CRAC de Lomme

The Centre Régional des Arts du Cirque de Lomme-Lille is run by the Et vous trouvez ça drôle association, created in 1994 by Christophe Crampette and Pascal Croain. After having developed open circus workshops, they introduced a vocational programme for artists in 2000. There are 3 courses on offer: an artistic training programme and a preparatory class for graduate school entrance examinations.

The artistic training programme aims to prepare students for entry into professional working life after three years of training. This course usually follows on from a preparatory class.

The preparatory classes enable students to reach the level required for applying to circus arts graduate schools in France and abroad. The course takes place over one or two academic years.

In 2019-2020, a total of 56 young people from 7 different nationalities attended the centre. The training programme is based on the areas below:

• Creation: based on an animated, perpetually shifting circus, the CRAC draws its richness and diversity from its desire to bring together circus arts and other arts education in the circus ring. However, it is important for pupils to experience a wide repertoire before focusing on their own creativity.
• Space: circus is the ring. But it is important to experience other types of venue, such as the stage, the street, disused locations or prisons.
• Acting: Every trainee should explore dramatic texts at some point in his or her training (contemporary writing or the classics).
• Dance: before feeling sufficiently comfortable with their bodies, trainees will be taught basic skills in classical dance, contemporary dance and hip hop.
• Circus skills: the technical aspects will be introduced once they are fully mastered.

Training offered

• Artistic training: 3 academic years of technical and artistic training (3 x 900 hours at the  centre and 150 hours of internship)
• Preparatory training: long training (2 academic years)

Admission

Admission is initially via an application form available for download at the end of January on our website.

Applications must be returned by post before mid-April.

Disciplines taught

• Advanced acrobatics (preparatory training)
• Chinese pole
• Contortion
• Dynamic hand to hand
• Equilibristics
• Juggling - Object manipulation

Learn more about this member

Direction

• Director: Sandrine Dumont
• Professional training Director: TA O Maury

Academic year

From mid-September to end of June

Training language

French

English is used during the first few weeks to help new students who do not yet speak French to integrate.

Location

Centre régional des arts du Cirque de Lomme-Lille
16 rue du château d’Isenghien
59160 Lomme
France

Founded in 1998