Kinder- und Jugendcircus Blamage eV – Erlenbach am Main

Kinder- und Jugendcircus Blamage is an educational and inclusive circus project based in Erlenbach am Main , Bavaria.

A story born on the island of Pellworm

The story of Circus Blamage begins in 1989 during a youth trip organized on the German island of Pellworm .

The experience gave rise to a sustainable project dedicated to the practice of circus arts by children and teenagers.

The Kinder- und Jugendcircus Blamage eV association was officially founded on April 6, 1993 .

An inclusive circus since its beginnings

From the beginning, his project is based on an inclusive conception of the circus: children and teenagers with or without disabilities practice together, participate in the same projects and collectively build their shows.

The goal is not to highlight the differences between participants, but to allow everyone to find their place according to their abilities , desires and talents .

Circus Blamage thus seeks to simultaneously develop the motor , creative , artistic and social skills of children and adolescents.

Intensive camps rather than weekly classes

However, its operation differs from that of a circus school offering weekly classes.

The core of its educational activity takes the form of intensive circus camps organized during Bavarian school holidays.

Camps are organised during the Easter , Pentecost and summer holidays, to which activities may occasionally be added during the autumn holidays.

• Each stay usually lasts one week .
• Approximately 45 children and teenagers then fully immerse themselves in the world of the circus.
• Participants are accompanied by a team of volunteer trainers and facilitators from Circus Blamage.

The circus disciplines practiced

The days are dedicated to discovering , learning and perfecting different circus disciplines.

• Juggling is one of the techniques regularly offered.
• Participants can also practice trapeze , trampoline and various forms of acrobatics .
• Human pyramids help to develop cooperation, trust, and teamwork.
• Clowning brings a theatrical and expressive dimension to the project.
• The program may also include fakir techniques as well as other disciplines chosen depending on the camp, the speakers and the participants.

This diversity allows children to discover several facets of the circus and to gradually find the disciplines that best match their abilities and desires.

Inclusion at the heart of pedagogy

The camps are open to children and teenagers with or without disabilities from the age of 9 .

Inclusion is one of the foundations of the educational project.

Each participant should be able to contribute to the final show according to their abilities.

The acts are therefore constructed taking into account the children's abilities rather than imposing the same technical level on everyone.

This approach allows individual skills to be valued while building a genuine collective project .

From the first workshop to the public performance

The work done during the week culminates in public performances .

The children therefore do not simply participate in a series of workshops: they experience the complete process of preparing a circus show.

1. They are discovering the disciplines.
2. They train daily.
3. They are building their acts.
4. They present their work in front of a real audience.

The red and white big top of Circus Blamage plays an important role in this experience.

For a week, the participants live to the rhythm of a real circus.

This immersion helps to create the strong collective feeling that the association places at the center of its identity.

A transmission between generations

The project also has an important transmission dimension.

Many former participants remain connected to Circus Blamage as they grow up and in turn become facilitators or trainers .

This continuity allows the association's know-how and unique culture to be passed on from one generation to the next.

Circus Blamage operates primarily through the volunteer commitment of its team.

Recognitions and current situation

Throughout its history, its work in favor of a truly inclusive circus has also garnered various accolades.

In particular, the association received the Bürgerkulturpreis from the Bavarian Parliament in 2014 for its commitment.

Even today, Kinder- und Jugendcircus Blamage continues its inclusive circus project.

For the 2026 season, several camps have been scheduled during the Easter , Pentecost and summer holidays.

A unique structure in the German landscape

Kinder- und Jugendcircus Blamage thus constitutes a particular structure in the German landscape of circus schools.

This is not a school operating primarily with weekly classes, but a genuine intensive circus educational project allowing children and teenagers with or without disabilities to experience together a week of creation, learning and performance .

Its long history , inclusive commitment , diversity of disciplines taught and continuity between young participants and future supervisors make it an important player in circus arts education in Bavaria .