Members

Germany

The BAG Zirkuspädagogik e.V. is the association of children’s and youth circus groups, regional youth circus associations, further circus education institutions and circus teachers. It represents the interests of children and young people and networks the youthcircus institutions as part of cultural education in Germany.Circus offers reach more than one million children and young people every year. They range from movement arts such as acrobatics, juggling and balancing to theatrical forms of expression, dance, music and modern forms of movement. The statue purpose is to improve the work of the circus schools and the circus teachers. Therefore, the BAG has developed standards of the formation of circus teachers and young circus trainers.
Since 2018, BAG Zirkuspädagogik e.V. has been one of the 24 programme partners of the Federal Ministry of Education and Research in the programme “Alliances for Education”. The task as a supporter is to forward the federal funds to local circus projects and thus enable circus education projects nationwide.

Belgium, Flemish part

The Flemish Centre for Circus Arts is the hub of circus in Flanders. It contributes in every respect to the development and quality of the Flemish circus arts. The Circuscentrum is both a knowledge hub and an anchor for all circus arts in Flanders. Circus artists – amateurs or professionals, the general public and organizers from different sectors can call on Circuscentrum. It aims at optimal development opportunities and a public acceptance of the culture of circus arts. The field of youth circuses forms an important bases for the circus scenery in Flanders. The Circuscentrum supports a network of 18 member youth circuses. One of the main objectives is to initiate training and exchanging for quality improvement. Other supporting measures such as: to create playing opportunities for the youth circuses, lending service for circus material, organisation and developing support (accountancy, legislation information, financial support, etc.)

Netherlands

Formerly Circomundo

Circuspunt was founded in 2019 to be the Dutch national circus umbrella organisation. In the foundation it combined the branch umbrellas for traveling circuses, youth circus and circus culture. As the national institution, it supports and encourages the overall development of the sector and represents circus interests to external parties.
Circuspunt offers a platform that unites and connects makers, businesses, festivals, theatres, schools, youth circuses, artists and circus studios. There are several expertise groups that tackle specific aspects of the field, such as talent development, youth circus, traveling circus and artists and makers.
The expertise group for youth circus focuses on the development of education and the relation to the rest of the circus field.

Circusworks (UK & Ireland)

CircusWorks represents 100+ youth and community circuses across the UK. We are committed to using circus as a tool for positive social change. Our work includes creating festivals, conferences, networking opportunities, training courses, resources, research, and advocacy materials, to support and empower the incredible work that youth circuses do. We are a grassroots, sociocratic organisation, the UK’s representing body for European youth circus, and a member of EYCO.

Slovenia

CirkoKrog Association is a group of circus educators who have been developing the circus as a medium for working with people for many years. Cirko Krog began when students of social pedagogy became acquainted with the youth circus, which has been recognized in Europe for many years as an effective medium of working with people. After several years of research on their own, they founded the Slovensko združenje za cirkuško pedagogiko cirkokrog in 2005. Within the association we develop circus pedagogy as a form of pedagogical work and non-formal education of children, young people and adults. Over the years, the CirkoKrog family has been joined and co-created by diverse people – jugglers, acrobats and artists from Slovenia and other countries. The binder was, and still is, a common development of circus skills and the development of using circus as a medium when working with people.

Spain

FEECSE is the federation of training projects on introduction to the circus and social circus. It is formed by schools, cultural associations and educational projects. The FEECSE was founded in 2013 to create a national network for meeting and educational exchange between circus schools and the implementation of new projects together. Federation members are circus trainers, performers, educators, with many years of experience in the circus teaching field. At the moment, the FEECSE gathers 36 circus projects from all over Spain: preparatory circus schools, social integration projects which use circus as an educational tool, associations working with extraordinary people and amateur circus projects for children and young people.

France

The «Fédération Française des Ecoles de Cirque» (FFEC) is a network of circus schools. It was founded in 1988 and currently has 151 members located all around France. The organisation works in collaboration with varied partners (public Departments, culture professionals, circus schools…) so as to provide a high quality circus training. The FFEC bases its quality on the founding precept “circus is an art, which is taught in respect for oneself and others”. It is about, for the Federation, to obtain guaranties in the field of health, security, pedagogy, training, administrative functioning, conditions of practice (place, materials,…) and link with artistic. In addition, the Federation takes an active part as well in the structuring of diploma for circus arts teachers (at first an intern diploma, as there were no national diploma, and secondly the Federation joined the creation of two national diplomas)

Finland

FYCA, national umbrella organisation of youth circuses in Finland, founded in 1991, promotes amateur youth circus activities and aims at providing better facilities for youth circuses, circus amateurs and circus teachers. The association brings together both amateurs and professionals and develops possibilities for children and young people to take part in circus activities. In order to reach its mission, FYCA also educates trainers, organizes events, courses and educational workshops and produces educational materials. A youth circus festival is organised every second year and it serves both as a meeting place, a training and performing opportunity. Main focuses in last years have been circus trainer education as well as increasing the accessibility of circus. FYCA also networks internationally being a founding member of EYCO and of the Baltic-Nordic Circus Network.

Italy

Associazione Giocolieri e Dintorni, founded in 2002, works as a national umbrella association for promoting contemporary circus art, youth circus and social circus projects in Italy. Together with publishing and distributing the quarterly Juggling Magazine, it has been specifically taking care of promoting youth circus through: gaining istitutional recognition from the Italian Ministry of Culture; printing and distributing publications specifically dealing with youth circus; holding entry level stages for youth circus teachers; organizing annual national meetings for youth circus teachers; networking of all national youth circus schools and teachers; starting an advanced training for youth circus teachers since 2006; starting a professional course at University for youth circus trainers since 2009; representing the Italian field in NICE and EYCO

Poland

Sieć Pedagogiki Cyrku (SPC or Polish Youth Circus Network) is an umbrella organisation founded in 2019 as the result of a three years long process of consolidating Polish NGOs and individuals engaged in circus pedagogy. Currently there are 6 NGOs and 20 individuals under the national umbrella. SPC Network goal is recognising and answering the needs of educators who implement circus pedagogy methods in the formal, informal and non-formal education environment, where circus pedagogy is focused more on the developmental and therapeutic potential of circus arts than the artistic effect. Activities led by SPC serve the goals of intercultural and intergenerational integration, social exclusion prevention and psycho-motoric development of people of varying ages, sexes, ethnicity and economical background.
In order to stay up-to-date with European standards and also to cultivate the values of intercultural cooperation SPC became a member of European Youth Circus Organisation (EYCO), Through sharing the experience of a diverse national circus pedagogy environment it is possible to study differences and similarities between European countries in order to find optimal solutions addressing emerging problems.

Estonia

Eesti Kaasaegse Tsirkuse Arenduskeskus, Estonian Contemporary Circus Development Center NGO, was founded on September 12th 2014. The Estonian circus centre aims to promote and support the mission of the modern circus excellence and also high level of recognition at home and abroad. The 12 members are individual circus artists as well as circus schools and circus related unions. The circus centre promotes circus art in Estonia in various ways from grass root to aristic performances. The biggest event organised under ECDC is the Showcase for Baltic Professional Circus EPICIRQ.

Austria

The Federal Association for Circus Pedagogy „Österreichischer Bundesverband für Zirkuspädagogik – ÖBVZ“ is a network of circus schools, regional associations and circus teachers. It was founded in 2012 in Vienna and currently has 16 members in 6 of the 9 federal states of Austria. The purpose of the association is to promote circus educational theorie, to support the pedagogical work of circus schools and teachers, to offer a place for networking, to develop common projects and to advocate circus as an independent art form.