Zirkus Zack – Kinder- und Jugendzirkus Berlin

Zirkus Zack is a circus school for children and teenagers located in Berlin-Friedrichshain . Founded in 2001, it has been developing a major artistic and cultural education project around circus arts for over twenty-five years.

The school is located on the RAW-Gelände , a vast cultural site situated near Warschauer Straße .

Public and activities

Zirkus Zack is primarily aimed at children, teenagers and young adults. Activities start from the age of four and some programs can accompany young people up to the age of 27 .

Approximately 300 children and teenagers participate in the facility's activities each week.

The school organizes nearly twenty regular courses and groups , allowing for consistent practice of circus arts throughout the year.

Pedagogical approach

The teaching approach is based on a playful discovery of the apparatus, juggling objects and the possibilities of the body.

The goal is therefore not just to learn technical skills. Children are encouraged to experiment , develop their motor skills and gradually find the disciplines that suit them.

The subjects taught

Acrobatics plays an important role in the curriculum.

It helps develop strength , coordination , mobility and body awareness while learning to work individually or with other participants.

Juggling is also one of the disciplines taught and allows young people to work on concentration , coordination and creativity through different manipulations of objects.

The balances and various techniques characteristic of circus arts complement this multidisciplinary practice.

The learning is adapted to the age and experience of the participants in order to allow for gradual and safe progress.

Artistic dimension and creation

Zirkus Zack also places great importance on the artistic dimension of the circus.

The practice is not limited to training: children and teenagers can participate in creative projects and gradually discover the construction of an act or a show.

Activities during school holidays

The organization also develops numerous activities during school holidays.

Every summer, Zirkus Zack leaves Berlin for several weeks to organize various circus trips and projects in Brandenburg .

These stays allow children and teenagers to experience a more intensive group activity centered around circus arts.

Working with schools

Working with schools is another major focus of the activity.

Zirkus Zack develops collaborations with schools , nurseries and various structures for children and teenagers in Berlin.

The projects can be adapted to one class, several classes, or an entire institution.

Depending on the venue's capabilities, activities can take place in a classroom , a multipurpose room , or a gymnasium .

The structure can even, when conditions allow, set up a real big top directly in the partner establishment.

MitMachZirkus and the social dimension

Zirkus Zack also intervenes in public spaces through its MitMachZirkus , a participatory circus device allowing residents and young people to directly discover different practices.

This presence in the neighborhoods reflects the social dimension of the project.

The circus is used as a tool promoting encounter , participation , autonomy , cooperation and personal expression .

international collaborations

The organization also develops collaborations with international artistic and social projects .

Exchanges were organized in particular with European partners, including structures located in France and Poland .

These meetings can take the form of project weeks bringing together young people from different countries around a common creation or practice of circus arts.

The partnership with Circus Schatzinsel

Zirkus Zack works closely with Circus Schatzinsel , its partner school located in Berlin-Kreuzberg .

The two structures are now supported by Vuesch gGmbH and together develop various educational, artistic and social projects.

This cooperation also allows for the pooling of certain skills and infrastructures .

Circus Schatzinsel notably has a real big top and develops an approach inspired by the New Circus , combining circus techniques, theatre and dance.

The two structures participate together in joint events and projects while each retaining its own location and identity.

A key player in Berlin's cultural education scene

Zirkus Zack fits more broadly into the Berlin field of cultural education for young people .

His work therefore goes far beyond that of a simple leisure course: weekly classes , creations , holidays , school interventions , participatory projects and international exchanges constitute the different facets of the same educational project.

After twenty-five years in existence, Zirkus Zack remains particularly active. In September 2026 , the organization will celebrate its 25th anniversary with Circus Schatzinsel through several days of shows, participatory circus, performances and meetings.

With around 300 young people practicing each week, a permanent presence in Berlin-Friedrichshain and a large network of educational and artistic partners, Zirkus Zack is today one of the important structures for the practice and transmission of circus arts for young people in Berlin.