Funding Circus Differently
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In the warm ambiance of Robin des Bois, a restaurant nestled in the heart of La Fontaine Park, En Piste, National Circus Arts Alliance, held its 2025 AGM-Forum on April 24, bringing together more than 120 members and partners from the sector. The day, centred on participation and collective reflection, offered a moment to take stock of major achievements from the past year and look toward the future.
Forum — Funding Circus Differently
Following its AGM, En Piste hosted an engaging forum on circus arts funding — a space for reflection on its potential, development, and possible paths to diversification.
Titled Funding Circus Differently, the forum offered a series of talks and group workshops exploring alternative approaches such as crowdfunding, strategic collaborations, community engagement, and innovative models inspired by other sectors. The starting point: stepping outside the traditional framework.
The six invited speakers emphasized the importance of rethinking the circus’s economic model by building on the strengths of the sector — its unique paths, strong networks, and varied skills. By adopting human-centred, strategic, and bold approaches, circus can reaffirm its relevance as a forward-looking art form, capable of thriving both in major urban centres and in peripheral regions.
Talks and Inspiring Models
Clément Roy, an expert in philanthropy and digital transformation, encouraged artists to take a proactive approach to funding, highlighting their vision, as well as the uniqueness and appeal of their artistic propositions.
Former circus artist turned financial strategist Gonzalo Coloma focused on the intrinsic value of circus and its potential to move people in unique ways. As an art form that evokes wonder, it can find audiences everywhere, including small towns. At the core of a funding strategy lies the artist’s truth and their ability to build a strong support system (mentors, advisory councils, experts).
Anne-Catherine Lebeau, head of Écoscéno, introduced the organization, which merges ecodesign, reuse, and guidance to evolve cultural practices toward greater sustainability. By evaluating its impact (including tonnes of materials reused), its influence on enriching creators’ artistic processes, and by highlighting the benefits of a circular economy applied to culture, Écoscéno demonstrates that art, ecology, and economic viability can be reconciled.
Judy Servay presented the model of Robin des Bois, the restaurant she founded and runs — an initiative grounded in volunteerism, solidarity, and social reintegration, with profits redistributed to community organizations. Refusing subsidies at its outset, the team focused on private investment, a committed board of directors, and citizen engagement to build a unique model.
Elsie Lefebvre presented La Ruche, a leading crowdfunding platform rooted which blends citizen engagement with professional support.
Finally, Joanie Leroux-Côté — business strategy and export expert and former circus artist — encouraged artist-entrepreneurs to build their development around clear values, rigorous planning, and a strategic vision aligned with their artistic identity.
Co-Reflection Circles
En Piste invited participants to gather in co-reflection circles to design funding and collaboration strategies based on randomly selected project examples. In small groups of five, they spent about three hours stepping into the shoes of entrepreneurs to collectively explore projects tied to specific (also randomly selected) funding models. These circles encouraged free-flowing ideas, mutual enrichment, and the emergence of both innovative and entirely unexpected solutions.
Word Cloud
During the day, participants were asked to choose a word (other than “money”) that best represented their current professional needs. Among the most frequently cited were: time, human resources, administration, community, recognition, collaboration, training, and spaces.
Board of Directors
En Piste’s Board of Directors welcomed new members: Frédérique Cournoyer Lessard, Maxim Laurin, Guillaume Boulay from FLIP Fabrique and Kim Polisois from École Horizon - Soleil de St-Eustache. We warmly congratulate them and welcome them to the board. Their experience and passion will undoubtedly enrich our reflections and mission. They join Tim Roberts, Rosalie Beauchamp, Alice Kop, Maude Arseneault, Éric Langlois, Mélanie-Beby Robert, Anahareo Dölle, Raphaël Dubé, Olivia Gomez, Karine Lavoie, and Nathalie Nicolas.
We extend heartfelt thanks to outgoing board members — Marie-Hélène Côté, Stéphane Lavoie, Irena Purschke, and Danielle Fournier — for their commitment and valuable contributions.
Conclusion
En Piste thanks all speakers and those who shared concrete ideas to strengthen the circus’s financial autonomy without compromising its values. These insights remind us that by embracing their roles as cultural entrepreneurs, artists can chart their own paths, open up to new partnerships, and let their art shine in all its power.
