Il Funaro – Laboratorio di Circo Educativo

Il Funaro is a cultural and artistic center in Pistoia offering, among other things, a truly annual educational circus program for children.

The laboratory is part of the training program offered by Teatri di Pistoia , which brings together theatre, circus and writing activities for different audiences.

Laboratories have historically been one of Funaro's important activities.

Each year, several hundred people participate in the various training courses offered by the center.

For the 2026-2027 season, fifteen workshops are planned for audiences ranging from children to seniors.

The circus has a specific place there thanks to the juggling and balancing laboratory run by Stefano Bertelli .

A structured annual program

This is not just a one-off internship. The program takes place throughout the entire academic year.

• For the 2026-2027 season, it includes thirty sessions .
• Classes begin on October 14, 2026 .
• They will continue until May or June 2027 .
• The tour concludes with a presentation of the work in front of the public.

The program is currently organized into two age groups:

• The first group welcomes children aged six to eight .
• A second one accommodates children aged nine to ten .

The Educational Circle: a philosophy above all

The project is explicitly presented as a Circo Educativo program. This definition is important for understanding the laboratory's philosophy.

Learning the technique is not considered the main objective. Circus techniques become tools for developing various physical, cognitive, creative, and relational skills.

Juggling, balancing and acrobatics

Juggling is one of the main tools used. It allows, in particular, for developing coordination between gaze and movement. Manipulating objects also develops precision, concentration, and the ability to organize several actions simultaneously.

Balance training is the second major focus of the program. The exercises allow the child to develop their body awareness in space. They engage balance and proprioception.

Acrobatics complements these two families of disciplines. The project thus seeks to develop a global body awareness rather than early specialization in a single technique.

Learning through process, mistakes, and play

Pedagogy places particular importance on the learning process . The final result is intentionally less important than the path taken to achieve it.

Mistakes are therefore part of the experience. The child experiments. He tries again. He gradually learns to understand what works and what needs to be changed.

This approach also helps to develop learning skills. Circus techniques then provide a support for developing perseverance and autonomy .

A strongly cooperative dynamic

The highly collaborative nature of the project is another of its distinctive features. Each participant possesses different skills. The laboratory seeks to leverage this diversity.

Individual skills are considered unique and legitimate. Therefore, the group is not organized around a logic of competition. On the contrary, children are encouraged to cooperate .

Games are one of the main ways used to develop this dynamic. Participants gradually learn to respect rules. They also discover the effort and commitment required to progress. But this requirement remains linked to moments of fun and relaxation.

The circus thus becomes a space in which learning and fun can work together.

Special attention is paid to relationships with others. Children learn to observe. They are encouraged to look at a situation from different perspectives. Mutual respect is an important value of the project. A sense of belonging to the group is also developed.

This approach seeks to improve both individual and collective relationships.

Collective creation and public presentation

Cooperation takes on a particularly concrete dimension when students work on a joint project . Each student must then use their own skills to serve a collective goal.

The public performance at the end of the year represents the culmination of this work. It is not simply a show intended to demonstrate technical prowess. It allows the children to present the result of a process developed over several months.

Presenting in front of an audience also helps build self-confidence . Students can demonstrate what they have learned and express their creativity. The emotional dimension therefore plays a significant role in education.

Stefano Bertelli, a teacher with a comprehensive artistic background

This philosophy is closely linked to Stefano Bertelli 's career path.

• He began his artistic career in 1996 with actor training at the Teatro Verdi in Pisa.
• In 2003 , he trained as a circus teacher.
• In the same year, he participated in the development of Antitesi Teatro Circo .

This structure is particularly important in the history of contemporary circus in Tuscany, as it was the first circus school created in the region. Stefano Bertelli worked there as a teacher and collaborator until 2011 .

During this period, he regularly participated in circus and juggling conventions. He also pursued various training courses in Italy and abroad. His career thus combines theatre, juggling, circus, and teaching .

This experience partly explains the very clearly educational focus of the Pistoia laboratory. Circus arts are not reduced to a sporting activity there; they retain an artistic dimension. Children's creativity is encouraged, and the relationship with an audience is gradually introduced. The group works together until they create a collective performance.

A regular and long-term activity

The program also has a real continuity. In May 2026 , the work of the previous season ended with the public presentation " Piccole Idee ".

This performance brought together students from the balancing and juggling workshop led by Stefano Bertelli. The renewal of the curriculum for 2026-2027 confirms that this is not a one-off initiative. Funaro therefore has a regular circus arts teaching program .

Inclusion and accessibility: a necessary distinction

The 2026-2027 program also confirms the importance of accessibility in the center's overall policy. The entire training program offered by the Teatri di Pistoia is presented as offering pathways adapted to different abilities.

Funaro notably has a theatre laboratory specifically designed for adults with physical or mental disabilities.

This is not a professional training program either. The laboratory's objective is not to prepare students for a higher circus school. Its value lies precisely in a different approach to teaching.

Juggling, balancing, and acrobatics are used as tools to develop the body, creativity, and relationships.

• The child learns to coordinate their movements.
• It develops his spatial perception.
• He manipulates objects.
• He's working on his balance.
• He learns to persevere.
• He discovers how to cooperate with other participants.
• He gradually develops his confidence.
• Finally, he participates in a collective creation presented in front of an audience.

This combination perfectly matches the concept of an educational circus .

A circus integrated into a multidisciplinary cultural center

The location at Funaro is also a significant advantage. The circus is integrated into a genuine cultural center . The children develop in an environment where theater, live performance, writing, and other art forms converge. This proximity helps maintain an artistic dimension in their learning.

The laboratory is therefore a relevant entry for the NetJuggler directory, even though Funaro is not exclusively a circus school. It is a permanent venue offering structured circus training every year.

• The course has a specialist teacher.
• It comprises thirty sessions.
• It is organised by age groups.
• He developed several families of techniques.
• He has a clearly defined teaching method.
• And it culminates in a public restitution.

For a family in Pistoia looking for a regular circus activity for their child, this is therefore a relevant offer .

A circus school integrated into a cultural center

Funaro thus represents an interesting form of circus school integrated into a multidisciplinary cultural center .

His juggling, balancing and acrobatics laboratory prioritizes personal development , cooperation and collective creation .

Circus techniques become a way for children to better understand their bodies, develop their learning abilities, and find their place in a group.

This philosophy, combined with Stefano Bertelli's experience and the annual continuity of the program, makes the Funaro circus laboratory a particularly interesting entry point for representing educational circus in Pistoia .