Amsterdam (The Netherlands)

Elleboog’s long history as a youth circus started in 1949.
The school has now two buildings in Amsterdam (in the centre and South-East), and employs 35 staff members, plus 55 volunteers and interns.

Circus classes and workshops are organised every year for about 14.000 children and youngsters, from 4 to 22 years old. More than 40.000 people attend the shows and performances of the school every year. The numerous activities of Elleboog include:

- “Circusclubs” (for children and teenagers)
- “Trainingclubs” (for teenagers and young adults)
- Projects with primary and secondary schools (whether at Elleboog’s or their school)
- Special projects with disabled children
- Birthday parties for children
- Circus festivals
- Youth performing groups (touring theatres all over the country)
- Parent-child activities
- Teambuilding for companies.

Barcelona (Spain)

Belfast, Northern Ireland (UK)

Founded in the midst of Northern Ireland’s conflict, Belfast Community Circus School has more than twenty years experience of working with circus as a means of bringing together young people from different cultures.

In 1999, Belfast Community Circus School took possession of the only circus building on the island of Ireland.  Since that time, the organisation has expanded into providing professional development for circus artists; running an agency for performance and staging street theatre events including a five day international Festival of Fools.

The work with young people now includes a regular Youth Circus with 70 members between the ages of 8 and 18; Itty Bitty Circus with 50 members aged 2 to 7 and an extensive outreach programme working with young people from disadvantaged communities across Northern Ireland and with cross community groups. The outreach programme works with around 120 young people each week. Young people learning circus have opportunities to participate in a range of shows and parades.

The organisation currently has 2 EVS volunteers working alongside 7 staff and 25 freelance teachers.

Brussels (Belgium)

Founded in 1981, the Ecole de Cirque de Bruxelles teaches circus arts with the aim to favour personal development. It has developed over the years its own philosophy, methodology and pedagogy.

The Brussels school is a pioneer in providing training for circus teachers. It offers a specific training programme unique in Europe, called the « Formation Pédagogique », aimed at bachelor and master students in the field of pedagogy.

The school offers as well circus lessons, in the form of weekly classes and holiday workshops, for children and youngsters. It has also put in place many social projects, such as “Cirq’ de Quartier” (circus for youngsters from underprivileged areas) and “Handicirque” (circus for mentally and physically challenged people).

The school is hence, in the image of Brussels, a real melting pot…

Bucharest (Romania)

PARADA Foundation is a Romanian NGO created in Bucharest in 1996 by a French clown, Miloud Oukili. The aim of the organisation is to provide assistance to street children and young people, as well as to homeless families, thanks to various services like integration, social assistance, education and “socioprofessional” integration.

The Foundation was awarded several prizes for its activities, such as: Prize UNICEF 2000, Prize ARTUSI 2000, Prize CLOWNUL SPERANTEI 1999 or Prize Albert Schweitzer 2000. For his action in favour of street children, Miloud received the title of Doctor Honoris Causa of the University of Bologna, in 2007.

Luxembourg (Luxembourg)

Luxembourg's only circus school has over 200 students, aged between 4,5 and 50 years old, taking part in one (or more) of the 20 weekly classes. These classes include parent-child circus, multidisciplinary classes, specific classes (acrobatics, unicycle, trapeze...) and performing group workshops. Furthermore there is an open training class once a week.

The school also provides workshops for children and/or adults with foreign teachers during school holidays and on weekends. In May, Zaltimbanq' organizes the festival "Cirque sous Chapiteau".  During 10 days a number of international artists visit the big top to perform on stage and to work with the youngsters of the school. The festival also gives the students the possibility to show what they have learned to their parents and friends.

In 2009 Zaltimbanq’ launched with the Service National de la Jeunesse (Youth division of the Ministry of Family and Integration) a training programme to become assistant trainer. This programme is opened to youngsters from 16 years old onwards.

Bagneux/Paris (France)

Founded in 1992, Le Plus Petit Cirque Du Monde (PPCM) - Centre des Arts du Cirque Sud de Seine develops and promotes circus arts in the field of youth and social circus, vocational training for trainers and international exchanges. Our structure is located in Bagneux (a suburb in the South of Paris), in the heart of a disadvantaged area.
PPCM was born thanks to a group of people having a passion for the universal values and language of circus. The core of this group of volunteers has been active for seventeen years.

Our public is mainly composed of children from three years old and above, and young adults. About 320 students attend the weekly courses, 280 participants take part in the holiday workshops, and an average of 450 persons per week join in the outreach projects (workshops in schools, collaboration with social and leisure centres, projects with disadvantaged suburbs, workshops in jails, regular courses with handicapped children and young people).

Tampere (Finland)