Loimaan työväenopisto – Sirkus

Loimaan työväenopisto is a municipal community education center located in Loimaa, in southwestern Finland. It offers a circus arts program primarily for children and teenagers, with activities adapted for babies, toddlers, and families.

Courses are held in several municipal facilities in Loimaa and Alastaro. The institution also offers occasional activities in other locations, including Virttaa.

A municipal education system open to all

Loimaan työväenopisto is a community education center offering courses in many areas: arts, physical activities, crafts, languages and computer science.

The courses are accessible to residents of Loimaa as well as people residing in neighboring municipalities.

Circus arts occupy a specific place in its program. They are taught through regular classes, workshops, and introductory sessions.

The goal is to make circus disciplines accessible to participants of different ages and skill levels.

A pedagogy based on the pleasure of learning

The institution emphasizes a progressive and encouraging approach.

Students discover circus techniques through play, training and experimentation.

Each participant is encouraged to progress at their own pace.

The exercises help to develop motor skills, balance, mobility and coordination.

The school also places particular importance on interpersonal skills and teamwork.

The practice is structured around educational objectives, without making competition an end in itself.

The baby circus

The Vauvasirkus program offers a first discovery of the world of the circus for babies accompanied by an adult.

The sessions are based on play, sensorimotor exploration and the discovery of different accessories.

The exercises are adapted to the development of toddlers.

The participation of a parent or relative allows for sharing a physical and fun activity.

These sessions are organized in the form of short cycles.

The circus for toddlers

Taaperosirkus classes are for young children accompanied by an adult.

Participants discover different motor activities inspired by circus arts.

The sessions allow children to experiment with basic balance, movement, and the manipulation of accessories.

The teaching emphasizes the pleasure of movement and the progressive discovery of new bodily possibilities.

These courses are offered in Loimaa and Alastaro.

The family circus

The Perhesirkus program allows children to practice circus arts with an accompanying adult.

The activities combine games, physical exercises and the discovery of circus disciplines.

The group offered in Loimaa for autumn 2026 is for children over 5 years old accompanied by an adult.

This formula encourages cooperation and allows families to share an artistic and physical experience.

The first self-directed courses

The Pikkusirkus program allows children to discover circus arts in a group adapted to their development.

In Alastaro, children aged 5 to 7 can join the Tenavasirkus group.

These courses constitute a step between circus arts initiation and groups intended for older children.

Students develop their coordination, balance, and ability to participate in group activities.

Circus for 7 to 13 year olds

At Loimaa, a regular group welcomes children aged 7 to 13.

The sessions allow participants to discover several circus disciplines and to gradually develop technical skills.

The students practice acrobatics, juggling and balance exercises.

The teaching also includes group activities and exercises that promote self-confidence.

This group provides an opportunity for regular practice throughout the school year.

Circus groups in Alastaro

In Alastaro, the establishment offers a circus group for children aged 8 to 13.

A second group, intended for young people aged 9 to 14, is reserved for more experienced practitioners.

This distinction allows us to offer exercises adapted to different levels.

Advanced students can deepen previously acquired techniques and discover more demanding movements.

The classes take place in the gymnasium of the Kirkonkylän koulu school.

Ground acrobatics

Acrobatics is one of the main disciplines taught.

The students discover, among other things, somersaults, hand balances and human pyramids.

These exercises help develop strength, mobility, coordination and body control.

Group acrobatics also promotes cooperation and communication among participants.

The challenges are adapted to the age and level of the group.

Juggling and object manipulation

The courses offer a wide variety of juggling accessories.

Students can discover, among other things, balls, poi, flower sticks, diabolo and Chinese plates.

These disciplines help to develop coordination, concentration and precision.

They also offer opportunities to create personal sequences.

The diversity of the materials allows each student to discover different forms of manipulation and to identify the disciplines that interest them.

The balance disciplines

The program includes balance exercises using, among other things, the rola-bola and the unicycle.

These disciplines require concentration, perseverance and good coordination.

Students gradually learn to control their posture and movements.

Learning balance also helps to develop self-confidence through successive successes.

Aerial acrobatics

Loimaan työväenopisto also offers aerial acrobatics activities.

For autumn 2026, a specific cycle of aerial acrobatics and circus arts is being organised in Loimaa for children over 8 years old.

This activity allows you to discover another dimension of circus arts, combining body movements and work in suspension.

The specific equipment used is not detailed on the establishment's general page.

Activities designed for audiences with special needs

The establishment indicates that its circus groups can also accommodate audiences with special needs.

The goal is to offer activities adapted to the abilities and situation of the participants.

The circus can thus be a support for motor development, cooperation and personal expression.

The exact arrangements for admission and any specialized groups must be confirmed with the establishment.

A day of discovery in Virttaa

The 2026–2027 program includes a circus day organized in Virttaa.

Aimed at children over 7 years old, this activity allows them to discover several circus techniques during a three-hour session.

It complements the weekly courses offered in Loimaa and Alastaro.

This organization helps to make circus arts accessible in several locations within the municipality.

A progressive and collective teaching method

Loimaan työväenopisto considers circus arts as an activity combining physical development and social skills.

Students learn to experiment, persevere, and gradually take on new challenges.

Group exercises also help to develop mutual support and respect for other participants.

The institution emphasizes the joy of learning and the satisfaction of successfully completing a new move.

A municipal structure rather than an independent school

Loimaan työväenopisto is not a school exclusively dedicated to circus arts.

This is a municipal community education center offering several disciplines.

However, its circus program is sufficiently developed to justify a listing in a directory of circus schools: regular classes, age groups, advanced training, diversity of techniques and activities in several locations.

Circus training should not, however, be presented as a degree program or as an official program of fundamental artistic education.

Loimaan työväenopisto is a Finnish municipal structure that contributes to the transmission of circus arts through a diverse program, accessible to children and families, combining acrobatics, juggling, balance and the discovery of aerial disciplines.

Administrative address: Ylistaronkatu 36, 32200 Loimaa, Finland

Head of Circus Activities: Tuuli Hokkanen

Telephone: +358 40 193 8169

Email: tuuli.hokkanen@loimaa.fi

Official website: https://www.loimaa.fi/vapaa-aika/tyovaenopisto/sirkus/