Oreka

Presentation

Oreka Zirkoa was founded in November 1998 by Doriane Billard. This non-profit school is located in Bayonne, in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department. The name Oreka means "balance" in Basque and reflects the school's strong roots in the culture and territory of the Basque Country.

Oreka is a popular education association that views the circus school as a true school of life . Its project is based on the idea that everyone should be able to find their place in artistic practice, regardless of their age, physical level, social situation or any disability.

This commitment to accessibility is reflected in particular by a pricing policy that varies according to family income . Located at the crossroads of several working-class neighborhoods in Bayonne, the association contributes to the cultural and social development of the area and enables families with modest incomes to access artistic activities.

Another key feature of Oreka Zirkoa is its bilingualism : some courses are offered in Basque , others in French, and some workshops operate in a bilingual context. The circus thus becomes a space for practicing and transmitting the Basque language.

Since its creation, Oreka has enabled several thousand children to discover the circus arts through regular workshops, school and extracurricular projects, internships, village festivals, carnivals, street performances and various cultural events.

The premises

Since 2006, the association has been based at Garage des Arts , 3 rue Albert Thomas in Bayonne. This former garage has undergone significant renovations to become a space dedicated to artistic practices.

The building now comprises two rooms of approximately 100 and 110 square meters, offices, changing rooms and restrooms, as well as an interior courtyard. The premises are advertised as accessible to people with disabilities.

The 2026-2027 season begins the week of September 14, 2026. New practitioners can benefit from a first trial lesson.

Early childhood and circus skills

The practice begins in early childhood. Circus arts allow young children to playfully explore ground and aerial acrobatics, object manipulation, and balance. These experiences develop body awareness in motion, coordination, balance, and laterality.

Workshops and training courses

The children then continue their training in multidisciplinary workshops designed to introduce them to the different circus arts and their apparatus, to help them progressively master their bodies, and to develop self-confidence and trust in others. This learning gradually leads to the performance of individual, duo, or group acrobatic routines.

Specialized courses

Acrobatics delves into jumps, twists, inverted handstands, and various forms of acrobatic movement. Specialized workshops allow for further expansion of practice, particularly with the Chinese pole.

Aerial disciplines

• Aerial fabric
• Rope
• Trapeze
• Aerial hoop
• Specialized training courses including Chinese pole

The school also welcomes adults for multidisciplinary circus arts, acrobatics, and aerial arts classes for beginners and experienced participants. Open training sessions are available for those who are sufficiently independent.

Oreka also makes its rooms and equipment available to professional artists during the day. The Garage des Arts thus functions as a resource space for local professional circus arts.

Amateur troupe and creation

Amateur theatre is regaining prominence in 2026-2027 with the revival of the Oreka troupe. This troupe is aimed at students who already possess solid experience and wish to deepen their artistic and technical exploration. The group creates a show that is presented throughout the year at festivals, village fairs, and cultural events.

Adapted circus

Adapted circus arts are a key component of the project. Oreka views circus as a tool that can serve an educational or therapeutic project developed jointly with various professionals.

Andrea Pebet , the school's educational coordinator, is a psychomotor therapist specializing in adapted circus arts. A specific weekly workshop is offered to adults over 16, and the association develops projects with medical, educational, and social institutions.

The goal of adapted circus is to promote personal empowerment through experimentation, physical activity, and group dynamics. This approach is part of Oreka's overall mission, which advocates for the accessibility of its school to people with disabilities.

Early childhood is also the focus of specific interventions: Oreka visits nurseries or hosts facilities at its premises for circus-based motor skills sessions. Circus objects and techniques then serve as tools for playful and diverse psychomotor exploration.

Arts education and cultural activities

Artistic and cultural education has historically been a major focus of the association's activities. Oreka works in preschools, elementary schools, middle schools, and high schools to develop practical projects, arts and cultural education initiatives, and the creation of performances.

The school also participates in festivals, events, and cultural activities by offering introductory workshops and presenting amateur and professional performances. This mobility allows the circus arts to reach beyond its local area in Bayonne.

Internships

The training courses are an important component, organized throughout the year and during school holidays, from discovery to improvement, for audiences ranging from children as young as 4 to adults.

• Multidisciplinary or specialized internships
• Interventions by teaching artists to explore specific disciplines in greater depth (acrobatic dance, trapeze, Chinese pole, etc.)

The aerial courses organised in 2026 confirm a complete offering including trapeze, silks, hoop, rope and Chinese pole.

Zirko Festival

The cultural and professional dimension of the project is expressed in Zirko Festibala , the flagship event organized by Oreka. Each year, the association invites a contemporary circus company with its big top and transforms this highlight into an encounter between students, artists and the public.

• End-of-year student shows under a big top
• A professional company will be invited (including Euskal Zirko Kabareta)
• Street performances, readings and concerts
• Workshops and artistic mediation activities with schoolchildren

This encounter between amateur practice and professional creation corresponds to Oreka's educational project: learning circus arts involves acquiring techniques but also developing an artistic culture, meeting artists and discovering different forms of contemporary creation.

Oreka has a long history in organizing circus events. From 2001 to 2004, the association already organized a juggling and contemporary circus festival presented as the first free festival dedicated to circus arts in the Basque Country.

Today, nearly 200 members gather around the school. Oreka also hosts other organizations in its premises that do not have their own spaces, particularly those involved in sports for all, dance therapy, and theatre.

The school belongs to the FFEC and the FREC Aquitaine. It benefits from FFEC accreditation no. 64239 and its operation is in accordance with federal criteria concerning pedagogy, safety, training, health and administration.

Its bilingual French- Basque identity is a truly unique feature. In Bayonne and more broadly in the Northern Basque Country, Oreka uses circus arts as a space for creation, cultural transmission, inclusion, and intergenerational encounters.