Čarobnjakov šešir – Circus School and Workshops

Čarobnjakov šešir – Community school and training center for contemporary circus in Pula

Čarobnjakov šešir , whose name means " The Magician's Hat ", is a Croatian cultural association founded in 2004 in Pula, Istria. It works to promote, transmit and develop contemporary circus arts and street arts .

The association occupies a room on the fifth floor of the north wing of the Rojc cultural center , located at Gajeva Street 3 in Pula. This space constitutes its main place of teaching and practice.

Since its creation, Čarobnjakov šešir has developed an activity that combines circus courses and training , specialized workshops, training for artists and educators, camps for children, artistic residencies and the production of shows.

A place for learning circus arts

The Rojc cultural center hosts the association's regular educational activities.

Čarobnjakov šešir proposes an approach to circus that combines development of technical skills , artistic expression and collective practice.

Participants can discover different families of disciplines, including aerial acrobatics , juggling and balance exercises .

The association welcomes beginners, but also organizes specialized training for people who already have experience in circus arts.

This diversity allows it to play both a role of amateur initiation and artistic improvement .

Aerial silks and aerial hoop

Aerial disciplines occupy an important place in the educational history of the association.

Čarobnjakov šešir has notably organised aerial silk courses for children, teenagers and adults.

This discipline allows one to explore movements on a suspended fabric, through climbs, acrobatic positions, wraps and transitions between figures.

Technical work is accompanied by the development of strength , coordination , flexibility and body control .

The association also offered training on aerial hoop , a circular apparatus allowing for suspended figures and choreographic sequences.

Manuela Rossi has been identified as one of the educators in charge of these disciplines.

Detailed information regarding these courses comes primarily from announcements published in 2020. Their inclusion in the same weekly schedule for October 2026 has not been confirmed.

Juggling and object manipulation

Juggling is one of the historical disciplines of Čarobnjakov šešir.

The association offers workshops to discover different manipulation and coordination techniques.

Activities include juggling with balls , diabolo and other accessories used in circus arts.

These exercises help to develop precision , rhythm , concentration and coordination of movements .

Juggling also serves as a medium for artistic creation.

In 2021, the association produced the show " Budi i ti cirkus! ", resulting from three months of work with seven residents of Pula discovering circus creation.

This project combined learning to juggle, choreographic composition and public presentation.

It illustrates how the association can support beginners towards a collective artistic experience.

Acrobatics, trapeze and balancing acts

Čarobnjakov šešir's programs also cover various acrobatic and balance disciplines.

The trapeze , particularly in its fixed form, is among the techniques explored in workshops and camps.

Participants can also discover balance exercises on objects, as well as practices using the balance ball , unicycle or rola-bola in some pedagogical training programs.

These disciplines develop coordination, stability, and body awareness.

They also allow us to approach the circus as a set of complementary practices.

It should be noted, however, that some of these techniques are documented in one-off training sessions and do not necessarily correspond to regular courses currently offered.

Cirkus na otoku: a circus camp for children

One of the association's most characteristic activities is " Cirkus na otoku ", or " The Circus on the Island ".

This camp is organized on the island of Fratarski , also called Veruda , located near Pula.

Launched in 2019 , it offers children the opportunity to discover circus arts in an environment combining physical activities, creativity and community life.

The camp primarily caters to school-aged children.

In the 2025 edition, it was aimed at young people aged 7 to 14 .

The participants were divided into groups according to their age and experience.

Activities included aerial silks , trapeze and diabolo juggling workshops.

Each day combined physical preparation, team games and learning circus techniques.

The program also included a final presentation prepared with the supervisors.

A teaching method that promotes cooperation

The Cirkus na otoku camp places great importance on the collective dimension of learning.

Children discover different disciplines while learning to work together, help each other, and share their progress.

Group games help to create an environment conducive to trust and participation.

Technical exercises encourage concentration, perseverance, and the discovery of new physical abilities.

Preparing a final presentation also allows one to explore artistic creation and working in front of an audience.

The association presents this camp as an educational and creative experience , and not as a simple succession of sporting activities.

Editions are documented in 2023, 2024 and 2025. No official announcement of a 2026 edition was identified in the pages consulted.

Internships with international artists

Čarobnjakov šešir regularly organizes workshops led by guest artists and educators.

These meetings allow participants to delve deeper into specific techniques and discover different approaches to circus creation.

In May 2025, the association hosted Ella Hummel for a workshop dedicated to aerial acrobatics.

This artist, trained in particular at ACAPA in the Netherlands and at the FLIC school in Turin, practices several aerial disciplines and specializes in straps .

The training course organized in Pula allowed participants to benefit from his experience and working methods.

In February 2026, the association also announced an intensive three-day laboratory with Gaia Santuccio , dedicated to researching movement on aerial rope .

The program covered topics including rolling techniques, working in partnership, and different approaches to rope manipulation.

These initiatives confirm the association's activity of artistic development.

A training course for circus educators

Čarobnjakov šešir also participates in the development of pedagogical skills in the contemporary circus sector.

In May 2023, she co-organized with the Društvo umjetnika suvremenog cirkusa an intensive six-day training course led by Pierre Chartier .

Pierre Chartier, director of the Turbul circus school in Nîmes, France, specializes in circus arts pedagogy.

The training was aimed at people who supervise or wish to supervise circus training throughout the year.

It covered the principles of movement, psychomotor development, adapting exercises to different ages, and methods of working in groups.

Participants explored several disciplines: acrobatics, clowning, fixed trapeze, object balancing, rope, juggling and aerial silks.

The objective was to strengthen the quality and safety of circus training in the region.

This program illustrates the role of Čarobnjakov šešir in the professionalization of teaching practices, without constituting a degree-awarding school.

Creation of shows and street arts

The association also has a significant artistic production activity.

She develops contemporary circus , juggling and street theatre shows.

His creations are aimed at different audiences, from children to adult spectators.

The show “ Budi i ti cirkus! ”, presented in 2021, is an example of a project combining transmission and collective creation.

The association also produces cabarets and events showcasing different circus disciplines.

This activity allows technical learning to be linked to stage practice.

It also helps to make circus arts accessible to an audience that does not necessarily frequent traditional performance venues.

Festivals and the development of contemporary circus

Čarobnjakov šešir organizes the Festival uličnih čarobnjaka , an international festival dedicated to street arts.

Created in 2005 , this event takes place in Novigrad and Labin , in Istria.

It hosts artists and companies who present different forms of live performance in public spaces.

In 2014, the association also contributed to the organization of the CirkoBalkana festival in Pula.

This project aims to develop contemporary circus in the Balkans, notably through a big top used as a performance, training and artist residency space.

Since 2018, Čarobnjakov šešir has also been developing the program “ Opčini me novim cirkusom ”, dedicated to presenting European contemporary circus shows.

These initiatives contribute to the dissemination of circus arts and to the meeting between artists, educators and audiences.

A player in regional cooperation

Čarobnjakov šešir participates in several artistic cooperation networks in Croatia and the Balkans.

In particular, she took part in the international project " Cirkuska platforma u pokretu ", dedicated to the development of contemporary circus in the region.

The association collaborates with organizations in Croatia , Serbia , Slovenia and Greece .

She is also part of the Croatian network of artistic residencies dedicated to contemporary circus.

In 2026, this network includes Cirkorama in Zagreb, Cirkus Kolektiv and ROOM 100 in Split, Prostor Plus in Rijeka, KVARK in Križevci and Kućni Kolektiv in Klanjec.

This cooperation allows for the pooling of spaces and resources in order to support artists and their creative projects.

Activity confirmed in 2026

Čarobnjakov šešir continues his artistic and educational activities in 2026.

The aerial rope course with Gaia Santuccio, announced from February 26 to 28 , is a recent example of her training activity.

The association is also participating in a call for artistic residency projects for the year 2026.

These elements confirm that she remains active in the contemporary circus sector.

However, detailed announcements of weekly courses accessible to the public mainly date from 2020 .

It is therefore necessary to check directly with the association regarding registrations and the disciplines offered regularly for the 2026-2027 season.

A community-run school and resource center for the circus

Čarobnjakov šešir constitutes an important structure for the discovery and development of circus arts in Pula.

Its activities combine amateur teaching, specialized courses, teacher training, children's camps, shows and international projects.

Thanks to its location at the Rojc center and its numerous collaborations, it contributes to the transmission of circus techniques in Istria.

The association can be classified among amateur circus schools and organizations , with a complementary activity of artistic development and pedagogical training.

However, it should not be presented as a professional degree-awarding school , nor as an institution whose historical courses would necessarily be maintained in the same way in 2026.