Zitellab

ZITELLAB' is a non-profit circus arts school located in Balagne, Haute-Corse. Created in 2024 as an extension of the Emma Lab' cultural association, it now develops the aspect dedicated to artistic education and the transmission of circus arts in the region.

Rather than concentrating its activities in a single city, ZITELLAB' operates like a regional school. Regular workshops are offered in several towns in Balagne, notably in Lumio , Muro and L'Île-Rousse .

This organization makes it possible to bring circus arts closer to families in a territory where distances can be a barrier to accessing cultural activities.

The school welcomes a diverse audience, from young children to teenagers and adults. Parent-child activities complement the age-appropriate workshops, offering families a first taste of circus arts together.

ZITELLAB 's educational project considers circus arts as a distinct art form but also as an educational tool. The practice aims to develop fundamental skills such as social skills , self-confidence , and critical thinking .

The association promotes the values of popular education and advocates for a non-discriminatory and inclusive pedagogy. Social diversity and equal access for girls and boys to all circus disciplines are among the principles proclaimed by the school.

The collective dimension plays an important role in this approach. Circus arts allow for the development of mutual support and attentiveness to others, while giving each participant the opportunity to experiment, progress at their own pace, and find their place within the group.

Creativity and imagination are also central to the project. The school aims to enable children to develop a sensitive approach to the world and therefore does not limit learning to the acquisition of technical skills.

The school has notably developed programs around aerial disciplines. In the summer of 2026, adult workshops introducing aerial silks and trapeze were organized in Lumio , on an outdoor gantry allowing the simultaneous installation of several apparatus.

The association's mission also includes supporting young people wishing to pursue a professional career in the arts. However, ZITELLAB' is not identified as a CPES (Preparatory Class for Higher Education) or a higher education institution offering a professional degree; rather, its mission is to guide and support young people in building their career paths.

Creation and interaction with the public already occupy a prominent place in the project of this young school. ZITELLAB' students were notably included in the Emma Lab' in Festa festival, where they were able to present their end-of-year show in professional conditions.

This experience allows young people to go beyond the framework of the weekly class: they discover the conditions of a real performance, meet professional artists and attend an event combining live performance, circus, dance, music, performances and visual arts.

The relationship with Emma Lab' is therefore an important distinguishing feature. ZITELLAB' benefits from a cultural environment that allows for the connection of artistic education, emerging creation, cultural programming and youth mobility.

The ZITELLAB' association itself includes in its mission the organization and programming of shows, concerts, and other cultural events. Therefore, teaching can be part of a broader project to discover live performance.

For the 2026-2027 season, workshops are scheduled from September 14, 2026 to July 4, 2027. This new season confirms the school's establishment after its initial years of development in Balagne.

FFEC now lists Julien Leca as the school's contact and locates its headquarters in the U Pinu district of Feliceto . However, the association operates in several other municipalities: the administrative headquarters should therefore not be confused with a single teaching location.

ZITELLAB' is now a member of the FFEC and belongs to the FREC Méditerranée . This integration into the federal network represents an important step for an organization created only in 2024.

The previous season clearly illustrates this territorial logic: groups were organised in L'Île-Rousse , Muro and Lumio , with workshops for children from 4 years old, teenagers, adults and families.

The variety of formats allows ZITELLAB' to offer both a first-time experience and regular practice. Parent-child workshops provide a family entry point, while teen and adult groups allow participants to continue practicing at ages when circus arts opportunities are often less developed in rural areas.

In just a few years, ZITELLAB' has become a structured circus arts school in the Balagne region. Its project combines artistic transmission, popular education, amateur practice, workshops, creation, cultural encounters and support for young people.

Its itinerant operation between several municipalities, its recent membership in the FFEC network and the links maintained with Emma Lab' give it a particular identity: that of a small local school which uses circus arts as much to transmit techniques as to develop confidence , creativity , autonomy , collective spirit and cultural openness .