GALM – Circus lessons from 't Paenhuys, Hoegaarden

GALM 's circus courses are offered in Hoegaarden within 't Paenhuys , a youth center and cultural venue which develops a significant range of artistic activities for the inhabitants of the municipality and surrounding areas.

GALM is the artistic teaching hub of 't Paenhuys. It brings together year-round courses in many disciplines, including music, singing, theatre, dance and circus arts .

Circus arts play a significant role there, with regular instruction organized throughout the school year.

For the 2026-2027 season, GALM offers two groups to accommodate different age groups.

• The first course is intended for children aged 6 to 12 .
• A second group welcomes teenagers from the age of 13 as well as adults .

This organization therefore allows one to start circus arts during childhood, but also to continue or discover this practice in adolescence and adulthood.

A multidisciplinary practice

The courses are multidisciplinary and allow you to experience several major families of circus arts.

Acrobatics is an integral part of the program.

Participants also discover hand balance work, which allows them to gradually develop body control, positioning, strength and coordination .

Aerial disciplines occupy an important place in the teaching offered at Hoegaarden.

• Students can, in particular, practice the trapeze .
• Aerial silks are also part of the program and allow for the gradual discovery of the climbs, positions and movements characteristic of this apparatus.
• GALM also offers aerial hammock practice, which complements the range of aerial disciplines.

Juggling is another important component of the courses.

It allows you to work on coordination , precision of movements , rhythm and perseverance while leaving plenty of room for play and experimentation.

Participants also discover different forms of balancing on objects .

Support from an experienced coach

The teaching is provided by an experienced coach who guides students in discovering new techniques and deepening skills already acquired.

An accessible and user-friendly philosophy

The philosophy displayed by 't Paenhuys is based on an accessible and friendly practice.

The courses are not presented with a focus on competition or performance at all costs.

The game , the pleasure of practicing and personal progress occupy a central place.

Each participant can therefore progress according to their age, experience and their own abilities.

This approach allows us to welcome both people who are completely new to the circus and participants wishing to deepen their knowledge of certain techniques.

Practical organization of courses

For the 2026-2027 season, children aged 6 to 12 practice on Saturday mornings while teenagers from 13 years old and adults have a class on Tuesday evenings .

The sessions last an hour and a half and are organized during the school year, excluding holiday periods.

A broader artistic project

The circus classes are part of a much larger artistic project led by GALM.

't Paenhuys defines itself as a meeting place and expression open to all , while GALM wishes to offer an artistic space to anyone curious to discover or develop a practice.

This multidisciplinary dimension provides a particularly interesting environment for circus practitioners.

They are educated in a place where music, singing, theatre and other forms of artistic expression are also taught.

The activities offered thus allow us to consider the circus not only as a physical activity, but also as a true artistic practice .

Affordable pricing

Accessibility is also part of the GALM project.

The organization offers several pricing levels to make its courses more accessible to families with different financial means.

With its weekly classes, its teaching throughout the school year, its two age groups and the diversity of techniques taught, GALM therefore constitutes a truly structured offer of amateur practice of circus arts in Hoegaarden.

Even though the circus is only one part of the much larger activity of 't Paenhuys, the importance and regularity of this teaching fully justify its referencing as a place for learning circus arts .