Pilar Ternera – Scuola di Circo NTC

The Scuola di Circo of the Nuovo Teatro delle Commedie is a circus arts teaching program offered in Livorno as part of the training activities of the Pilar Ternera cultural association.

The school operates within a real live performance venue, the Nuovo Teatro delle Commedie , commonly known as NTC.

Pilar Ternera and the Nuovo Teatro delle Commedie

Pilar Ternera is a theatre company and artistic production company created in 2004 by artists from different disciplines.

Since 2007 , its artistic direction has been handled by Francesco Cortoni .

The project has gradually developed around contemporary creation , theatre for new generations , training and cultural action .

Since 2013 , Pilar Ternera has been managing the Nuovo Teatro delle Commedie in Livorno.

The NTC is designed as a space open to different artistic forms and as a true local cultural venue .

It hosts shows, training courses, residencies, festivals and projects for children , teenagers and adults .

Since 2016 , the Nuovo Teatro delle Commedie has been recognized as an artistic residency venue by the Tuscany Region.

This recognition was subsequently extended at the national level.

A structured training activity

Pilar Ternera is also developing a significant training activity .

• Its program notably includes a drama school .
• Activities are offered to children .
• There are courses available for adults .
• The organization also works in schools .
• And circus arts have their own place within this program.

Pilar Ternera officially presents circus courses for children and circus courses for adults among the activities developed at the Nuovo Teatro delle Commedie.

La Scuola di Circo 2026-2027

For the 2026-2027 season, a true Scuola di Circo is programmed from September 14, 2026 to June 30, 2027 .

This program is developed in close collaboration with Saltimbanco Scuola Arte del Circo .

The two structures remain separate but share teachers , contacts and practice space .

This collaboration allows the Nuovo Teatro delle Commedie to host a regular and structured circus offering.

The Minicirco (4-6 years old)

The program starts from age four .

The Minicirco welcomes children aged four to six .

It constitutes a preparatory course for the discovery of circus arts.

At this age, practice is primarily based on circomotricity.

• The child experiments with different movements.
• He gradually discovers new motor patterns.
• Coordination and body awareness develop through play .
• Autonomy is also an important objective.
• The pedagogy seeks simultaneously to stimulate imagination and creativity .

The circus thus becomes a tool to support the harmonious development of the child rather than a simple succession of technical figures.

The Circo Mix (ages 7-13)

From the age of seven , young people can join the Circo Mix program.

This course is for children and teenagers aged seven to thirteen .

Unlike the Minicirco, this is a truly multidisciplinary program .

The students discover several major families of circus arts:

• Juggling is part of the program.
• Balance disciplines are also taught.
• Ground acrobatics constitutes another major focus.
• The students are also discovering aerial acrobatics .
• Clowning complements this teaching.

This diversity allows young people to discover different ways of expressing themselves.

• Some will feel particularly drawn to acrobatics .
• Others will find their place more in juggling .
• The balances still allow for the exploration of other capabilities.
• Clowning, meanwhile, introduces an expressive and theatrical dimension that is particularly consistent with the environment of the Nuovo Teatro delle Commedie.

The Circo Mix philosophy emphasizes the appreciation of each child's unique qualities .

Each participant can find a place in the group.

This approach helps to develop a positive role for young people.

The circus thus becomes a physical , artistic and collective practice.

Aerial acrobatics for young people

The offering continues with courses specifically dedicated to aerial acrobatics .

• A first group welcomes children aged seven to ten .
• A second course is accessible from the age of eleven .
• Classes are held twice a week .
• Two apparatuses are explicitly taught: aerial silks and trapeze .

Young people begin by acquiring the fundamental technical skills necessary for their practice.

Specific muscle strengthening accompanies this learning process.

However, the objective is not limited to mastering the apparatus.

The program seeks to use aerial acrobatics as a true means of artistic expression .

The student gradually learns to transform a physical skill into a stage language .

This design fits particularly well with the context of the Nuovo Teatro delle Commedie.

The circus is not isolated from other performing arts.

He developed his skills through contact with theatre , contemporary creation and live performance .

Adult courses

Beginner level

Adults also have their own specific pathways.

The first aerial acrobatics course is intended for beginners .

It allows you to acquire the technical basics of aerial silks and trapeze .

The physical strengthening required for the practice is part of the process.

Participants can also choose to take part in modules dedicated to theatre and voice use .

This possibility is particularly interesting.

• It allows us to go beyond an exclusively sporting practice of aerial activities.
• The adult can work on their presence .
• It can explore the relationship between movement and expression .
• He can also discover how his circus technique can be used on stage .

Intermediate level

A second group accommodates adults of intermediate level .

Participants must already have a good foundation .

The work on fabric and trapeze then becomes more in-depth.

The objective is to improve technical mastery of the equipment.

Awareness of one's personal capabilities is also an important component.

But this intermediate path goes even further in the artistic dimension.

• A theatre module is directly integrated into the program.
• It allows you to work on stage presence .
• The relationship with the public is addressed.
• The relationship with the other participants is also part of the process.

A circus in an active theatre

The students do not practice in a gymnasium separate from any artistic activity.

They attend an active theatre .

• The Nuovo Teatro delle Commedie schedules shows .
• It hosts artists in residence .
• Companies are working on it.
• Contemporary creations are presented there.

Students therefore develop in an environment directly linked to the professions and practices of live performance .

This closeness corresponds to Pilar Ternera's general philosophy .

The association views artistic training as an experience that allows participants to better understand the world around them.

• Play plays an important role in this pedagogy.
• Identification and empathy are also tools.
• Artistic practice should allow for the development of active and conscious participants rather than mere consumers of culture.

A coherent educational progression

This philosophy is reflected in the stated objectives for circus classes.

• Creativity is stimulated from the Minicirco onwards.
• Autonomy is a goal from the earliest years.
• In Circo Mix, each child is invited to identify and value their qualities .
• Among adolescents, aerial techniques gradually become an expressive language .
• For intermediate adults, theatre and audience relations are directly integrated into the curriculum.

The project therefore has a particularly coherent progression.

An educational dimension beyond the NTC

Furthermore, the educational dimension extends beyond just the courses organized at the NTC.

Pilar Ternera has been working in schools in Livorno for a long time.

The project " Il teatro va a scuola " offers artistic workshops in establishments of different levels.

These interventions are supported by the CRED of Livorno.

The association thus possesses significant experience in transmitting artistic knowledge to young people.

A social and cultural mission

Pilar Ternera also develops a broader social and cultural mission.

She presents the arts as instruments that can promote social inclusion and improve quality of life .

The creation of communities is another objective.

The Nuovo Teatro delle Commedie is conceived as a place of interaction between residents and artists.

The association seeks to make culture accessible on a daily basis rather than concentrating it solely around major events.

This philosophy provides a particularly interesting context for the Scuola di Circo .

School is not an isolated activity added occasionally to the schedule.

It belongs to a larger set of training programs intended for the inhabitants of Livorno.

• Theatre classes for children are offered.
• Workshops are available for adults.
• Activities are intended for people over sixty years of age .
• The circus for children and adults completes this offering.

Pilar Ternera also organizes the Little Bit Festival .

This festival is dedicated to contemporary languages of the stage .

Many Italian and international artists and companies have been welcomed over the years.

This activity helps to keep the Nuovo Teatro delle Commedie in touch with contemporary creation .

For circus students, this environment is a real advantage .

Technical learning can be placed within a much broader culture of performance .

The collaboration with Saltimbanco

The collaboration with Saltimbanco also plays a decisive role in the quality of the circus program.

The teachers in the 2026-2027 program come from this specialized environment.

• Enrico Pellegrini notably directs the Minicirco and the Circo Mix.
• Elena Cei speaks about aerial acrobatics for young people.
• Giulia Meoni teaches the adult aerial classes.

The program therefore has its own educational organization while benefiting from the technical know-how of a structure specifically dedicated to circus arts.

This collaboration also explains why Saltimbanco's contact details are used for information and registration for circus classes.

The NTC's Scuola di Circo, meanwhile, constitutes the circus offering integrated into the cultural and educational program of Pilar Ternera in Livorno.

This distinction helps to understand why the two structures can legitimately have their own profile .

The 2026-2027 offering in summary

For the 2026-2027 season, the continuity of the school is perfectly documented.

• Classes begin on September 14, 2026 .
• They continue until June 30, 2027 .
• The Minicirco welcomes children aged four to six .
• Circo Mix welcomes children aged seven to thirteen .
• Specialized aerial acrobatics courses start as early as seven years old .
• Teenagers have a group starting from the age of eleven .
• Adults can choose between a beginner aerial level and an intermediate level .
• Aerial silks and trapeze are the two clearly identified specialized apparatus.
• Floor acrobatics , juggling , clowning and balancing complete the multidisciplinary journey of the young people.

A relevant entry for the NetJuggler directory

For the NetJuggler directory, Pilar Ternera – Scuola di Circo NTC is therefore a relevant entry in Livorno .

This is an amateur school .

It is not intended to constitute a professional circus training program .

However, it has a truly unique feature: offering circus training within a professional venue dedicated to live performance .

• Children can start from the age of four .
• Teenagers can progress towards a more technical aerial practice .
• Adults have different levels .
• The practice combines technique and expression .
• The theatre is directly integrated into the most advanced levels.
• And the collaboration with Saltimbanco brings to the program the specific expertise needed for circus arts education.

The Scuola di Circo of the Nuovo Teatro delle Commedie thus represents an interesting bridge between amateur circus school , artistic education and the professional world of contemporary theatre in Livorno.