Escola de Circ Quina Gràcia – Barcelona

Escola de Circ Quina Gràcia is a circus school created in 2002 in the Gràcia district of Barcelona .

The project was born from the desire to create a space allowing children to discover the world of the circus and its different techniques in an educational environment that promotes their physical , artistic and personal development.

Since its creation, the school has developed a pedagogy in which the practice of circus combines physical activity and creativity .

More than 200 children and young people participate in its activities each year.

Quina Gràcia operates in small groups in order to respect different learning paces.

Regular groups typically accommodate six to eight students .

This organization allows teachers to individually support participants and adapt the progression to their age , experience , and abilities .

The school has one important peculiarity: it does not have a single building dedicated to the circus.

Quina Gràcia defines itself as a nomadic school.

It develops its activities within several schools in Barcelona through agreements allowing the use of their facilities.

This approach also helps to bring circus arts closer to educational communities and to create links with the neighborhoods where the activities are organized.

Regular school

Regular schooling is divided into two main tracks .

The Children's School

The Escola Infantil welcomes children from 6 to 13 years old .

Classes are held from October to June .

The children usually practice two hours of circus arts per week .

The training is intentionally multidisciplinary .

Students discover juggling , balancing , acrobatics , aerial disciplines and clowning .

Juggling

Juggling is approached as the art of manipulating different objects.

Students can work with balls , Chinese plates , diabolo , scarves and various accessories.

This practice helps to develop coordination , concentration and precision .

The balances

Balances constitute another large family of disciplines.

The school uses, among other things, the wire , the unicycle , the balance ball and the American roller .

These activities help to develop body awareness , muscle tone , concentration and movement control .

Acrobatics

Acrobatics allows students to explore the possibilities of their own bodies.

Learning activities can include rolls , cartwheels , verticals , jumps and various forms of acrobatics.

Progression develops agility , coordination , strength and flexibility .

Acrobatic work also allows one to explore the relationship to space and the movements of other participants.

Aerial disciplines

Aerial disciplines complement this training.

Aerial silks and the trapeze allow students to discover suspended acrobatics.

These techniques develop new physical qualities and offer numerous possibilities for artistic expression.

The clown

The clown is another important component of the teaching.

It is used as an artistic discipline but also as an educational tool .

Play , expression , authenticity and emotions allow students to gradually discover their own comedic character.

This diversity of disciplines allows children to acquire a general circus culture before possibly seeking to deepen their knowledge of a particular technique.

Annual progression

The annual progression is organized into several stages .

The first period is devoted to learning the techniques .

Students discover different disciplines and gradually develop their skills.

A second period is more devoted to artistic creation .

Participants then begin to explore different ways to use the techniques they have learned.

The last part of the year is devoted to rehearsals and preparation for the end-of-course show .

This show is being created collectively by the students and teachers.

Participants are thus involved in the creative process and do not simply reproduce a pre-prepared act.

The show brings together the technical and artistic skills acquired throughout the year.

It also represents a first experience of performing and interacting with the audience.

The performances can take place under a real professional big top .

The Youth Escola

From the age of 13 , students can continue their studies at the Escola Juvenil .

This section was created in 2019 to allow young people who grew up with the school to continue practicing circus arts during their adolescence.

It welcomes young people aged 13 to 18 .

The training gradually becomes more intensive.

Students can practice up to four hours per week , spread over two afternoons.

The groups are deliberately kept small.

Education allows teenagers to delve deeper into a chosen subject.

They also develop their autonomy in training.

Technical practice is gradually linked to creation and representation.

The students participate in several shows throughout the year.

They can also take part in exchanges and meetings with other circus schools for young people.

These meetings provide an opportunity to discover other circus practices, teachers and environments.

The youth program also incorporates other performing arts disciplines.

Theatre , dance and clowning help to complement circus training.

These tools promote the development of stage presence and artistic expression .

Street theatre is also among the areas explored.

The training aims to gradually move young people from a primarily recreational practice towards a more autonomous and artistic one.

Collective creation

Collective creation remains essential.

Students learn to work together to build a technical and artistic proposal.

This approach promotes cooperation and develops team spirit .

The school views the circus as a collaborative activity .

Individual progress contributes to a collective creation.

This design also influences the teaching relationship.

The teaching staff

The teachers come from different artistic and professional backgrounds.

The team includes circus artists and professionals from physical activity , theatre and dance .

This diversity allows for the intersection of different approaches to learning and creation.

The speakers aim to share their knowledge of the disciplines as well as their passion for the world of the circus.

An educational dimension

The educational dimension constitutes one of the historical foundations of Quina Gràcia.

Physical activity is used to support the child's development.

Creativity is encouraged throughout the learning process.

Students are invited to suggest their own ideas and to participate in the development of activities and creations.

This participation gradually promotes autonomy .

Circus arts also allow you to work on your relationships with others.

Group activities require listening , cooperation and respect .

The diversity of profiles and learning paces is taken into account in the organization of the groups.

Quina Gràcia affirms a commitment to social integration and respect for diversity .

The school seeks to create an environment in which everyone can find their place.

This commitment is reflected in particular by a teaching approach that is attentive to the different realities encountered within groups.

A nomadic school

The school also maintains a special relationship with educational institutions.

Its regular activities are organized in several public schools in Barcelona.

This presence helps to bring circus arts closer to the educational world.

It also allows for the sharing of spaces and resources.

The project thus helps to create links between the circus school, educational institutions and the residents of the neighborhoods concerned.

Children's activities are organized in particular in establishments in the Gràcia district.

The youth training takes place at Escola Vil·la Joana , in the Vallvidrera area.

This same environment also hosts certain activities organized during the holidays.

Circ i Estiu

Every summer, Quina Gràcia organizes Circ i Estiu .

This summer school allows children and teenagers to experience a week largely devoted to circus arts.

Participants discover or deepen their knowledge of different techniques in a fun and creative environment.

Activities include trapeze , juggling , balancing , acrobatics , clowning and magic .

Each week ends with a short presentation to share the work done.

The environment of Vil·la Joana also allows the circus to be associated with outdoor activities.

The summer school thus constitutes an extension of the educational project developed during the year.

Recognition and networking

Quina Gràcia is recognized by the city of Barcelona for the quality of its activities.

This accreditation allows families to benefit from support mechanisms provided for certain educational activities.

The school also participates in the Spanish network of socio-educational circus schools.

She is a member of the Federación Española de Escuelas de Circo Socio Educativo .

This participation allows us to share methods, experiences and reflections with other structures using the circus as an educational tool.

The school thus contributes to the development and recognition of the circus as an artistic and educational discipline.

His project, however, remains strongly rooted in his local area.

The Gràcia district is the historical birthplace of the school.

Collaboration with several institutions allows us to maintain this close relationship with children and families.

A journey from childhood to adolescence

Quina Gràcia today constitutes a path allowing one to discover the circus during childhood and then to continue its practice until the end of adolescence.

A child can start at six years old in a multidisciplinary group.

He gradually discovered juggling , balancing , acrobatics , aerial arts and clowning .

Over the years, he developed his technique , his creativity and his autonomy .

During adolescence, he can delve deeper into a discipline and participate in more creative projects and performances.

This continuity is one of the main characteristics of the school.

The practice is not limited to the acquisition of technical skills.

It gradually supports the physical , artistic and collective development of the student.

The shows give a concrete purpose to the learning.

Exchanges with other schools open young people up to a wider circus community.

Links with schools reinforce the educational dimension of the project.

Summer activities finally allow us to continue discovering the circus in a different setting.

Through this combination of regular training , collective creation , performances , exchanges and summer activities , Escola de Circ Quina Gràcia has been developing since 2002 an approach to circus aimed primarily at children and young people, deeply linked to education , creativity and collective life .