Espai de Circ Cronopis – Mataró

L'Espai de Circ Cronopis is a space dedicated to circus arts located in Mataró, in the province of Barcelona in Catalonia.

Cronopis was born in 2008 on the initiative of a group of artists wishing to consolidate the presence of the circus in Mataró and contribute to the development and professionalization of their sector.

The project was built around values of cooperation, solidarity, tolerance and knowledge sharing.

The collective considers the circus as an open performing art, capable of engaging in dialogue with music, theatre, dance, scenography and many other forms of creation.

To meet the needs of artists and the local area, Cronopis has gradually developed its own circus space.

Located in a former industrial hall, this space operates in a collective and self-managed way.

Today it combines several complementary functions: training, coaching, rehearsal, creation, residency and distribution.

The training

Training is one of the main focuses of the project.

Cronopis offers regular courses and intensive training dedicated to various circus techniques and stage disciplines.

• Aerial silks are among the disciplines regularly taught.
• The trapeze is also included in the training program.
• Acrobatics helps develop strength, coordination, mobility and body awareness.
• Acrobatic balancing introduces a collective dimension in which trust and cooperation become essential.
• The trampoline allows for a deeper exploration of dynamic and aerial work.
• The Chinese pole is also among the techniques taught.
• Dance complements this training and allows for the development of movement, expression, and stage presence.

Juggling and object manipulation are also very present in the educational activities developed by Cronopis.

Participants can discover balls, clubs, rings, scarves, diabolos or Chinese plates.

Balance techniques also play an important role.

Rola-bola, unicycle, balance ball, wire and stilts are among the equipment used in workshops and educational projects.

This diversity allows us to approach the circus in a truly multidisciplinary way.

Diverse audiences

Children can discover several techniques before gradually delving deeper into certain practices.

Cronopis is notably developing a Circus School aimed at younger children.

Specific activities related to aerial disciplines are also offered to teenagers.

Adults have access to regular classes in various disciplines.

Families can also practice together thanks to Circ en Família sessions.

These gatherings allow children, parents and relatives to freely experiment with juggling, aerial disciplines, balances and acrobatics.

The school environment

Cronopis is also developing a significant activity in educational institutions.

The group organizes extracurricular activities and workshops directly in different schools.

The trainers are circus artists with teaching experience and skills in circus pedagogy and social circus.

The workshops can be adapted to the characteristics of the groups, the spaces available and the objectives of the establishments.

The pedagogy seeks to develop psychomotor skills and knowledge of the body.

• It also fosters relationships between participants.
• Personal expression is encouraged.
• The circus becomes a way to use free time in a creative and participatory way.
• The collective dimension allows for working on cooperation and group living.
• Community revitalization and social cohesion are explicitly among the objectives pursued.

The social circus

The social circus is indeed an important aspect of Cronopis' identity.

The collective develops educational projects using circus arts with children and people in situations of or at risk of social exclusion.

These projects are carried out in collaboration with associations, social services and various partners in the area.

Cronopis also has specific experience in the field of disability.

Circus workshops for people with disabilities have been developed in particular in collaboration with El Taller d'Idees .

Circus practice then becomes a tool for working on physical abilities, autonomy, expression, social relationships and participation.

This link between artistic practice, pedagogy and social action is one of the strong characteristics of the project.

A space for professionals

Cronopis is not just a school, however.

Space also plays an important role for professional artists.

A large, fully equipped room is available for training.

It provides a meeting place for professionals and practitioners from different backgrounds.

The goal is to promote the exchange of knowledge and the creation of new collaborations.

• Artists can train there regularly during the week.
• The space also hosts rehearsals.
• Creative projects can benefit from artist residencies .

Cronopis thus contributes to the development of new circus proposals.

Artists and companies have an environment that allows them to experiment and develop their work.

The broadcast

Creation is closely linked to dissemination.

Cronopis also has a performance space.

Shows and cabarets are organized there.

These events may combine circus, live music, dance and theatre.

They allow the public to discover different forms of contemporary creation.

They also offer artists a space in which to present their work to the public.

A place that brings people together

Training, education, creation and dissemination thus coexist in the same place.

This proximity fosters exchanges between students, amateurs and professionals.

People discovering the circus can move around in an environment frequented by working artists.

For their part, the artists have a vibrant space, open to transmission and to the local community.

A project rooted in its territory

Since its creation in 2008, Cronopis has thus contributed to the development of the circus in Mataró and more broadly in the Maresme.

• The project allows children and teenagers to discover circus arts.
• Adults can begin or deepen a practice.
• Families have shared activities.
• Schools can integrate circus arts into their educational projects.
• Vulnerable or disabled audiences can benefit from projects using circus arts as a tool for inclusion and personal development.
• Professional artists finally have a space to train, rehearse, create and present their work.

This combination of school, social circus, amateur practice, professional training and support for creation makes Cronopis a particularly complete circus space.