We want to strengthen the skills of educators by providing them with methods and tools adapted to including people with disabilities in the circus. The project aims to improve their understanding of disabilities, their ability to adapt and their inclusive teaching approach. It also offers young people with disabilities educational activities that develop their physical, social and cognitive skills while boosting their self-esteem. By practising and demonstrating their talents, particularly during performances or activities shared with able-bodied young people, they gain recognition and social inclusion. By creating practical resources (manuals, adapted equipment, training), we are contributing to innovation in circus teaching and greater inclusion in non-formal education.
We applied for this project to meet the need for inclusion of young people with disabilities through circus education. The idea came from an experiment in 2022, where trainers took up the challenge of teaching juggling to a blind participant. This event revealed the potential of the circus as an inclusive educational tool and highlighted three major obstacles: 1. Pedagogical - Lack of adapted methods and training for educators. 2. Material - Need for accessible equipment and infrastructure. 3. Social - Stereotypes and prejudices hinder inclusion. Our project aims to develop innovative teaching content and adapted equipment, and to promote the circus as a space for expression and self-fulfilment. It meets the needs of young people (inclusion, skills, well-being), educators (training, tools) and partners (innovation, network, visibility). Our results will be concrete and replicable, encouraging inclusion and innovation in circus education.