After three years of exchanging practices, training, publishing educational tools and conducting a European study on the competencies for the teaching profession in the framework of the INTENTS project, FEDEC focus group n° 2 and the project partners were convinced of the added value of sharing experience between teachers and the ever-present need to keep on creating knowledge and skills. The network had realised the importance of encouraging teachers to take a reflective look and enrich their daily practices. Focus group n° 2 and the FEDEC Board, in collaboration with the FFEC network thus conceptualised a transition project, REFLECT, with 3 main axes:

1. Consulting the network and the teaching profession on continuing education needs and the related subthemes, types of training and participation in the sessions as well as continuing training engineering.
2. Organising 4 peer-to-peer exchanges to keep on with continuing training for teachers: implementing participation methods for teachers and fostering a professional community
3. Disseminating and using the INTENTS resources that were published and launching a reflection on the needs for documentation in order to enrich the teaching of circus arts.

The schedule of the new REFLECT project provides time for reflection to take stock of the 3 years of exchanges between circus teachers and the writing of 5 tools for the teaching and recognition of the profession, and to work on the engineering of a new 3-year project in line with INTENTS, that would succeed directly to REFLECT.

REFLECT is a project run by the French federation of circus schools (FFEC), a member of FEDEC, and funded by the Erasmus + program for the period from 4 September 2017 to 3 December 2019. It brings together 27 partners, including 25 professional circus schools, from 12 European countries. The project kick-off meeting took place at the FEDEC Meetings at CIRCa and the FFEC Meetings in Auch on Thursday 26 October 2017.

Main activities of the REFLECT project for peer-to-peer exchanges

Training engineering through network consultation and experimentation during preparation and sessions (on different types of content, types of exchanges, venues, types of, and tools for, session animation) and development of a model program for pilot training sessions of peer-to-peer exchanges – cross continuing training for circus arts teachers (prefiguration of a new cycle of continuing training courses for 2019-2021).

Organisation of 4 thematic sessions of continuing education / peer-to-peer exchanges to improve, question and discuss teaching and artistic pedagogy in circus arts. Transversal and thematic, these sessions will cover all specialties. Experts from other artistic disciplines will be invited.

1. Lab – Peer-to-peer exchange n° 1: "The role of the teacher in a creative process of the student's personal project", March 2018
2. Lab – Peer-to-peer exchange n° 2: "Creation processes with students: observation, analysis and testimonies based on the CIRCLE project", October 2018
3. Lab – Peer-to-peer exchange n° 3: "The role of the teacher in a creative process of the collective project of students", April 2019
4. Lab – Peer-to-peer exchange n° 4: "Creation process with professionals: observation, analysis and exchanges", October 2019

• Skills update via peer-to-peer exchange sessions: emphasis on certain pedagogical and general skills of the publication “SAVOIRS01: the profession of circus arts teacher in vocational schools - Towards defining a European Competency framework” (non-exhaustive list):

Unit 1: Train the students in physical preparation

Unit 4: Train the students in artistic research and creation

Unit 9. Coordinate the group's end of year performance

Unit 11. Counsel the students on their artistic and professional development from one’s own specialty

Unit 13. Guide the students when developing their personal final project

Unit 15: Stay updated on the art market, pedagogical practices and circus techniques

• Development of tools and materials for continuing training
• Raise the question of documenting the teaching of artistic creation (collective, individual ...)

• Organization of 5 Partnership Meetings

Partnership meeting #1, 26 October 2017, Auch, CIRCa festival

Partnership meeting #2, April 2018, Brussels, ESAC

Partnership meeting #3, October 2018, Auch, CIRCa festival

Partnership meeting #4, April 2019, Berlin, SAB

Partnership meeting #5, October 2019, Auch, CIRCa festival

• 9 Steering Committee meetings

Steering committee meeting #1, 26 October 2017, Auch, festival CIRCa

Steering committee meeting #2, January 2018, Paris

Steering committee meeting #3, April 2018, Brussels, ESAC

Steering committee meeting #4, September 2018, Brussels, FEDEC

Steering committee meeting #5, October 2018, Auch, CIRCa festival

Steering committee meeting #6, January 2019, Paris

Steering committee meeting #7, April 2019, Berlin, SAB

Steering committee meeting #8, September 2019, Brussels, FEDEC

Steering committee meeting #9, October 2019, Auch, CIRCa festival

• Workshops for directors' on the INTENTS tools (MAILLONS workshops)

For further information on the REFLECT project, do not hesitate to contact the new project coordinator Lorenzo Albiero at lorenzo.albiero [at] fedec.eu