SiRCUS – Centro delle Arti del Circo di Genova

SiRCUS – Centro delle Arti del Circo is the circus school of the Associazione Sarabanda, located in the historic center of Genoa, in Liguria.

The school constitutes the educational component of a much larger cultural project devoted to contemporary circus, theatre and performing arts.

Associazione Sarabanda was born in 1996 .

Since its inception, it has developed projects around contemporary theatre and new forms of circus.

Over the years, Sarabanda has become an important structure for the dissemination of contemporary circus in Genoa and more broadly in Liguria.

The association is notably at the origin of the Circumnavigando Festival Internazionale di Circo Teatro .

This festival welcomes artists and companies from Italy and abroad to Genoa every year.

This professional and cultural activity has gradually led Sarabanda to also develop a genuine work of transmission.

After several years of educational and training activities, the association officially launched its circus school in 2016 .

The school is now called SiRCUS – Centro delle Arti del Circo .

It welcomes children and teenagers as well as adults.

The youngest children can start from the age of three .

The youth groups currently cover the age range from three to fifteen years old .

They are divided according to age in order to adapt exercises, pace and teaching methods to the development of the participants.

From the age of sixteen , the school also offers activities for adults.

The educational objective is not limited to learning circus tricks.

SiRCUS seeks to develop simultaneously physical skills , creativity and relational skills .

Learning circus disciplines naturally forms the basis of the courses.

But students are also encouraged to discover their own physical capabilities.

The school seeks to stimulate their creativity.

The relationship with others and the social development of the participant are also part of the educational objectives.

Play holds an important place, particularly among children.

It helps to overcome certain fears and insecurities.

Students gradually discover that they are capable of performing actions that they initially considered difficult.

Progression is organized in stages throughout the year.

Technical instruction is thus adapted to the age and level of the participants.

Students work individually but also in groups.

This alternation allows for the simultaneous development of autonomy and cooperation .

The subjects taught

Juggling is one of the four main families of disciplines explicitly taught in the curriculum.

It helps to develop coordination, concentration, rhythm and object manipulation.

Balancing acts constitute a second important axis.

Students gradually learn to control their bodies in different unstable situations.

Acrobatics forms a third major area of work.

It contributes to the development of strength, mobility, coordination and body awareness.

Finally, aerial disciplines occupy an important place in the school.

• Aerial silks are explicitly taught.
• The trapeze is also part of the program.
• The aerial hoop complements the main apparatus offered.

These three apparatuses allow students to explore different forms of suspension, climbing, figures and movement in space.

Adults can also discover aerial disciplines.

For several years the school has had an activity specifically aimed at adults wishing to learn aerial silks.

The educational project remains multidisciplinary , however.

SiRCUS defines itself as a center dedicated to circus arts rather than simply a venue specializing in aerial arts.

A neighborhood cultural venue: the TIQU

This identity is reinforced by its current location.

Since 2021 , Sarabanda has been managing the TIQU – Teatro Internazionale di Quartiere .

The venue was entrusted to the association following a public call for tenders from the City of Genoa.

It is located in the heart of the historic center.

TIQU is designed as a true neighborhood cultural space.

It hosts theatre, circus, cinema, music, meetings and artistic residencies.

SiRCUS courses are currently taking place in this environment.

Therefore, students do not only frequent a sports activity room.

They operate in a true cultural and artistic space.

This close connection with professional creation is one of the interesting features of the school.

Students are regularly connected with the activities of the Circumnavigando Festival.

A specific meeting is offered to them during the year as part of the festival.

This allows them to discover contemporary circus both as participants and as spectators.

This encounter between practice and performance contributes to their circus culture.

Actions in the neighborhoods and school projects

Sarabanda is simultaneously developing numerous activities in different neighborhoods of Genoa.

SiRCUS regularly participates in these projects.

Circus workshops are organized outside of the permanent school.

They can take place in public squares, neighborhood structures, schools, or community spaces.

Children then discover circus arts directly in their everyday environment.

The workshops include juggling, balancing, clowning and acrobatics.

The teaching method is intentionally inclusive and non-competitive .

The circus is used to stimulate cooperation and self-confidence.

Respect for others is also an important objective.

These workshops aim to allow children to freely explore their physical and relational abilities.

The Cantieri Creativi project particularly illustrates this approach.

Sarabanda organizes shows and workshops in different districts of Genoa, including in areas far removed from the cultural offerings of the city center.

SiRCUS intervenes in this context with children and young people.

For example, workshops were organized in Struppa .

Other actions took place in Genova Prà .

The school has also worked with various youth aggregation centers.

This territorial presence gives the project an important social and educational dimension.

SiRCUS has also developed specific projects with educational institutions.

SircusEstate, for example, has enabled children to be introduced to circus arts in collaboration with a school in Valpolcevera.

This project benefited from the support of a fund from the Italian Ministry of Education dedicated to educational emergencies.

The circus was used there to promote socialization, personal expression, confidence, and motivation.

The association thus relies on circus arts as educational tools .

The pursuit of performance is not the sole objective.

Controlled risk-taking, perseverance and confidence are also important elements of the experience.

Children can learn to identify their limits and then gradually push them back in a safe environment.

The artistic dimension also allows for the promotion of very different profiles.

A child who is particularly comfortable with acrobatics does not necessarily have the same qualities as a student attracted to juggling or stage performance.

The diversity of the circus allows everyone to find their own space for expression.

A rich professional environment

The school also benefits from Sarabanda's professional experience.

The association produces, hosts and supports artists and companies.

It develops artist residencies.

She participates in networks dedicated to live performance.

It organizes international festivals and events.

SiRCUS students thus develop in contact with a particularly rich professional environment.

The Circumnavigando Festival is the most visible element of this activity.

Created by Sarabanda, it has become a regular fixture of the circus-theatre scene in Genoa.

Its programming combines contemporary circus, theatre, dance, music and various hybrid forms.

The twenty-sixth edition is scheduled between December 2026 and January 2027.

It hosts international shows in several cultural venues in Genoa.

This continuity demonstrates the importance Sarabanda has acquired in the local cultural landscape.

SiRCUS directly benefits from this experience.

Teachers and school administrators work in a structure where training, creation, dissemination and cultural mediation are constantly interconnected.

The 2026 season: registration and organization

The 2026 season confirms the continuity of the school.

Sarabanda always announces SiRCUS as its Centro delle Arti del Circo de Genova.

• Registration opens in September .
• Regular classes begin in October .
• It is still possible to join the activities during the year, generally until May , subject to availability.
• A free trial session can be booked through the secretariat.

Classes currently take place at TIQU – Teatro Internazionale di Quartiere, Piazzetta Cambiaso 1 .

This location in the heart of the historic center makes the school particularly accessible to the residents of Genoa.

In summary

SiRCUS is therefore today a circus school firmly integrated into a larger cultural project.

It allows children to discover the circus from the age of three .

Teenagers can continue their practice until the age of fifteen in adapted groups.

Adults also have access to classes.

Juggling, balancing, acrobatics, aerial silks, trapeze and hoop are the main disciplines that are clearly documented.

The school adds a strong artistic, cultural and relational dimension to this teaching.

Finally, its connection to Sarabanda and the Circumnavigando Festival allows it to create a particularly interesting link between amateur initiation , cultural education and professional contemporary circus .