Zirkus Kumpulus – Kinder- und Jugendzirkus Steinheim

Zirkus Kumpulus is a circus for children and teenagers based in Steinheim, North Rhine-Westphalia. Founded in 2002 , the project is now well established in the East Rhine-Westphalia region and has operated as an independent non-profit association since 2015 .

Kumpulus's objective is to enable children and young people to discover circus arts through regular practice combining technical learning , collective creation and performance in front of an audience .

Age groups

The school is organised around two main age groups.

The Kumpulinos

The Kumpulinos are the group for children aged 6 to 10. They gradually discover different circus disciplines, learn their first tricks and begin to build small acts.

These young artists also have the opportunity to present their work to their parents and relatives, and then gradually to a larger audience.

The main group

From the age of 10 , participants can join the main group Zirkus Kumpulus .

The subjects taught

The teaching is resolutely multidisciplinary .

• Acrobatics , which helps develop coordination, body control, strength and confidence.
• Juggling , which also occupies an important place in training.
• Unicycling , a characteristic discipline of Kumpulus, allows participants to develop balance, coordination and mastery of movement.
• Balancing on a ball , which is also one of the techniques practiced.
• The jump rope , used as a true circus discipline, allows you to work on rhythm, coordination and creativity.
• Clowning , which complements this approach by giving young people the opportunity to develop their expression, their stage presence and their relationship with the public.

Other techniques can be incorporated depending on the shows and the group's wishes.

The training sessions

Training sessions take place every week in the gym of the Friedrich-Wilhelm-Weber-Schule in Steinheim.

The Kumpulinos train on Monday afternoon , before the main group which then continues training.

As the major performances approach, additional sessions are organized during certain weekends.

This regularity allows participants to progress technically while working on long-term collective projects.

The creation of shows

The creation of shows is one of the great distinguishing features of Zirkus Kumpulus .

Each year, the young artists imagine and present a new show of approximately two hours .

It is not simply a succession of numbers.

The group writes a true story that serves as a common thread and allows the different circus disciplines to be linked together within a coherent show.

Young people therefore also participate in the process of creating the show.

They learn to put their technical skills at the service of a story, a character, and a collective representation.

This approach gives the project a significant theatrical dimension.

The performances

The shows are mainly presented in Steinheim , but Zirkus Kumpulus also performs in other venues in the region.

The group regularly presents its program at the Waldorfschule in Detmold and may undertake small tours.

Kumpulus also offers a "street circus" package for parties, birthdays and events.

These shorter performances include juggling , acrobatics and unicycling , and are adapted to the context of each event.

The association also organizes a variety show in Steinheim bringing together young people from Kumpulus and various artists from the region.

A performing arts school

The stage thus constitutes an essential component of the educational project.

Children and teenagers do not just come to learn tricks: they gradually learn to build an act, work with others and present their work in front of a real audience.

The association

The association is non-profit and pursues objectives related to youth , sport and culture .

Young artists, as well as many parents, participate in community life.

This involvement helps to give Kumpulus a particularly important family and collective dimension.

Join Kumpulus

New participants are regularly welcome.

The association offers, in particular, the possibility of coming to do a trial training session before joining the group.

More than twenty years after its creation, Zirkus Kumpulus remains a true school for amateur practice of circus arts in Steinheim, combining weekly learning , associative life , collective creation and public performances .