CIAM

FEDEC member since 2025

Deployed since 2013 on the edge of Aix-en-Provence (FRA), the Centre International des Arts en Mouvement is an open living space dedicated to exploring the recreation of links between culture and society.

Objectives & Activities

Based on the circus arts, CIAM's activities are organized around 5 major themes: transmission, discovery, creation, distribution and innovation/research.

Transmission and teaching:

• An amateur school with 395 students and a 'star' class.
• Professional training in high-flying arts.
• Courses and workshops throughout the year (multidisciplinary and specialised).

Discovering the circus for all:

CIAM develops projects with schools, with different social groups (disabled people, residents of disadvantaged areas) and with companies for teambuildings.

Support for circus creation:

CIAM supports artists in their research and creative work, by providing them with working spaces and helping them to develop skills adapted to their needs. Each residency gives rise to residency outings and meetings with the artists.

Distribution of performances in the region:

Every year since 2013, CIAM has organized the Jours [et nuits] de cirque(s) Festival in September, with a prelude of 2 days of free shows at historical sites as part of the European Heritage Days. This festival attracts almost 10,000 spectators over 9 days.

In addition, artistic interludes are offered on an ad hoc basis throughout the year, during major festivities (Fête des Mobilités, Olympic Torch Relay, etc.) or as part of the Nuits [en mouvement] festival, where CIAM brings circus to heritage sites such as Silvacane Abbey, Vitrolles Stadium and Château La Coste.

Afterworks are offered every Friday evening between May and July, as well as major festive days on site throughout the year, such as Flying Day, Summer Day, Family Day and so on.

Innovation and research:

The CIAM serves as a platform for innovation, exploring the links between the circus arts and other fields, such as the human sciences and new technologies. Researchers from the French National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS), for example, are experimenting with interactions between scientific research and circus practices.

In particular, CIAM is involved in cross-sector innovation projects on ecological transition issues, such as the “Vers Un Ephémère Durable” project with Capgemini Engineering, which involves research into new heating solutions for circus tents and ephemeral structures.

Training offer

• Leisure school: CIAM offers weekly classes for around 400 students, providing introductory and advanced training in various circus disciplines.
• Educational workshops: every year, over 2,000 children and teenagers take part in CIAM's artistic and cultural education projects, notably through collaborations with local schools.
• Professional training: CIAM offers the only professional training program in France for flying trapeze.

Artistic support

In addition to training, CIAM supports artists by hosting creative residencies and presenting shows, thereby contributing to the vitality of the circus arts sector in France. The center organises events open to the public, promoting encounters between artists and the local community.

The CIAM also serves as a platform for innovation and research, exploring the links between the circus arts and other fields, such as the human sciences and new technologies.

Affiliation

CIAM is a member of the following networks:

• circusnext (European label that identifies and supports emerging circus artists with singular writing styles)
• Circostrada (European network for contemporary circus and street arts)
• Territoires de cirque (French network supporting the emergence, creation and distribution of circus arts)
• TMNlab (association that brings together and animates a learning community of performing arts professionals to produce and disseminate a responsible digital culture)
• France Tiers-Lieux (a public interest group whose aim is to support the emergence, development and sustainability of third-party venues in France)
• COFEES (the collective of eco-responsible and supportive festivals in the South of France)
• Provence Culture (local cultural network based on cooperation, innovation and solidarity)

Find out more about this member

Founded in 2012

Management

• Co-founders: Philippe Delcroix & Chloé Béron
• Administrative & pedagogical director: Valérie Chiodi
• Head of institutional partnerships: Lucie Charlotte Perrusset

Localisation

4181 route de Galice,
13090 Aix-en-Provence,
France