The Diving Board

Le Plongeoir – National Circus Centre Le Mans Sarthe Pays de la Loire

Le Plongeoir – Pôle national Cirque Le Mans Sarthe Pays de la Loire is a cultural institution entirely dedicated to circus arts . Located in Le Mans, in the Sablons – Bords de l'Huisne district, its project combines transmission , amateur practice , artistic and cultural education , contemporary creation , artist support , residencies and the presentation of shows .

Designated a National Circus Center by the Ministry of Culture in 2023 , Le Plongeoir is part of the network of leading institutions for contemporary circus in France. Its unique feature is that it brings together in a single project activities that are usually found in several different structures: a major amateur training school, spaces for creation and training, a professional program, artist residencies, school projects, and a major contemporary circus festival.

Le Plongeoir operates in several complementary spaces located in the Sablons – Bords de l'Huisne district: La Cité du Cirque , Le Chapiteau and the Promenade Newton . La Cité du Cirque is the main place for teaching, practice, creation and training.

The circus school

The circus school is one of the pillars of the project. For the 2026-2027 season, more than 500 students are welcomed each week in 39 different time slots . Instruction is provided by a team of qualified instructors and allows circus arts to be practiced from age 3 to seniors.

The teaching method combines physical learning with an artistic approach. The goal is not solely to acquire technical skills: students are progressively guided to develop autonomy , creativity , expression , and stage presence . The practice aims to reconcile the pleasure of learning with a taste for effort, while giving each student the opportunity to perform in front of an audience.

Beginner and leisure trails

The program begins with multidisciplinary recreational classes. Children aged 3 to 5 can participate in pairs with a parent. Acrobatic games, imaginative play, the discovery of different disciplines, and partner acrobatics allow them to build an initial relationship with the circus while developing trust and a bond between child and adult.

• Recreational groups: 5-7 years , 8-10 years and 11-16 years — a multidisciplinary approach promoting motor skills, imagination, confidence and teamwork
• Adults: courses to discover and explore all disciplines in depth
• " Older Adults " Group: from age 55 , a gentle approach focused on motor skills and confidence

Advanced leisure and specialization

Students wishing to progress further can join the advanced recreational program. Children aged 8-10 and 11-16 develop their technical skills, creativity, and foundational stagecraft. A directed creation and an end-of-year performance provide hands-on experience in performing for an audience.

The program can then lead to a true specialization. In level 1 , students choose two disciplines structured around a common core including physical and acrobatic preparation, stage improvisation, acting, choreographic work and research with or without apparatus.

• Acrobatics (9-12 years): floor acrobatics, group lifts, body expression and dynamic movements
• Aerial acrobatics (ages 11-16): trapeze, silks, aerial hoop and rope
• Balance and juggling : balls, diabolo, clubs, tightrope, balance ball, stilts and unicycle

Level 2 pushes specialization and artistic creation even further: aerial courses from 16 years old (trapeze, silks, hoop, rope) and acrobatics and lifts course from 12 years old mixing dynamic figures, ground acrobatics, trampoline and acrobatic lifts.

A particularly original specialization is devoted to stilts, unicycles and street performance: beyond technical mastery, students work on character and stage presence and participate in parades and outdoor events.

The mini-flying trapeze also has its own course for those aged 16 and over. This discipline allows participants to learn aerial acrobatics with a partner on the aerial frame.

Options, internships and additional services

• Supervised additional training: offered free of charge to students enrolled in a specialization program
• Spectator's School: Discover three professional shows from the season for 15 euros
• "On Stage" option: designed for practitioners deeply involved in the creative process, with rehearsals and performances outside of the usual time slot
• Weekend workshops: intensive with specialists (aerials, large trampoline, hand balances, balance ball, acrobatic movements)
• Holiday camps: introductory and advanced courses for families with children aged 3 and up, then for children and teenagers

Inclusion and accessibility

Le Plongeoir is developing an inclusion policy: for the 2026-2027 season, special arrangements have been made for young participants with disabilities within a 5-7 year old group. The facility is also working more broadly on the accessibility of its premises, programming, and activities in conjunction with the City of Le Mans' Disability Services department.

Arts education and school projects

The program extends far beyond recreational classes. Le Plongeoir welcomes numerous schools and, since 2021, has coordinated the circus projects of the City of Le Mans' Local Contract for Arts and Cultural Education. These projects are developed in collaboration with the featured artists, allowing students to explore an artistic approach and connect their own practice to contemporary circus works.

• Circus program at the middle school: two hours of weekly classes for volunteer students in 8th and 9th grade (Albert-Camus, Alain-Fournier and Bérengère-de-Navarre middle schools)
• High school program: since the start of the 2022 academic year, the Le Mans Sud high school and Le Plongeoir have been offering Circus Arts instruction within the general track, with an option and a specialization course from the second year to the final year (presented as unique in the Pays de la Loire region).

High school students benefit from an education combining practice, circus culture and the discovery of live performance, with courses organized at the high school and in the main hall of La Cité du Cirque.

Le Plongeoir is not, however, a higher education institution awarding a DNSP (National Higher Professional Diploma) in circus arts. Its amateur program can reach an advanced level and a high degree of specialization, and its high school curriculum provides cultural and practical preparation, distinct from higher education institutions offering professional training for artists.

Professional relationships and training

As a National Circus Center, Le Plongeoir supports artists and companies, hosts residencies, fosters contemporary creation, and participates in the production and distribution of shows. This close relationship is invaluable for amateur students, who interact daily with professional artists. Workshops and masterclasses provide opportunities to meet specialists and broaden their disciplinary perspectives.

Le Plongeoir also develops training actions for professionals in the cultural sector, in partnership in particular with Le Mans University around the professional degree in Management of artistic and cultural projects and structures, and hosts training courses related to the production, distribution and administration of circus shows.

Broadcasting and festival

Dissemination is a key component of the project. Le Plongeoir presents contemporary circus performances year-round under the Big Top, at La Cité du Cirque, and in various venues throughout the region. The institution also organizes Le Mans fait son Cirque , one of the major contemporary circus events in France.

The festival has existed since 2001 and celebrated its 25th edition in 2026. This 2026 edition offered 27 shows across 70 performances and saw a 10% increase in attendance compared to the previous year. The festival takes place primarily in the Sablons – Bords de l'Huisne district and combines performances, creative works, discussions, and community outreach activities.

Le Plongeoir thus creates an exceptional environment for amateur practice: students attend shows, meet artists, participate in creations and can gradually build their own perspective on contemporary circus.

A member of the French Federation of Circus Schools since 2008 and approved for amateur practice , Le Plongeoir also includes its teaching in the federal network of circus schools.

• Disciplines offered: acrobatics, partner acrobatics, trampoline, trapeze, aerial silks, hoop, rope, mini-flying trapeze
• Juggling: balls, diabolo, clubs
• Balancing acts: tightrope, balance ball, stilts, unicycle

This transmission of knowledge is intertwined with the other missions of the National Circus Center: arts and cultural education, teaching in middle and high schools, artist support, residencies, creation, performance, and festivals. Le Plongeoir is thus one of the most comprehensive circus projects in the Pays de la Loire region: a place where children can discover the circus, develop specialized skills as teenagers or adults, attend professional productions, and meet on a daily basis those who are shaping contemporary circus.