The Forge – Circus Arts – Marmoutier

La Forge is a Centre for Training in Artistic Expression located in Marmoutier , in the Bas-Rhin region. Housed in a former forge in the village, the association develops a multidisciplinary cultural project aimed at promoting artistic practice and access to culture in rural areas.

Its activities are not limited to the circus. Throughout the year, La Forge offers various workshops and courses in visual arts, theater, pottery, basketry, blacksmithing, and other forms of artistic expression. Circus arts, however, remain a core focus of the association, with workshops organized during the school year and intensive courses during school holidays.

Circus workshops

Circus arts training is primarily aimed at children and teenagers . Several levels are offered to accommodate both young people discovering this activity and those who already have some experience and wish to deepen their skills.

The workshops allow participants to explore the main families of circus arts. Juggling is offered alongside object balancing, unicycling, tightrope walking, acrobatics, trampolining, and aerial disciplines such as trapeze and silks.

The variety of equipment allows participants to experiment with several techniques before gradually delving deeper into those that interest them. The work is therefore not based on a single specialty but on a multidisciplinary exploration of circus arts.

The contributions of each discipline

Acrobatics and trampolining develop physical abilities, coordination, and movement control. Balancing and tightrope walking require concentration and precision, while unicycling provides specific training in dynamic balance.

Juggling helps develop dexterity, coordination, and object manipulation skills. Aerial disciplines complement this practice by introducing a different relationship to the body and space.

The advanced group

For those already experienced in circus arts, La Forge offers an advanced group . This allows participants to continue learning beyond the introductory level and to deepen their understanding of techniques already encountered during classes or workshops.

Internships and discovery activities

In addition to the weekly workshops, intensive courses dedicated to circus arts are organized during school holidays. These offer more practice time and allow participants to discover or improve several disciplines.

La Forge also participates in youth programs organized in Marmoutier. Days dedicated to discovering circus arts allow young people to practice stilt walking, unicycling, tightrope walking, acrobatics, trampolining, trapeze, aerial silks and juggling.

Circus activities can also be offered in other formats, particularly for birthdays or one-off events .

A multidisciplinary cultural environment

One of La Forge's distinctive features lies in its cultural environment. Students practice circus arts within an association that brings together numerous artistic and craft disciplines. This close connection fosters a cross-disciplinary approach to expression and creation.

The association also has several spaces in Marmoutier. The historic La Forge building forms the heart of the project, while other municipal spaces, notably the former train station, are used to host certain activities. Circus workshops, in particular, take place in this former station, whose space allows for the installation of the equipment necessary for acrobatic and aerial practices.

La Forge also has the Galerie du Tricéphale , dedicated to exhibitions of workshop participants as well as the work of artists and craftsmen.

Local artistic offerings in rural areas

By being located in an Alsatian village and through the diversity of its activities, La Forge contributes to maintaining a local artistic offering in rural areas. Its circus arts workshop provides a genuine, regular amateur practice, complemented by workshops and introductory sessions.

For children and teenagers from Marmoutier and the surrounding communities, La Forge allows them to discover and then deepen their knowledge of circus arts in an associative environment entirely devoted to artistic expression.