Holistic Circus

Holistic Circus

Holistique Circus is a school and training center for circus arts located in Mesnils-sur-Iton, in the Eure department, about twenty kilometers from Évreux. Created in 2013 in Gouville on the initiative of the circus artist and teacher Olivier Verger , with the involvement of Jacques Esprit , then mayor of the town, the school is run by the ASLG – Association Spectacles Loisirs Gouville .

Located in a rural area, Holistique Circus is developing a project that aims to make circus arts accessible to everyone. Children, teenagers, adults, families, beginners, and experienced practitioners can discover circus disciplines or deepen their skills. The school currently has around 150 members .

• Mesnils-sur-Iton
• Breteuil
• Verneuil d'Avre et d'Iton
• Evreux
• Nonancourt

The teaching method combines technical learning, creative research, artistic expression, and personal development. Courses are organized into learning cycles that allow students to progress in the different disciplines and then use the acquired techniques in a creative process intended for presentation to an audience.

Disciplinary offer

Juggling

• Balls
• Clubs
• Rings
• Chinese plates
• Diabolos
• Flower sticks
• Bolas
• Cigar boxes
• Scarves
• Hats
• Different forms of object manipulation

Balances on objects

• Cyr wheel
• Tightrope walking and balancing
• Balance ball
• Hand and foot stilts
• Rolla-bolla
• Pedalgo
• Unicycle
• Circus scooters
• Stunt bikes
• Circus tricycle
• Ladder
• Balancing on canes

Aerial disciplines

Aerial disciplines are also highly developed: Chinese pole, rope, trapeze, aerial silks, rope ladder, aerial hoop, and straps. These last two disciplines were added to the school's offerings in 2025 .

Acrobatics and related arts

• Acrobatics
• Hand-to-hand
• Pyramids
• Acting
• Mime
• Clown
• Dance
• Capoeira
• Musical proposals based on rhythm and batucada
• Magic

This wide diversity allows Holistique Circus to create multidisciplinary programs while also offering specialized workshops for practitioners wishing to delve deeper into a particular technique. Tightrope walking, aerial disciplines, Cyr wheel, mime, or even preparation for higher education programs can thus be the subject of more specific training.

Regular practice begins as early as age 3. In Gouville, the 2026-2027 program includes an introductory class for 3-5 year olds, several progressive levels, and a family class allowing children and adults to practice together. The school also has a location in Angerville-la-Campagne.

• Early learning classes for 3-5 year olds
• Several progressive levels
• Family classes
• Location in Angerville-la-Campagne

Instruction is provided by trained and certified circus professionals. The team includes experts in juggling, acrobatics, clowning, object balancing, tightrope walking, Chinese pole, aerial silks, and trapeze. External instructors may also be invited to teach specific disciplines or approaches.

The educational approach promotes a circus that serves the individual. Exploration, play, and creation are prioritized in the early stages before gradually introducing more technical learning situations. The goal is to develop motor skills, proprioception, self-confidence, creativity, and artistic expression, while respecting each participant's pace.

Individual practice is systematically integrated into a collective dynamic. Autonomy, respect, cooperation, and "doing things together" are important elements of the project. Holistique Circus therefore champions the values of popular education and aims to use circus arts to foster encounters and exchanges.

The school also has a truly inclusive dimension. It adapts its practices to the physical, mental and social characteristics of the participants and develops play-based therapeutic projects in social, care and specialized care facilities.

This activity is significant: Holistique Circus reports working with approximately 120 beneficiaries across five specialized facilities . The content is tailored to the audience, group dynamics, individual abilities, and objectives defined in collaboration with the partner organization.

Outreach interventions

• Schools, colleges, high schools
• Leisure centers
• Community centers
• MJC
• Holiday resorts
• Companies

The interventions can take the form of a multidisciplinary introduction or be devoted to a specific discipline such as juggling, acrobatics, trapeze or Chinese pole.

Holistique Circus also works with young children. The school reports having reached approximately 1,200 young children through its programs with early childhood centers.

The organization also supports young people who wish to pursue circus arts beyond a recreational activity. Specialized workshops and mentoring can prepare them for prestigious schools and training programs in France. Several former students have gone on to professional careers in the field.

However, this support should be distinguished from formal higher education: Holistique Circus is not presented as a CPES ( Preparatory Class for Higher Education) or a school awarding the DNSP (National Higher Professional Diploma) for circus artists . Its role is more about preparing, guiding, and supporting practitioners who wish to pursue these courses of study.

Each year, the students' work culminates in a public performance. This early summer show provides an artistic culmination to the learning acquired throughout the year and places the students in a real performance situation.

Alongside regular classes, Holistique Circus organizes introductory workshops and specialized courses. These workshops emphasize a recreational and multidisciplinary approach, with content adapted to the age and abilities of the participants and the venues.

Development 2026-2027

The 2026-2027 season marks a particularly important step in the development of the organization. For several years, the association has been working towards the creation of a true departmental center dedicated to circus arts in the Eure region.

After considering various real estate projects, the association opted for a tent-based solution. A second-hand tent of approximately 380 m2 is to be installed in Mesnils-sur-Iton starting in September 2026. This new facility is designed as a place for practice, knowledge sharing, creation, and meetings for both amateurs and professionals.

The project for this center goes far beyond just weekly classes. Holistique Circus aims to develop support and teaching in circus arts, support artistic creation, present shows, strengthen arts and cultural education, create links with higher education institutions, and support professionals in the sector.

The ambition is also to participate in the development of a true circus network across the Eure department and to address the entire sector, from amateur practices to professional support and the retraining of artists.

Holistique Circus is now a particularly comprehensive circus structure in Normandy. Its project combines amateur practice, advanced training, creation, early childhood programs, school interventions, adapted circus, support towards professional training and cultural development in rural areas.

From the three-year-old discovering the first balances to the experienced practitioner working on the Cyr wheel or aerial straps, from the family coming to practice together to the young people considering a professional orientation, the school seeks to offer "a circus for everyone" , based on pleasure, progression, creativity and the collective.