programs and big top tours, Cirque Toamême is a complete school where amateur practice can evolve into a true artistic and stage experience.
