Pep's

Pep's — circus school in Blagnac

Founded in 1991 in Blagnac, near Toulouse, the Pep’s circus school has been developing a project for over thirty years to transmit circus arts based on the values of popular education. Located at the Gymnase des Prés , it welcomes children, teenagers and adults in a multidisciplinary, inclusive approach deliberately free from competition and elitism.

Educational objectives

The goal of Pep’s is to allow everyone to discover circus arts, progress at their own pace, flourish, and express themselves through artistic practice. Learning is individualized according to the participants' abilities, and the groups are mixed, organized primarily by age, without prior selection.

Workshops and disciplines

The workshops allow participants to discover the major families of circus arts and offer a multidisciplinary approach.

• Acrobatics
• Aerial disciplines
• Juggling
• Balances on objects
• Stage games

Among the apparatus and activities explicitly offered by the school are the balance ball, the trapeze, and the unicycle. Specific workshops in acrobatic lifts also complement the multidisciplinary practice.

Groups and routes

The school welcomes children and teenagers into several groups corresponding to their age and progress. Young people wishing to become more involved in an artistic process can join La Fabrica, a creative group for 13-18 year olds, accessible under certain conditions. This program has a specific educational approach and allows for broader development of creative expression and public performance.

Adult workshops

Adults also have access to multidisciplinary workshops as well as specific work on acrobatic lifts. For the current season, this latter work is being developed in collaboration with the Terre à Plumes company, focusing on lifts in motion and choreographic creation. The workshops combine technique, listening skills, the musicality of the body, and an artistic dimension, with sequences performed in pairs and groups.

Creation and encounters with the public

Creation and interaction with the public are integral parts of the educational project. Students present their work at the end of the year during Pep'stacles and other artistic events. La Fabrica also participates in the school's productions and events.

Artistic encounters and outings

Circus culture is not limited to practice. Throughout the season, Pep's organizes meetings with professional artists and outings to shows to allow children and adults to discover different forms of circus and enrich their understanding of contemporary creation.

Holiday internships

Camps are another important aspect of the activity. Organized during school holidays, with the general exception of Christmas breaks, they are aimed particularly at children aged 4-6 and 7-14. They allow participants to discover or explore various subjects in greater depth.

• Acrobatics
• Balances on objects
• Airlines
• Juggling
• Expression games

The teaching methods used in the workshops remain true to the school's overall philosophy: no competition or elitism, just fun and safe practice in small groups. Each workshop is led by an instructor who supervises eight children or young people. A presentation for families or a parent-child session may conclude the workshop to celebrate the progress made.

Family workshops

Pep's also develops "Families on Stage," workshops allowing children and their families to practice together. This family aspect complements the offerings for younger children and contributes to the desire to make circus arts accessible to as many people as possible.

Free training

The school also offers open training sessions during school holidays. These sessions, mainly held on Tuesday and Thursday evenings, are open to anyone wishing to practice independently. They are not supervised by an instructor and function as spaces for sharing, practice, and training.

Social action and inclusion

One of Pep's key strengths is its commitment to a wide range of audiences. The organization works directly in schools, as well as with early childhood centers and retirement homes. Circus arts then become a tool for physical discovery, expression, connection, and creativity, adapted to different stages of life.

The school also works with specialized educational institutions (IME) and welcomes people with disabilities. Its mission statement specifies that a person with a disability can be integrated into regular classes when conditions allow for appropriate support. This approach aligns with Pep ’s commitment to being a “school for everyone,” open to all.

The structure therefore has a truly inclusive and medico-social dimension, even if its operation is based more on the integration and adaptation of projects than on a systematic separation of the public into specialized courses.

Workshops and collaborations

The season is also punctuated by workshops and collaborations with artists. These encounters allow practitioners to benefit from complementary perspectives and techniques, and to create bridges between amateur teaching and professional creation.

Location and pricing

The school is deeply rooted in Blagnac. Its premises are located in the Gymnase des Prés, and it works with the city and various local stakeholders. Its pricing policy is based on family income and also differentiates between Blagnac residents and those living in other municipalities to make the sport more accessible.

Offer for the 2026-2027 season

• Multidisciplinary workshops for children, teenagers and adults
• La Fabrica Creative Group
• Acrobatic lifts
• Family workshops
• Free training
• Holiday internships
• Student performances
• Interventions with numerous partners

Conclusion

After more than thirty-five years of activity, Pep’s has become a firmly established amateur circus school in the Toulouse metropolitan area. Its unique feature lies in the combination of technical training, creation, community education, cultural enrichment, and outreach to diverse audiences.

From young children discovering the circus to teenagers involved in La Fabrica, from adults practicing acrobatic lifts to families sharing a workshop, from students in schools to residents of nursing homes and people welcomed in special education institutions, Pep’s champions an accessible circus where everyone can experiment, learn, create and find their place in the collective.