Kunstacademie Geraardsbergen – Circus

The Kunstacademie Geraardsbergen is a municipal art academy located in Grammont , East Flanders. It offers structured teaching in five main areas: music, theatre and oral expression, dance, visual arts and circus .

Circus arts therefore constitute a genuine branch of the artistic education offered by the academy.

Students attend classes every week during the school year and develop in an environment entirely devoted to the practice and learning of the arts.

A teaching method focused on acrobatics and body control

Circus training places great emphasis on acrobatics and the development of the physical abilities necessary for circus practice.

Students gradually learn to better understand their bodies, to develop coordination, balance, flexibility, strength and control of movements .

But the Kunstacademie's approach is not limited to the physical dimension of the circus.

A fully-fledged artistic discipline

As with other subjects taught within the institution, practice is viewed as an artistic discipline .

Creativity , personal expression and the ability to present work in front of an audience are therefore part of the journey.

This dimension is particularly interesting since circus students interact daily with students studying dance, theatre, music or visual arts.

Encounters between different artistic forms can thus be developed within the framework of the academy's projects.

Discovering the circus from a very young age

Even the youngest children can discover the circus at a very early age.

For the 2026-2027 school year, the academy is notably integrating the circus into its "Kunstpakketten" intended for first-grade primary school children.

These programs allow children to combine several artistic practices.

A single child can thus follow during their week circus combined with music and theatre, circus and dance or even circus and visual arts.

This approach allows one to discover several forms of expression before gradually deepening one's artistic preferences.

Learning can then continue in the field of circus arts along the path offered by the academy.

An offer open to adults

Moreover, the offer is not reserved for children.

The Kunstacademie Geraardsbergen also plans a specific registration for circus for adults , confirming that the discipline appeals to different generations.

This openness allows both beginners and students with prior experience to find a place in the school's educational project.

A true artistic learning journey

The courses are integrated into the academy's school calendar and therefore follow a true regularity throughout the year.

The students do not simply come to participate in a few introductory days: they enroll in an artistic learning journey .

Technical progression is also accompanied by presentations and projects allowing students to showcase the work developed during the year.

The students in the Circus department thus participate in the various artistic events organized by the academy.

Students also complete their studies in this discipline, just as in the fields of music, theatre, dance or visual arts.

This organization clearly distinguishes the Kunstacademie from a simple leisure center that occasionally offers a circus activity.

The circus is an integral part of the educational identity of the institution.

Easier access to artistic practice

The academy seeks more broadly to make art education accessible to a diverse audience.

Reduced tariff schemes exist in particular for certain groups and the establishment participates in the UiTPAS system.

This policy makes it easier to access regular artistic practice.

A model of circus arts education integrated with the arts

The Kunstacademie Geraardsbergen thus represents a particularly interesting form of circus education: it is directly integrated into a public academy dedicated to the arts .

Students can develop their technical skills while being constantly in contact with other artistic disciplines.

This proximity to dance, theatre, music and visual arts promotes a conception of the circus as a performing art and means of expression , and not solely as a physical activity.

Thanks to its weekly classes, its educational program, its openness to several ages and its complete integration into the functioning of the academy, the Kunstacademie Geraardsbergen fully deserves to be listed as a place of teaching circus arts in Grammont .