Escuela de Circo Social de Zaragoza

The Escuela de Circo Social de Zaragoza is a circus school, a cultural association and a socio-educational project located in Zaragoza , Aragon.

His project is based on a concept of the circus that combines artistic learning , education , personal development , collective creation and social transformation .

The school views circus arts as tools to simultaneously develop the physical , artistic and social abilities of participants.

Since 2019 , she has been a resident of Harinera ZGZ , a public cultural facility located in the San José neighborhood.

This is where regular classes , weekend activities , and some of the projects developed by the association mainly take place.

The school also participates in the management of the Harinera ZGZ circus space in order to allow artists and companies to have a place for training and creation .

Regular training

Regular training runs throughout the school year .

It currently hosts approximately 155 students in annual training.

Several pathways allow the teaching to be adapted to the age, experience and objectives of the participants.

Circo Iniciación

Circo Iniciación is one of the entry points to the practice.

The course allows children who are discovering the circus to experience movement , play and different circus techniques .

Children's Circus

Circo Infantil continues this discovery with school-aged children.

The groups are organized according to age brackets .

Motor development is associated with creativity and artistic learning .

Circo Voltereta

The school also offers Circo Voltereta to children who already have some experience.

They can deepen their techniques while developing body expression and physical preparation .

Circo Joven a Escena

Teenagers and young people with more experience can join Circo Joven a Escena .

This course marks a significant evolution in progression.

The technique remains present, but it is gradually integrated into a genuine creative process.

The young people develop routines and explore the relationships between circus , dance and theatre .

• They work on collective creation .
• They participate in rehearsals and staging .
• Autonomy and stage creativity are gradually becoming more important.

Circus Acrobatics

The Circo Acrobático course also offers more technical and demanding work.

It is aimed particularly at teenagers wishing to further develop their acrobatic skills.

Physical preparation , group dynamics and artistic dimensions, however, remain associated with technical progression.

Circo Abierto

Circo Abierto completes this offer.

This is a shared training space allowing practitioners to research , experiment , consolidate their skills and develop a more autonomous practice.

The school therefore supports students from their first discoveries to levels allowing for greater autonomy and creativity .

The subjects taught

The number of subjects taught is particularly high.

Juggling

Juggling is one of the major technical families.

It includes object manipulation , learning movements and working on group passes .

Acrobatics

Acrobatics constitutes another pillar of the teaching.

• The students are discovering the fundamentals of acrobatics .
• Acrobatic lifts are practiced in pairs and in groups.
• Verticals are part of the progression.
• The school also incorporates certain movements from parkour .

Balances on objects

The equilibria on objects are particularly diverse.

• The rola-bola allows you to explore instability on a roller.
• The balance ball is used.
• Slacklining is among the available equipment.
• Stilt walking is taught.
• The thread allows us to approach balance in a different configuration.
• The unicycle completes this family.

Aerial disciplines

Aerial disciplines are also very prominent.

• The trapeze is taught.
• Aerial silks are part of the curriculum.
• Aerial hoop is also practiced.
• The pole is one of the techniques offered, and the Chinese pole is a particular specialty within the teaching team.

These technical skills are never completely separate from artistic work.

• The theatre plays a role in the creation of the acts.
• Dance and movement help to enrich the physical vocabulary.
• The clown can also be integrated into the creative process.

The ultimate goal is therefore not simply to successfully perform tricks.

Students gradually learn to use their skills to construct an artistic proposal .

The methodology

The school's methodology places great importance on play .

The game stimulates imagination and creativity while developing the individual skills of each participant.

The school places more emphasis on process and progression than on immediate performance.

Each student is supported in order to gradually strengthen their autonomy .

The collective dimension is just as important.

For the Escuela de Circo Social de Zaragoza, the circus also constitutes a school of life in society .

The activities allow us to work on cooperation , trust and respect for differences .

Artistic creations can be used to explore issues concerning the neighborhood or society.

Students are encouraged to explore their local area and participate in the cultural life of Zaragoza.

This relationship between artistic practice and the local environment is one of the strong characteristics of the project.

The social circus

The school explicitly defines itself as a social circus structure.

Its objective therefore goes far beyond technical education.

Circus is used as a tool for personal development , inclusion and collective building .

• Attention , self-esteem , and perseverance are among the desired abilities.
• Self-confidence and trust in others is also a goal.
• Learning allows us to gradually confront failure and learn how to overcome it.

Participants discover that a complex skill can be acquired gradually through work and cooperation.

This philosophy explains the importance given to inclusion .

The school promotes safe and supportive spaces in which each participant can progress at their own pace.

The groups are intentionally limited in order to maintain close support .

The teaching staff

The team brings together professionals from the artistic and socio-educational fields.

Several trainers themselves combine professional artistic practice with training in the social field .

Continuing education for teachers

The institution also invests in the training of its own teachers.

• The team members continue their training in circus pedagogy , specialized techniques and physical preparation .
• Exchanges are organised with other Spanish trainers.

Since 2020 , the school has also been developing a training program for future circus trainers .

It allows one to explore different disciplines and to learn how to construct educational sessions .

This transmission can, in particular, allow young practitioners to gradually consider a leadership role.

Exchanges and networking

Exchanges with other schools constitute another important component.

Young people can meet students from other institutions, discover other methods and share their experiences.

The school has already participated in several youth exchanges .

This opening is part of a larger network.

• The Escuela de Circo Social de Zaragoza belongs to the Federación Española de Escuelas de Circo Socio Educativo (FEECSE).
• She also works with various cultural and professional organizations.
• It is linked to CARPA , the association of circus professionals in Aragon.
• She also participates in national networks within the circus sector.

This involvement allows the school to participate in discussions concerning the structuring and recognition of circus arts training in Spain.

The school therefore also plays a role in structuring the Aragonese circus sector.

School interventions and open programs

Schools are another important area of intervention.

Circles

The Circoles program allows for the direct provision of activities adapted to schools.

The sessions are structured according to the age and characteristics of the groups.

Movement , expression , cooperation and learning through play are the main axes of these interventions.

Summer camps

Summer camps also allow children to discover the circus.

Acrobatics , balancing , juggling and aerial disciplines are among the components of these programs.

The approach remains intentionally playful and non-competitive .

Friendship , trust , progress and self-improvement are integrated into the technical work.

Circo en Familia

The school also develops the Circo en Familia .

These meetings allow children and adults to practice together.

The 2026-2027 program offers two sessions per month at Harinera ZGZ.

The circus then becomes a way to share an activity between generations.

Play , movement , creativity and cooperation structure the sessions.

Creation and distribution: the Social Circus Festival

The Escuela de Circo Social de Zaragoza also has an important activity of creation and dissemination .

She organizes the Zaragoza Social Circus Festival every year.

In May 2026 , the festival celebrated its fourteenth edition .

For several days, students , professional artists , residents and social actors come together around shows, galas, workshops and meetings.

The festival is supported by the Zaragoza City Council .

It is deeply integrated into the San José neighborhood.

The 2026 program notably involved students from the school with Spanish and international artists.

It also included a presentation of the Circapacidad collective.

This dimension illustrates the desire to create a dialogue between artistic practice , diversity and inclusion .

The festival also provides a space for students to perform on stage.

Public performance is part of the educational process.

The creations allow young people to gradually transform their learning into collective artistic proposals .

The school today announced several dozen artistic creations produced since the project's inception.

This activity shows that creation is not simply an occasional supplement.

It is an integral part of pedagogy .

A socio-educational and amateur school

However, the Escuela de Circo Social de Zaragoza remains primarily a socio-educational and amateur school.

It does not currently offer a higher professional course equivalent to that of institutions like Rogelio Rivel .

However, the advanced courses allow young people to achieve a greater level of technical and artistic practice.

The training space, exchanges with other schools, the training of trainers and links with the professional sector can also support young people wishing to pursue their career in the circus.

A major structure for Zaragoza and Aragon

The Escuela de Circo Social de Zaragoza ultimately represents a particularly complete example of a project where the circus is simultaneously a physical practice , an artistic language , a pedagogical tool and a means of social action .

• Its location in Harinera ZGZ gives it a permanent space in the heart of the San José district.
• His regular lessons ensure technical progress.
• His creations develop artistic expression.
• Its community projects reinforce its social action.
• His school visits allow him to reach new audiences.
• His interactions open young people up to other realities.
• And its annual festival creates a real link between students, artists, residents and the professional sector.

For Zaragoza and more broadly Aragon, the Escuela de Circo Social de Zaragoza is therefore a major structure for the transmission and development of circus arts.