Zirkus Barbarella – Barnstorf

Zirkus Barbarella is a circus school for children and teenagers located in Barnstorf, Lower Saxony. For more than three decades, it has used circus arts as a tool for education, creativity, encounter and integration.

A story that began on Pentecost 1990

The story of Barbarella begins at Pentecost 1990. Regina and Reinhold Bömer then organised a circus-themed activity as part of the youth work of the Catholic parish of St. Barbara und Hedwig in Barnstorf.

What was initially intended to be a one-off event became so successful that regular meetings were gradually organized. Thus, Zirkus Barbarella was born.

A circus pedagogy first and foremost

From its inception, the project has developed an approach clearly focused on circus pedagogy. The objective is not to pursue athletic performance at all costs, but to allow children and young people to learn , create , and progress together .

Barbarella's philosophy is based in particular on three notions: a collective , creative and integrative practice.

Participants can discover different circus disciplines and gradually develop those that best suit their desires and abilities.

Juggling

Juggling naturally occupies an important place in this practice. Balls and clubs allow for the development of coordination , concentration , perseverance and mastery of movement .

The diabolo and various forms of object manipulation complement this learning.

The balances

Balance is also a major focus. Young people can discover unicycling and tightrope walking , as well as various situations requiring balance and body control.

Acrobatics

Acrobatics constitutes another pillar of educational work and allows the development of strength , flexibility , coordination and confidence in others .

The clown and stage performance

The theatrical and expressive dimension of the circus is also important.

Clowning and stage performance allow participants to work on their presence in front of an audience and to dare to present their own personality on stage.

The central venue for shows

Barbarella indeed gives a central place to the shows .

Preparing a performance gives a collective purpose to the learning that takes place during the workshops.

Going on stage teaches young people to manage their concentration, their apprehension, and their relationship with the audience.

The success of a show becomes a collective experience in which everyone contributes to the final result.

A traveling educational circus

Over the years, Zirkus Barbarella has grown far beyond a simple local workshop.

The project notably functioned as a veritable travelling educational circus , with big tops, caravans and vehicles allowing the organization of activities and shows in different regions.

Circus workshops and camps still occupy an important place in its activity.

During school holidays, children can participate in intensive projects combining learning disciplines, collective creation and preparation of a performance.

A strong intercultural dimension

Barbarella also develops an important intercultural dimension .

Located within the Welthaus Barnstorf, the circus participates in projects combining circus arts, language learning and encounters between cultures.

The program " Jonglieren mit Wörtern und Bällen " – "Juggling with words and balls" – particularly illustrates this approach.

Circus activities then become a tool enabling children and teenagers from different backgrounds to communicate , act together and develop their language skills in a playful context.

Language and cultural camps have thus been developed with the VNB – Verein Niedersächsischer Bildungsinitiativen.

In this way, the circus participates in the integration work carried out by the Welthaus Barnstorf.

This dimension notably led Zirkus Barbarella to participate in the Niedersächsischer Integrationspreis with its " bewegte Zirkusschule " project, a moving circus school combining juggling, language and culture.

A tradition of empowering teenagers

Barbarella also has a strong tradition of empowering teenagers .

Young people who have gained sufficient experience can gradually participate in supervising younger children and in turn pass on the techniques they have learned.

This continuity between student and supervisor allows adolescents to develop autonomy , responsibility and educational skills .

Some former participants have thus turned to circus pedagogy and artistic professions.

The fire show troupe

The most experienced teenagers also participate in specific creations.

A fire performance troupe has notably been developed within the circus.

The young people work there with clubs, staffs, bolas and flaming ropes in collective choreographies designed to be presented at festivals and events.

Safety is an integral part of this learning: Barbarella advocates a responsible approach to fire pedagogy and specifically rejects the traditional practice of fire-breathing due to the risks associated with combustibles.

Interventions in schools

Zirkus Barbarella also works in schools and develops project weeks allowing students to discover circus arts.

These interventions combine physical practice , artistic learning , cooperation and preparation for a performance .

A recognized structure

The association is now an autonomous section of the Verein zur Förderung ganzheitlicher Bildung eV , an organization recognized in the field of youth assistance.

It is also closely linked to the Welthaus Barnstorf, where the circus participates in various educational, cultural and intercultural projects.

An original concept of the educational circus

More than thirty-five years after its creation, Zirkus Barbarella thus continues a conception of the circus in which technical performance is never an end in itself.

The circus becomes a way to gain confidence , develop creativity , learn to work with others , discover different cultures and dare to perform in front of an audience .

This combination of circus school, youth work, intercultural education, internships, shows and school projects makes Zirkus Barbarella a particularly original structure in the landscape of German educational circus.