Circus at university: Rebecca’s journey to becoming a professional performer

Studying the Circus

Business Studies, Biology, Physics, Agricultural Sciences, Medicine, Archaeology, Sports Science – there really are so many degree programmes. But did you know that you can also study the circus? Even though humour plays a big part in the circus, this is no joke!

Several performers from our circle – including Rebecca – have done just that: studied circus arts. There are a number of institutions that enable talented performers to develop their skills in a targeted way. In Germany, for example, you can take part in preparatory programmes, such as those run by CircIntense or CirArtive. These programmes help you qualify for particularly prestigious schools – often referred to as ‘superior schools’.

These included, amongst others, ‘Acapa’ (short for ‘Academy of Circus and Performance Art’). The school was renamed in 2024 and is now called ‘Fontys Circus’.

Rebecca answers a few questions for us about this extraordinary course.

Do you have to be born into a circus family to attend a circus school? Or what do you need to be able to do to be accepted?

No, you don’t have to be born into a circus family to be accepted. To be honest, I haven’t met a single person yet who comes from a circus family and has also attended a circus school. As with other degree programmes, there are certain entry requirements. For the ‘Acapa’ school in the Netherlands, for example, you had to have A-levels or an equivalent qualification. You also had to demonstrate a good command of English. More importantly, though, you need to meet the physical and artistic requirements.

How does the application process work?

At ‘Acapa’, there are two stages of the application process: the pre-selection and the on-site selection process. For the pre-selection, you had to send the jury a video featuring a 3–5-minute solo routine. I also recorded a motivation video at the time, in which I explained why I wanted to attend this school. Thirdly, there was a video featuring specific strength, endurance and flexibility exercises that I had to perform and film (e.g. burpees, push-ups, the splits).

In my case, the second round was different to how it is today because of the pandemic. Nowadays, those selected travel to the Netherlands from many different countries and are assessed over three days during the on-site audition. You take part in specialised classes – theatre, dance, acrobatics, circus skills, strength and flexibility. If you’re invited there, however, you already have a pretty good chance of being accepted in the end.

How many applicants are accepted each year?

There are up to 25 students in a class, though towards the end it’s more like 15–18. That sounds like a small number, but it makes perfect sense: We all train at the same time in the same hall. If everyone is to receive feedback, the teachers would struggle to keep up with significantly more people. And the facilities can’t really accommodate much more than that either.

What’s a typical week like at the circus school? Do you have theory lessons as well?

As with any degree course, we had different modules each year. In the first two years, there was significantly more training than in the last two. Years one and two are designed to lay the foundations and build students’ physical and artistic strength – as a basis for life as a professional artist.

We had 90 minutes of circus training every day. During this, everyone practised their own discipline – for me, that was the vertical rope. Three times a week we had floor acrobatics and twice a week trampoline acrobatics. On top of that, there were theatre, dance, anatomy, nutrition, training theory and group acrobatics.

In years three and four, the focus shifts more towards specialising and finding your own path within the profession. Courses included, for example, dramaturgy, rigging, teaching methodology and performance art. Some of the structured lessons were dropped, but in return we had more opportunities for external programmes – and we worked towards the highlight of the four years: the final performance.

Did you ever get injured?

Yes. Fortunately, I’ve never had a serious injury from a fall or anything like that. But, unfortunately, you’re bound to feel a bit of pain somewhere almost every week – with so many hours of training, that’s almost inevitable. Especially in the first year, many people end up training too hard, too quickly, and not getting enough rest. This sort of ‘overtraining’ then leads to inflammation in the joints, which can take 6–12 weeks to heal with physiotherapy. For me, it was my shoulder. And if it’s not muscles or joints, it’s often cuts or grazes on the skin. But you learn to cope with it.

Is there an age limit for circus schools?

That varies depending on the school. Some state clearly that they only accept applicants up to the age of 23. Others don’t specify an age limit. One school I know of does in fact accept people in their late twenties – but that’s more the exception than the rule.

What do you do after completing a circus degree? Is there a Master’s programme?

Some graduates are offered a contract or a grant straight away and start performing – but they’re very few and far between. At the start, you have to make a name for yourself and apply for lots of jobs. Many go into teaching, whilst some leave the industry altogether and do something else. You can also go into rigging, work in the organisation of circus festivals, and plenty more besides. There are countless ways to build on this degree – most end up setting up their own businesses.

Are you working in the circus now?

I work as a freelance circus artist. There isn’t really such a thing as ‘working in the circus’. We’re independent artists, and there’s a wide variety of productions and clients. As an artist, you can work with an agency like ‘Pepe Show’, which arranges bookings. Or you can apply yourself for productions that interest you.

Another option is to apply for grants. To do this, you need a project plan and must convince a panel of your idea. This is how projects come about, such as the show ‘TwoGather’, which recently played at the Pepe Dome – or the ‘Überkopf-Stadtspaziergang’, which will be back in Munich city centre this summer.