LE LIDO - CENTRE MUNICIPAL DES ARTS DU CIRQUE

Lido Circus Arts Center

Toulouse's Lido plays a part in the innnovative process of circus performance. The school's objective is to lead the students to create fresh and creative circus, where performance has its place, the actor brings meaning,  and  the spectators are present.

The educational approach is based on three principles that lead the students to :

- discover self-depreciation in themselves, and an awareness of their weaknesses in order to find their own sincerity
- enhance their techniques through physicall and vocal preparation, dramatic acrobatics, and research in the different possibilities of artistic gesture

- achieve the fulfilment of the appropriate movement, without any pre-defining model stemming from the long history of circus.

Vocational training lasts two years. The syllabus is divided between specialised circus skill training (11 hours a week), acrobatic and equilibristic techniques and physical preparation (6 hours), artistic research, dance, theatre, music and writing (13 hours).

HISTORY: 

The Circus Arts Center was established in 1988 in a former local cinema bought by the Toulouse City Council, under the leadership of Henri Guichard.

In 1993, the Lido's team developed creative workshops to train amateurs to become professionals.

In 1998, the Lido started a reciognised vocational training course with the funding of the "Mairie de Toulouse", the French Ministry of Culture and the "Région Midi Pyrénées". The Lido's mission is, firstly, to maintain the quality of its leisure programme (for more than 500 people, including children and adults) and the resource centre and, secondly, to ensure that the vocational training programme is set up, along with the creative studio.

In 2006 the Lido added a third year to its vocational course, dedicated to professional integration, in partnership with "Circuits", subsidised Auch venue.

In 2008-2009,  the Lido developed the PACT (Pépinière des arts du cirque de Toulouse / Toulouse Circus Arts Incubator) in cooperation with la Grainerie to improve its role as the patron of young artists, and to continue the work of the former creative studio

Le Lido - Centre municipal des arts du cirque

14 rue de Gaillac
31500 Toulouse
France

accueil.lido@mairie-toulouse.fr 
www.lido.toulouse.fr
www.circolido.fr (blog)

Phone: + 33 561 11 16 10
Fax: +33 561 22 49 43

Founded in 1987

Director: Francis Rougemont
Artistic Director: Christian Coumin 

Educational Coordinators: Marie Céline Daubagna (1st and 2nd year of vocational training) and Aurélie Vincq (professional integration year)

Curriculum offered:

• Qualifying vocational training : 2 year full-time (30 students)
  School year from late September to late July
• Professional integration year following the qualifying training (12 students)
  Integration period from January to October

Selection process: Application file to be returned in late March. Auditions held April /May (and mid-June for remote foreigners). Four-day workshop in late June. Final results are announced after June workshop.

In 2013: Applications forms downloadable from www.circolido.fr and to send back before 8 March 2013. Auditions on 25-26 and 29-30 April and on 2nd-3rd and 13-14 May 2013. Applicants Workshop in June.