LATIBUL – Cologne Circus Arts Education Centre

LATIBUL – Theater- & Zirkuspädagogisches Zentrum Köln is a major German center dedicated to teaching, transmission, and creation in the fields of circus arts and theater . Located in Cologne, the organization has developed activities recognized regionally and nationally.

Origins and history

Its history begins in 1981 with the creation of the Theaterpädagogisches Zentrum Köln , an association dedicated to cultural education and theatre pedagogy.

In 2002 , this activity was complemented by the opening of ZAK – Zirkus- und Artistikzentrum Köln , a center specifically dedicated to circus pedagogy.

Since 2021 , the two establishments have been united under a common identity: LATIBUL .

The association nevertheless maintains two separate locations, one primarily dedicated to theatre and the other to circus arts.

The circus center is located in the Riehl district, north of Cologne, in a space that can accommodate classes, training, workshops, creations and artistic events.

An amateur teaching activity

LATIBUL offers a significant amateur teaching activity, with weekly courses organized during the school year.

Children and teenagers can gradually discover circus arts in an educational setting adapted to their age and experience.

The workshops offer an introduction to juggling , acrobatics and various circus techniques.

The teaching emphasizes an active approach in which participants experiment, learn new techniques, and develop their physical and artistic abilities.

Individual progress is accompanied by genuine collective work.

Regular classes lead in particular to public presentations allowing students to share their learning with their loved ones and to discover the demands of the stage.

LATIBUL also organizes internships during school holidays, thematic workshops and short-term projects .

These activities allow new participants to discover the circus without prior experience, but also allow students already enrolled to deepen their practice.

The regular theatre and circus activities together welcome more than 350 participants each week .

A strong social dimension

The structure also has an important social dimension.

She works with many schools, youth centers and reception facilities, particularly with young people facing social difficulties or having fewer opportunities to access culture.

LATIBUL thus develops specific projects with educational and social partners, including establishments hosting refugees.

The goal is to make circus arts accessible to different audiences and to use artistic practice as a tool for meeting , expression and personal development .

A training center for professionals

Beyond amateur teaching, LATIBUL also constitutes a training center for cultural education professionals.

Its state-recognized training organization offers courses and supplementary training in the fields of theatrical and circus pedagogy.

These courses are aimed particularly at people wishing to acquire teaching skills to supervise artistic activities.

Particular attention is also paid to the training of adolescents and young adults wishing to move into management roles.

LATIBUL is involved in particular in the development of training courses in circus pedagogy at the level of the state of North Rhine-Westphalia .

Artistic guidance and creation

The structure also supports young circus artists in their development towards a more in-depth practice and, for some, towards professionalization.

This approach is part of a desire to support the development of contemporary circus .

LATIBUL encourages artistic approaches that combine circus technique, movement, research and personal creation.

The association also develops its own theatrical and circus productions, mainly aimed at young people or made directly with them.

Events, festivals and artistic presentations provide opportunities for dialogue between students, artists, education professionals and the public.

The centre thus constitutes a place of practice but also a space for creation and cultural dissemination .

A major player in circus education

Thanks to its numerous collaborations, LATIBUL plays an important role in the development of circus pedagogy in Germany.

Its distinctive feature lies in the continuity it offers between amateur discovery, regular practice, social projects, training of supervisors and artistic support.

With over forty years of association history , a permanent presence in Cologne and an activity combining circus, theatre and cultural education, LATIBUL is a major player in the transmission of circus arts in North Rhine-Westphalia.