En Piste

FEDEC member since 2025

Since its creation in 1997, En Piste has remained the only group bringing together professionals and organisations in the circus arts sector in Canada.

En Piste counts over 550 members, artists, craftspeople, cultural workers, schools and companies working in all aspects of the sector - creation, production, dissemination, training, research and development and social circus.

Missions

En Piste is at the heart of the development of contemporary circus arts in Canada. It mobilises the circus sector to support innovation, creativity and diversity, in a quest for excellence.

The association carries out its missions through 6 major mandates: associative life, consultation, representation, promotion of the circus arts, support for creativity and professional development, and mobilization of resources.

En Piste aims to establish a solid distribution network for the circus arts in Quebec, to ensure the sector's deployment throughout the territory, in terms of market development, audience growth and education.

Promoting encounters between audiences, artists and works of art, in a context of proximity to the public and beyond the summer season, is also one of the orientations of its master plan.

Activities

Development of continuing education

Since 2003, En Piste has been offering a continuing education program for professionals in the field, meeting the high demands of the industry. Each year, it organizes a dozen group training sessions and offers customized training to over a hundred artists, designers and cultural workers, providing them with the tools they need to excel in their practice.

Support for professional and entrepreneurial development

En Piste has contributed to various programs aimed at professionalizing the sector:

• "Trajectoire Cirque": an artistic residency program in the East of Montreal.
• “Destination Cirque": a program to encourage the circus shows' distribution in Quebec. 
• “Prix Propulsion": a symbolic award promoting innovation, outreach and outstanding commitment to the circus community.

In 2022, En Piste also drew up strategic plans to structure the sector:

• Framework plans for the development of the leisure and preparatory training sector.
• Guide to the development of training spaces and circus venues.
• Certification plan for circus arts teachers.

Promoting the circus arts

En Piste played a key role in the founding of the Cité des arts du cirque in Montreal, alongside Cirque du Soleil and the National Circus School. Thanks to its sustained advocacy and awareness-raising efforts, En Piste has succeeded in gaining recognition for the circus arts as an artistic discipline in its own right from the Conseil des arts du Québec, the Conseil des arts de Montréal and the Conseil des arts du Canada.

Since the beginning of 2024, En Piste, along with 16 other Front commun pour les arts organizations, has been in active dialogue with the Quebec government to obtain increased funding for the Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec, whose budgets have suffered a worrying decline in recent years.

Production of surveys, studies and briefs

In 2016, En Piste conducted a large-scale national survey, to which 427 circus arts professionals and 127 focus group participants in several Canadian cities responded. This survey documented the sector's realities and needs, and led to the creation of the 2017-2027 Master Plan - Setting Course for Our Territories.

En Piste has also produced and published several studies and briefs, available on its website, enpiste.qc.ca. These documents offer in-depth reflection on various issues related to the development and sustainability of the circus arts in Canada, helping to enrich knowledge and guide the strategic actions of En Piste.

Affiliation

En Piste is an active member of the national performing arts community. The association participates in the meetings, actions and activities of various consultation groups. It is invited to many national and international events, and takes part in welcoming foreign delegations to explore the development potential of circus markets and projects.

Working and consultation groups

• Common Front for the Arts
• Working group on distribution conditions
• Performing Arts Funding Working Group
• Continuing Education Council for the Island of Montreal

Partnerships with networks

• RIDEAU - Professional Association of Performing Arts Presenters in Quebec
• Circostrada - European network for contemporary circus and street arts
• MICC - International Contemporary Circus Market
• Compétence Culture - Comité sectoriel de main d'oeuvre en culture

Find out more about this member

Founded in 1997

Management

• Director: Nadia Drouin
• Executive assistant (FEDEC Contact) : Francine Arsenault

Localisation

1450 City Coucillors Street,
Suite 410 Montreal,
Quebec, H3A 2E6