Pitypalatty – Circus school for children and teenagers in Solothurn
Pitypalatty is a non-profit circus school for children and teenagers, located in Lommiswil, in the Solothurn region of Switzerland. Founded in 2000, it offers artistic training combining juggling, acrobatics, balance, and aerial disciplines. Each year, the young artists collectively create a new show accompanied by a youth orchestra, presented in the spring and then under a big top during the summer. The association also organizes introductory workshops and has developed a mentoring program that allows experienced teenagers to gradually participate in training younger children.
4514 Lommiswil
Pitypalatty , officially Kinder- und Jugendzirkus Pitypalatty , is a non-profit circus school for children and teenagers, located in Lommiswil , in the Swiss canton of Solothurn .
The project was born in 2000 at the initiative of Margaretha Kneubühler Fuchs and was officially established as an association in April 2002 .
Since its creation, Pitypalatty has occupied an important place in the cultural life of the Solothurn region by developing a project combining circus training , artistic creation and public performances .
Unlike a circus school operating solely on the principle of independent weekly classes, Pitypalatty organizes its teaching around the collective creation of a new show each year.
The young artists follow a regular training program which allows them to discover and explore different branches of circus arts .
The disciplines practiced
- Juggling , including the use of diabolo and rings .
- Acrobatics , alongside balance techniques, skill exercises and aerial disciplines.
- Clowning and stage expression complement this learning and allow participants to develop a true artistic presence.
The teaching team brings together specialists in circus pedagogy as well as contributors with artistic , musical and educational skills.
A regular and progressive commitment
The practice is based on a regular and progressive commitment.
The season generally runs from October to August , with training sessions every Saturday representing between four and six hours of practice.
The young people thus work for several months learning techniques, building acts and preparing the annual show.
A collective and musical dimension
The collective dimension constitutes one of the foundations of the educational project.
Each participant contributes to a collective creation in which the different circus disciplines are combined with movement , staging and music .
Pitypalatty notably has its own youth orchestra, the PityOrchester , which accompanies the performances.
This musical presence is a distinctive feature of the association and allows young circus performers and musicians to participate together in a genuine live performance project.
The annual show
Each year, the work done during the season gives rise to a new production.
The show is presented for the first time in the spring , usually in May , before being performed again under a big top during the summer , particularly in August .
Public performances constitute an important educational objective.
They allow young artists to discover the demands of the stage, to work on their concentration, to manage their apprehension and to develop their ability to perform in front of an audience.
The preparation for the show also involves families.
The parents of the participants play an essential role in the association's activities and contribute to various aspects of organization, logistics, and representation.
Transmission between generations
Pitypalatty also pays particular attention to intergenerational transmission .
With experience, some teenagers can gradually become assistants and then young mentors for new participants.
This development allows them to grow their confidence , sense of responsibility and teaching skills .
The association thus constitutes a space for human as well as artistic development, where young people learn to overcome difficulties, to persevere and to work together to achieve a common goal.
Internships and additional activities
In addition to its annual program, Pitypalatty has been organizing a week of circus discovery during the summer holidays in Lommiswil for many years.
This workshop is for children aged 6 to 10 and allows them to discover different circus techniques with the support of the teaching team and young artists from the association.
Participation in this summer week is not a prerequisite for joining the annual troupe and does not give any particular priority during admissions.
Pitypalatty is also developing Pityplus , a training space open to older artists and former members.
This activity helps maintain a connection with circus practice after the initial training and promotes exchanges between different generations of practitioners.
A significant presence in the Swiss circus scene
The association also maintains relationships with other structures in the Swiss circus landscape.
Some of its young artists continue their experience in other youth circuses or participate in various festivals.
Pitypalatty is a member of the Swiss Federation of Circus Schools (VSZS).
In 2026 , the association celebrated its twenty-fifth anniversary with a new creation entitled " Silhouette ", bringing together around forty young artists.
With its regular teaching, its orchestra, its annual creations, its discovery workshops and its commitment to the training of young supervisors, Pitypalatty represents a particularly interesting example of an associative circus school founded on transmission , collective creation and live performance .
