La Nave del Espacio – Escuela de Circo y Danza

La Nave del Espacio is a training, creation, and development center for artistic projects, primarily dedicated to circus arts and contemporary dance. It is located in La Muela, in the municipality of Vejer de la Frontera, in the heart of the province of Cádiz in Andalusia.

The project was founded in 2015 under the impetus of the Cooperativa Andaluza Espacio de las Artes . It is directed by Guillermo Hunter with Elena Carretero as coordinator.

Since its creation, La Nave del Espacio has developed an approach in which training , artistic creation , transmission and cultural action complement each other.

The center is now located in a rural environment, allowing students and artists to work in a setting particularly suited to research and creation.

Its main workspace is a large geodesic dome designed to accommodate circus arts, contemporary dance, training, and creative processes.

The circus school

La Nave del Espacio offers a circus school for different ages and skill levels.

Children's Circus

Children can start with children's circus classes . These classes allow them to gradually discover the main families of circus arts in a fun and safe environment.

Children develop their physical abilities and coordination while discovering the creative and collective dimensions of the practice.

Circus Club

From the age of 9 , the Circus Club allows this progression to continue through acrobatics, juggling, balances and various circus techniques.

Aerial disciplines

Young people can also delve deeper into aerial disciplines . Aerial technique courses are particularly focused on silks and trapeze .

A program designed for young people allows them to gradually develop intermediate-level skills and explore different circus disciplines. The artistic dimension becomes progressively more important with experience.

Young people can participate in creations and events that allow them to discover the relationship between technical learning and stage performance.

Adult courses

Adults also have access to circus classes. They can develop or deepen their skills in acrobatics, juggling and other disciplines depending on the programs offered.

Contemporary dance

Contemporary dance also plays a significant role in the project. Regular classes and intensive workshops allow participants to explore movement, creativity, and physical expression.

This ongoing connection between circus and dance also influences circus training programs. Technical work can thus be complemented by research into movement, acrobatic dance, and stagecraft.

Professional training

La Nave del Espacio also develops a significant professional training activity. The center offers a Professional Training Program for Circus Teachers, intended for people over 18 years of age who already have experience in circus arts.

This training program specifically prepares students for teaching circus disciplines . It enables future teachers to acquire the necessary skills to work in circus schools, specialized workshops, leisure facilities, extracurricular activities, and internships.

Theoretical content

The program combines theoretical training, technical practice, and pedagogical learning. Students study anatomy , physiology , and biomechanics .

• Pedagogy and didactics occupy an important place.
• Training theory allows for a better understanding of the construction and progression of training sessions.
• First aid training is also included in the program.
• The cultural dimension of the circus is addressed through anthropology and knowledge of the sector.

Multidisciplinary practical training

The practical training is intentionally multidisciplinary . Students work:

• acrobatics ;
• the verticals ;
• balances on objects ;
• acrobatic lifts ;
• aerial disciplines ;
• juggling ;
• physical preparation ;
• contemporary dance and acrodance ;
• stage production .

The objective is to train teachers capable of transmitting several families of disciplines at the introductory and intermediate level while understanding the pedagogical and physical challenges of their teaching.

Organization of the 2026-2027 training program

The 2026-2027 training program is organized from October to June .

• An intensive course consists of 160 hours of training, mainly spread over one weekend per month.
• An immersive option allows participants to complement this program with a regular annual course and guided training. This option can reach a total of 800 hours .

Individual tutoring is integrated into the program. Students also undertake professional placements and observations in the workplace. This practical experience allows them to compare theoretical knowledge with the realities of teaching.

Access to the training program requires an audition , which can be conducted in person or remotely.

Advanced training and collaborations

The center also develops advanced training programs for artists wishing to refine their practice. Collaborations are notably established with the Fondazione Cirko Vertigo in Turin .

These exchanges make it possible to host intensive programs and to create bridges with other European vocational training structures.

A place for artistic creation

La Nave del Espacio is also a place for artistic creation . The center has hosted artists and companies in residence since 2016. The geodesic dome functions as a laboratory allowing for experimentation, rehearsal, and the construction of new creations.

The residencies are open to circus, dance, theatre, and more broadly, the performing arts. Artists have access to a workspace and resources tailored to their research. The centre hosts Spanish and international companies.

Residencies also allow for exchanges between professional artists, teachers and practitioners.

La Nave del Espacio has its own creative and production activities. Its shows regularly combine circus and contemporary dance.

This professional activity directly informs the educational environment of the center. Students thus develop in a place where circus arts are taught , practiced , researched and created .

The socio-educational circus

The socio-educational circus constitutes another important axis of the project. La Nave del Espacio is a member of the Federación Española de Escuelas de Circo Socio Educativo , the FEECSE.

The center thus participates in a national network that uses circus arts as a tool for educational, cultural, and social intervention . Projects are developed with schools and various organizations in the region.

El Circo en la Escuela

The El Circo en la Escuela program allows for the introduction of circus arts directly into schools. Children discover the circus arts through workshops that combine motor skills development, creativity, and teamwork.

The circus then becomes an educational tool allowing the development of coordination , confidence , cooperation and expression .

Social Circus Actions

La Nave del Espacio also carries out genuine social circus activities. The center collaborates in particular with the Fundación Márgenes y Vínculos on projects aimed at migrant women who are victims of gender-based violence.

These interventions use the body, movement, expression and artistic practices to create safe spaces that promote reconstruction, personal expression and collective connection.

The center also collaborates with organizations involved in solidarity and cultural action projects. These initiatives use circus arts and live performance as means of raising awareness, fostering encounters, and promoting social transformation.

This social dimension complements the educational mission of the school.

Internships and camps

La Nave del Espacio also runs workshops and camps during the holidays. The circus camps allow participants to discover several disciplines through an intensive program.

Projects combining acrobatics and surfing are also proposed, taking advantage of the natural environment of the province of Cádiz.

Several ways to integrate the project

The diversity of activities thus allows for several ways to integrate the project:

• A child can discover the circus through a regular course.
• A teenager can deepen their practice and participate in a creative project.
• An adult can begin or improve a skill.
• An experienced practitioner can pursue advanced training.
• A person wishing to become a teacher can join the professional training program for circus teachers.
• A professional artist can come to train or develop a creation during a residency.

This diversity makes La Nave del Espacio a true resource center for circus arts in the province of Cádiz.

A rural and territorial base

Its rural location is also an important characteristic of the project. The structure contributes to developing a professional artistic offering outside of major metropolitan areas.

It creates a meeting point between local residents, amateur practitioners, students in training, and professional artists. La Nave del Espacio thus contributes to the development of contemporary circus in Andalusia while maintaining a strong connection with its local community.

A holistic approach to the circus

His project combines technical learning , pedagogy , creation , professionalization , artistic research and social engagement .

The circus is considered there as a physical discipline , an artistic language , a profession , an educational tool and a means of social action .

This comprehensive approach allows the centre to support very different audiences and to create bridges between amateur practice and the professional environment.