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Piste d’Azur

Regional Center of Circus Arts - PACA

Preparatory school

Founded in 2004 // FEDEC member since 2004

As the Regional Centre in the PACA region in the south of France, Piste d'Azur works to develop multiple initiatives and activities in order to promote the circus arts in their diversity: amateur practices, artistic and cultural education, a resource center, professional training, professional integration, events, festivals, and conventions.

With over 25 years of artistic training, since 2015, Piste d'Azur has been delivering a Level 5 certification ‘Circus and Movement Artist’ registered on the Répertoire National des Certifications Professionnelles.  This certification is awarded by Piste d'Azur and also by the Arc En Cirque (Chambéry, FRA) and CADC Balthazar (Montpellier, FRA) training centres and then the CRAC in Lomme (FRA), all members of the ProCirk network.

Our educational project is based around three key themes: Autonomy, Responsibility, Encounter. It aims to support individuals in their personal and professional development, while helping them to become aware and involved citizens of their environment.

Piste d’Azur is a member of the French Federation of Circus Schools (FFEC) and the Regional Federation of Circus Schools (FREC Méditerranée).

It is accredited by the FFEC as a leisure practice organisation and a vocational training centre.

Piste d'Azur has been a Common Interest Co-operative Society (Société Coopérative d’Intérêt Collectif) since January 2016 and is proud of its affiliation with the Social and Solidarity Economy movement based on the supremacy of the individual over capital and its deep roots serving a region.

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Training offered

Preparatory training for higher education schools

This is a 2-year course (2450 hours in total), approved by the Ministry of Culture,  designed to prepare students for the auditions to enter Higher Education in circus arts schools

General aims of the course :

  • To present a circus act using a variety of artistic techniques and to develop a unique approach

  • To present the basic technical elements of acrobatics and a circus speciality

  • To manage regular intensive physical activity

  • To be autonomous in one’s practice

  • To situate oneself in the current circus environment

  • To present and develop their work and projects in an application file and during an interview

Certification ‘Circus and Movement Artist’

A 2-year vocational training course leading to a state-recognised level 5 certification (part of the ProCirk network - project in collaboration with Arc en Cirque, CADC Balthazar and CRAC de Lomme).

General aims of the course :

  • Focus on the Skills Blocks:

    1. Practise your circus art

    2. Build a career as a circus artist

    3. Contribute to the implementation of a circus artistic project

As part of its artistic training, Piste d'Azur has forged links with a number of performing arts pathway, including circus companies, the professional circus arts network in the region and the département, and other arts schools.  

Piste d'Azur is a member of the Campus de Grasse and the Université Côte d'Azur Arts and Design schools, offering its students opportunities for creative support and cross-disciplinary collaboration with other arts teaching establishments.

Students will be invited to take part in projects involving work placements with various cultural institutions such as the Pôle national des arts du cirque Méditerrannée (notably as part of the Biennale des Arts du Cirque), the Théâtre de Grasse and Scène 55 (the Mougins town theatre). Of course, we work first and foremost with circus training schools as part of our courses, notably with schools in the ProCirk network, but also with higher education establishments.

Both of these artistic training pathways are accessible by selection (application + auditions) for people aged 16 and over.

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Admission

Entry requirements:

  • be at least 16 years old,
  • be physically capable of intensive physical exercise,
  • pass the course entry selection process.

Candidates selected on the basis of their applications will then be invited to auditions (2 to 3 days).

  • © Piste d’Azur
  • © Piste d’Azur

Disciplines taught

  • Acro dance
  • Aerial acrobatics
  • Aerial cradle - Korean cradle
  • Aerial straps
  • Bascule/Teeterboard
  • Chinese pole
  • Clowning
  • Equilibristics
  • Floor acrobatics
  • German wheel/Cyr wheel
  • Juggling - Object manipulation
  • Rope
  • Silk
  • Slackrope
  • Static trapeze
  • Swinging trapeze - Cloud swing
  • Tightrope
  • Trampoline
  • Unicycle
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Learn more about this member 

Management

  • Director: Florent Fodella
  • Professional Course Manager: Stephen Boyd

School year

From September to June.

Teaching language

French (a beginner course will be organised for non-French speakers)

Location

Piste d’Azur- Centre Régional des Arts du Cirque - PACA
1975 avenue de la République
06550 La Roquette sur Siagne
France

Contact

+33 493 47 42 42
contact@pistedazur.org
www.pistedazur.org

  • © Piste d’Azur
  • © Piste d’Azur
  • © Piste d’Azur
  • © Piste d’Azur
  • © Piste d’Azur