Imagine Circus School

The Imagine Circus School

The Imagine Circus School is located within Cirque Imagine, a permanent circus established in 2012 in the Carré de Soie district of Vaulx-en-Velin, on the outskirts of Lyon. It allows children, teenagers, and adults to discover or further develop their circus arts skills in a professional environment, directly under the big tops used by the artists of Cirque Imagine.

Sharing circus arts with the general public is a key focus of the organization's mission. The school promotes a practice accessible to all profiles and levels, from children taking their first steps in the ring to practitioners wishing to continue their development.

A key feature of the school lies in its teaching staff: classes are taught directly by the artists of Cirque Imagine. Students thus benefit from regular contact with performing arts professionals who pass on their techniques, their experience in the ring, and their knowledge of the various circus disciplines.

Educational project

The educational project is resolutely multidisciplinary.

• juggling with balls and diabolo
• balancing on a wire and on a ball
• unicycle
• acrobatics
• hula-hoop
• trampoline
• several aerial disciplines such as trapeze, hoop and aerial silks

The school's teaching materials also mention, depending on the group and the season, juggling clubs, scarves, and rings, as well as the rolla-bolla. This variety allows students to develop very different skills and gradually identify the disciplines that suit them best.

• clubs
• juggling scarves and rings
• rolla-bolla

Beyond technical learning, the school highlights the numerous educational benefits of circus arts practice.

• motor skills
• coordination
• strength
• spatial awareness
• creativity
• personal expression

Teamwork also plays an important role. Many exercises are done in pairs or groups to learn to cooperate, to become aware of one's place within a group, and to progress with others.

Course organization 2026-2027

For the 2026-2027 season, regular classes are organized into two main categories. Baby classes welcome children aged 3 to 5 and offer an initial introduction to ground and aerial disciplines. Kids classes welcome children aged 6 to 15 and allow for more in-depth training, adapted to the age and skill level of each student.

Baby classes last one hour and are offered on Wednesdays and Saturdays.

• juggling
• balancing on a ball
• acrobatics
• hula-hoop
• trapeze
• trampoline
• hoop
• aerial fabric

Kids' classes last an hour and a half. On Wednesdays, the first group welcomes 6-8 year olds at 1:30 pm and the second group welcomes 9-15 year olds at 3 pm. The classes are open to both beginners and children with prior circus experience.

The year doesn't end with just the last class. The students also prepare a show for their families and friends. This performance takes place under the Big Top of Cirque Imagine, a professional venue with a tent height of approximately ten meters and seating for up to 1,100 people.

This confrontation with the stage and the audience gives a true artistic dimension to the students' journey. The techniques learned during the year can then be used in a presentation designed for spectators.

The educational offerings don't stop at weekly classes. During school holidays, Cirque Imagine organizes five-day workshops for children aged 5 and up. These are open to both students of the school and other children who want to discover the circus.

• juggling with balls and diabolo
• balancing on a wire and a ball
• acrobatics
• hula-hoop
• trapeze
• unicycle
• trampoline
• hoop
• aerial fabric

They allow you to discover several families of disciplines during the same week.

Some workshops organized during the periods when Cirque Imagine presents its family show Sacré Cirque also include a performance. Children can thus combine practicing circus arts with discovering the work of professional artists on stage.

Teenagers and adults have another option: themed workshops. Organized regularly, these intensive workshops, lasting a few hours, focus on a specific discipline. They are led by artists from Cirque Imagine or by invited professional artists.

These workshops offer both a first introduction and a deeper technical understanding. They provide an interesting bridge between amateur practice and the work of circus professionals.

The Imagine Circus School also develops programs for schools and leisure centers. The big tops welcome children from kindergarten to high school throughout the year.

Groups can participate in introductory circus arts workshops organized as half-day, full-day, or three-day programs. These offerings are designed as genuine educational workshops allowing children to practice different disciplines.

• half-day
• full day
• three days

Schools and leisure centers can also attend performances specifically designed for them. The program thus combines artistic practice with an introduction to professional live performance.

This close relationship between the school and the professional circus constitutes the main identity of the Imagine Circus School. Students practice in a venue that hosts international artists, family shows, circus creations, and dinner shows blending cabaret and circus disciplines throughout the year.

The site is easily accessible from Lyon via metro line A, tram lines T3 and T7, and the Vaulx-en-Velin La Soie station. This location allows the school to reach students from Vaulx-en-Velin, Lyon, and the entire metropolitan area.

The Imagine Circus School is thus a rather unique offering among amateur circus schools in the Lyon region. It combines regular classes for children, holiday camps, workshops for teenagers and adults, and projects for schools with the daily activities of a permanent circus.

From the first discovery of the trapeze or a juggling ball to the presentation of the end-of-year show under the Big Top, the students develop in direct contact with the professional world of the circus.

• Juggling
• diabolo
• thread
• balance ball
• unicycle
• acrobatics
• hula-hoop
• trampoline
• trapeze
• hoop
• aerial fabric

• motor skills
• creativity
• self-expression
• cooperation

Thanks to its 2026-2027 courses, holiday camps, thematic workshops and offers for schools and leisure centers, Cirque Imagine offers an introduction to circus arts closely linked to the reality of the ring and professional live performance.