Le Vaisseau - Le Sirque à Nexon - Nouvelle-Aquitaine

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Le Sirque in Nexon

Pôle National Cirque en Nouvelle-Aquitaine

Le Sirque, a local institution

For over 30 years, summer in Nexon has been synonymous with circus, big tops, parties and discoveries combining architectural heritage and artistic gestures.

Its La Route du Sirque festival , transformed into Multi-Pistes in 2021, is one of the world’s leading creative circus festivals, offering a program for everyone exclusively devoted to new aesthetics, combining circus, music and visual arts.

Reservations: on the website: lesirque.com or at our tourist office in Nexon. (6 bis, Place de la République)

Discover the festival program

A little history...

Where it all began

In 1986, theÉcole Nationale du Cirque Annie-Fratellini was looking for a town to host its summer “Stages d’Initiation aux Arts du Cirque“. Seduced by Nexon, its 17th-century château and park, she convinced the town and its then mayor to organize the first edition of the international circus arts workshops, which took place in July/August 1987.
In 1988, the town entrusted the syndicat d’initiative, created by Daniel Faucher, with the management and distribution of the summer courses. And in 1990, the first cultural event organized around the courses took place: the rencontres cinématographiques des films du cirque, created by Marc Délhiat.
Then, in 1992, the tourist office of Nexon created the event Les Arts à la Rencontre du Cirque. This year saw the launch of an artistic program linked to the circus theme (cinema, exhibitions, shows, events, etc.).
In 1999, the legal creation of the association Les Arts à la Rencontre du Cirque opted to set up the circus pole.

In 2001, the town of Nexon purchased a marquee. This will be installed permanently in the château grounds. In June of the same year, Le Pôle Régional des Arts du Cirque de Nexon was one of the venues awarded the “Arts de la Piste” label by the French Ministry of Culture and Communication for the launch of the Year of Circus Arts, summer 2001 / summer 2002.
In 2004, Nexon’s circus center was one of the founding members of the national association Territoires de Cirque.
In 2011, we celebrate “10 years of the big top”, an anniversary marked by a sign of recognition from the State: theaward of the national label for Le Sirque – Pôle National Cirque. Le Sirque is now one of 11 national circus centers to receive the label. It is also the only national center located in a town with a population of less than 8,000. This confirms the Nexon circus center as a benchmark in the region and in France.
In January 2014, juggler and director Martin Palisse was appointed to head up Le Sirque. He will build his project around a strong artistic presence. Conceived as a “house of creation”, the Sirque will devote a major place to writing and circus authors, with particular attention to intergenerational filiations and the transmission of contemporary repertoire. Partnerships with schools and support for amateur practices, particularly juggling, will be closely developed.
In 2021, Le Sirque – Pôle National Cirque will open its new permanent big top, Le Vaisseau*, and design its new summer festival, Multi-Pistes, under the direction of Martin Palisse , subtitled contemporary circus, contemporary music and visual arts.

Take a virtual tour of the Vaisseau

But why an "S"?

This acrobatic “S” symbolizes contemporary circus in all its diversity. In 2007, Les Arts à la Rencontre du Cirque became Le Sirque.

The Sirque today...

What is it?

Le Sirque features shows under circus tents in the château grounds and Place Annie-Fratellini, in the open air and Salle Georges-Méliès, exhibitions and a circus-themed bookshop. It’s a major event in the heart of summer. One of France’s leading creative circus festivals, it offers programming for all audiences devoted exclusively to new circus aesthetics, with a focus on excellence and the link between tradition and contemporaneity. A dynamic panorama of creation, it encourages the emergence of significant works by welcoming the greatest companies.

Le Sirque à Nexon also offers a residency program for artists and co-productions, as well as weekly workshops for young people and teenagers.

Its missions:

To develop an area-wide program of support for circus artists who practice circus at the risk of art, with a constant concern for the transmission of knowledge and works.
Support and accompany the emergence and creation of artistic works and projects by hosting residencies, co-productions and productions for circus artists and companies from France and abroad.
Develop artistic and cultural education projects with schools, colleges, socio-cultural structures and specialized establishments, as well as amateur practices with proposals for young people and adults.
Since 2014, director Martin Palisse, a juggler and stage director, has built his project around a strong artistic presence. In particular, he is developing a delegated production unit and inviting a team of associate artists (2019/2023) to strengthen, on the one hand, support for them and, on the other, artistic permanence in the region.
Each year, Le Sirque awards an average of 5 co-productions, hosts between 6 and 10 artistic teams in residence, and supports 1 to 2 productions by its director, while also giving itself the opportunity to support other artists through delegated production. An average of 50 to 60 performances a year are staged in Nexon and around 15 in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region with partner structures, for an audience of around 15,000.