SottoSopra – 100% Circo

SottoSopra is a contemporary circus school located in Arezzo , Tuscany.

The school is also known locally as 100% Circo .

It has a permanent space located at Via Pievan Landi 42 , in the La Sella–San Marco sector in Arezzo.

Today, this place serves as a school, a training space, a place of creation, and a small cultural hub dedicated to circus arts.

The circus activity carried out by the team claims a presence in Arezzo since 2003 .

The current association structure SottoSopra ASD was then formed in its current form around circus pedagogy.

It is notably headed by Simona Serafini , who is in charge of the school's management.

A contemporary conception of the circus

SottoSopra's project is based on a contemporary conception of the circus.

The practice is not viewed solely as technical learning.

Circus arts are used to develop physical abilities, creativity, confidence, and relationships with others.

The school welcomes children from the age of four .

Teenagers then have several opportunities for progression.

Adults can also participate.

The subjects taught

SottoSopra's offering also includes capoeira .

This presence further expands the work around movement, acrobatics and the relationship between partners.

Bungee Dance is also among the activities offered by the facility.

An artistic and creative approach

SottoSopra therefore possesses an identity that goes beyond the classic definition of a simple juggling school.

Contemporary circus, aerial practices, acrobatics and movement come together there.

Technical learning also has an artistic purpose.

Students are encouraged to create.

They can develop their own proposals.

Performing in front of an audience is an important step in this progression.

SottoSopra thus organizes shows allowing students to present their work.

But some projects go far beyond a simple end-of-year gala.

The school develops programs in which young people participate directly in the creative process.

• They can think about the dramaturgy.
• They can participate in the staging.
• They learn to collectively create a show.

This approach was particularly visible in 2026 with the InTournée project.

A group of young circus performers under the age of fourteen created their own contemporary circus show.

The young people participated in the design, creation and staging.

The show was then presented publicly in Arezzo.

This type of project shows that SottoSopra seeks to develop artistic autonomy from adolescence.

Projects for 14-35 year olds

The school also works with older young people.

Several projects specifically target 14-35 year olds .

The circus becomes a tool for experimenting with different roles.

• Some participants may naturally become interpreters.
• Others are discovering the art of directing.
• Set design is another possibility.
• Young people can participate in communication.
• Photography and documentation of events are also part of the process.

The very organization of an event thus becomes a learning experience.

This approach is particularly visible in the project This is not a big top .

The second edition was developed in 2026 .

The project transforms the SottoSopra site into a true cultural laboratory open to the city.

Training, creativity, sociability and artistic experimentation come together there.

The main audience is young people aged 14 to 35.

They are not simply consumers of cultural activities.

They become active participants in the project.

• Free activities open to the public are organized.
• Shows are being created.
• Participants can experience different responsibilities.

The objective is, in particular, to strengthen autonomy and initiative.

Dissemination of contemporary circus

SottoSopra is also developing a genuine activity in the dissemination of contemporary circus.

The association notably provides artistic direction for Circo Espresso .

This event organized in Arezzo combines workshops and shows.

Professional companies are invited.

Students at the school can also present their own creations.

This close relationship between amateur practice and professional creation is an interesting element.

• Students can see artists at work.
• They discover different aesthetics of contemporary circus.

A place for meeting and creation

The location on Via Pievan Landi itself serves as a meeting space.

• It allows for training.
• It hosts classes.
• Creations can be prepared there.
• Shows are also presented there.

The school insists that it is not simply a gym.

The space is designed as a place to share, experiment and create together.

A strong educational dimension

The educational dimension occupies an important place in this philosophy.

• The circus allows you to acquire new physical skills.
• It also helps to develop self-confidence.
• The participant learns to better understand their body.
• Creativity is encouraged.
• Group exercises develop teamwork skills.

Mistakes can be naturally integrated into the learning process.

The student tries, fails, tries again and gradually ends up mastering a new skill.

This dynamic constitutes one of the great educational benefits of circus arts.

The social and inclusive circus

SottoSopra also develops a genuine social circus dimension.

The association is listed in the Italian national register of social circus projects of AltroCirco .

This recognition corresponds to a concrete activity in the territory.

The circus is used as a tool for personal and collective development.

• The projects aim in particular to strengthen self-esteem.
• Body awareness is another objective.
• The activities help to develop relationships between participants.
• Cooperation plays a particularly important role.

The association also works on inclusion .

In Arezzo, its space has notably hosted projects combining social circus and disability.

Activities have been developed with ASD Contraerea as part of a program dedicated to the rehabilitation of disability through social circus.

The sessions took place in particular at the SottoSopra premises.

This experience clearly identifies the school's involvement in adapted circus activities.

The inclusive dimension is therefore not based solely on general discourse.

Concrete projects have been carried out with people with disabilities.

The circus then allows exercises to be adapted to individual abilities.

• Participants can work on motor skills, coordination and expression.
• Relationships with others remain central to the project.

This activity complements the social dimension already very present in SottoSopra's youth projects.

In 2026 , the municipality of Arezzo also supported several initiatives of the association.

The project This is not a big top – volume II transformed the space of Via Pievan Landi into a social and cultural laboratory.

The stated objective was to use circus arts as an educational, inclusive and personal development tool.

This approach perfectly matches the general functioning of the school.

A true community around the circus

SottoSopra therefore seeks to build a true community around the circus.

• Children can start very young.
• The teenagers continue to progress.
• Adults have access to tailored courses.
• The most committed young people can participate in cultural creation and organization projects.
• Professional artists contribute to enriching this environment.
• The inhabitants of Arezzo can also discover the circus during public events.

This continuity between school, creation and territory gives SottoSopra a particularly strong identity.

The 2026-2027 season

The 2026-2027 season confirms that the school remains very active.

All classes officially resumed on September 7, 2026 .

The program always includes MiniCirco and Circo.

• Aerial disciplines are offered to children and teenagers.
• Adults also have access to aerial courses.
• Ground acrobatics remain on the program.
• Acrobalance and hand-to-hand also have their own teaching methods.
• Capoeira and Bungee Dance complete the offering.

The Via Pievan Landi space continues in parallel to host the school community and its events.

For the NetJuggler directory

For the NetJuggler directory, SottoSopra is therefore a particularly interesting school to list in Tuscany.

• It has a clearly confirmed regular activity in 2026-2027.
• It welcomes children, teenagers and adults.
• Its offering combines juggling, acrobatics, acrobalancing, hand-to-hand and aerial disciplines.

But perhaps its main interest lies in the continuity between learning, creation and social action.

• Students are not only invited to learn techniques.
• They can create their own shows.
• Teenagers participate in group projects.
• Young adults can get involved in organizing events.
• The association also programs professional contemporary circus.

Finally, its membership in the Italian social circus network and its participation in projects combining circus and disability give SottoSopra a truly educational and inclusive dimension.

SottoSopra – 100% Circo is therefore both an amateur circus school, a space for contemporary creation and a social circus structure firmly established in Arezzo.