Practical Information
- Dates
- April 15 and 16, 29 and 30, 2027, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- 28 hours of training
- Location: Cirque Hors Piste, Montréal
- Cost: 123 $ (coût réel 803 $)
Training Overview
The goal of the introductory workshop in social circus is to introduce artists, instructors, facilitators, and other circus arts practitioners to the social circus approach. It enables them to better understand the broader context of this alternative approach and to acquire educational tools for conducting social circus workshops.
This training program enables participants to discover the fundamentals of the social circus approach and to better understand the principles that guide it. It supports them in developing an ethical mindset, both personally and professionally, and provides them with educational tools tailored to this participatory approach. Finally, it aims to support the creation of learning environments that foster fun and safe spaces for practice, conducive to participant involvement and engagement.
Biographies
Marilou Vinet has been active in the community for over a decade, she holds a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in social work. She has developed expertise in the field of homelessness, working with diverse populations, including seniors, women, youth, and individuals involved with the criminal justice system. Her professional journey led her to join the team at Cirque Hors Piste (CHP), where she serves as intervention coordinator. In addition to her role at CHP, Marilou is also an adjunct professor of social work at the University of Montreal and a social circus instructor, which allows her to help train the next generation of social workers and social circus practitioners. Her academic background, field experience, and key role at CHP demonstrate her commitment to advocating for greater social justice, as well as for the inclusion and empowerment of marginalized people.
Photo credit: William Laplante
Élise Leblanc is a multidisciplinary circus artist and senior circus instructor who has spent several years developing a practice rooted in social circus and alternative forms of circus performance. A graduate of the École nationale de cirque as an instructor, she honed her craft and performed for nine years in Latin America before returning to settle in Montreal in 2012.
Her rich and varied career path has taken her across Canada and around the world, where she has created numerous acts and shows, in addition to developing circus projects with various communities. Her career is notably marked by the creation and establishment of social circus spaces in Latin America, as well as by her collaboration with several social circus organizations and initiatives in Canada and Europe. She works notably with Cirque Hors Piste and contributes to projects that place the circus at the heart of creative, educational, and social transformation initiatives within diverse communities.
Her work promotes a vision of the circus as a tool for social transformation, sensitive expression, and dialogue between bodies and lived experiences.
Photo credit: William Laplante
