Lausanne-Renens Circus School

What Lausanne-Renens Circus School does

École de Cirque de Lausanne-Renens (ECLR) is a Swiss circus-arts training school founded in 1994 in Renens, in the Lausanne metropolitan area of Vaud. It delivers in-person circus instruction across a broad age range (from approximately age 2 through adults), structured into weekly courses, vacation camps (stages), junior formations, a sport-études préparatoire in partnership with Gymnase Auguste Piccard, and a pre-professional formation linked to the École Nationale de Cirque de Montréal. The school also operates an inclusive Handicirque program for participants with disabilities and a Centre des Sports Aériens sub-brand focused on aerial disciplines. It serves a long tail of individual families and adult learners in the Vaud region, with additional programming for aspiring professional athletes.

Revenue is generated through a mix of small-ticket consumer subscriptions (weekly courses priced at CHF 160-236 per two-month period), higher-ticket vocational programs (pre-professional and sport-études formations at CHF 4,100-5,250 per year), transactional event services (birthday parties at CHF 400-500, corporate events, festival hosting), and ancillary revenue from merchandise, workshops, and the biennial Festicirque international festival. Distribution is local and community-driven, supplemented by federation affiliation (Swiss federation affiliation implied through competitive team activities and Festicirque's national school network) and online booking via third-party platforms. The school's headcount is in the 11-50 range, consistent with a mid-sized private training operator rather than a venture-backed scale-up.

Strategically, ECLR is positioning itself as a national convener rather than a single-site school: Festicirque grew from 11 participating schools in 2023 to 18 in 2024, the festival is relocating to Chaplin's World for 2026, and a new Perfectionnement pre-professional tier is opening for the 2026-2027 academic year. The school's competitive differentiation rests on its instructor talent pool (former Cirque du Soleil performers, Olympic coaches, world medalists), its 30+ years of operating history, and its institutional partnerships rather than on proprietary technology or data assets. AI/ML is not part of the value proposition.

Name

Lausanne-Renens Circus School

Legal name

École de Cirque de Lausanne-Renens

Website

https://ecoledecirque.ch

Company type

Private

Founded year

1994

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

École de Cirque de Lausanne-Renens is a Swiss circus-arts training school founded in 1994, offering weekly courses, holiday camps, junior and pre-professional formations, and an aerial sports center for children, adults, and people with disabilities in the Vaud region.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Circus Arts Education and Training

NAICS

Fine Arts Schools (61161), Performing Arts, Spectator Sports, and Related Industries (711)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Circus & Physical Theatre (MPAGABAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Performing Arts (Acting, Improv, Theater) (EDAAAGAE), Adventure Multi-Sport Camps & Skills Academies (THAAAKAM)

Keywords

• Circus arts training
• Aerial sports coaching
• Pre-professional formation
• Inclusive circus programs
• Holiday circus camps

Headquarters

HQ city

Lausanne

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Weekly Course Fees (Écolages): Recurring tuition fees paid bi-monthly for weekly circus courses. Family discounts apply: 15% for second family member, 50% for second course. Discounts also available for Culture Card holders.
2. Professional Training Programs: Pre-professional and Sport-Studies programs with annual fees ranging from CHF 4,100 to 5,250, payable in installments. Includes intensive training, medical support, and audition preparation.
3. Event Animation Services: Birthday parties (CHF 400-500), corporate events, festival performances, and professional artist bookings. Weekend birthday parties for 5-18 children with 1-2 monitors.
4. Summer and Holiday Camps: Vacation camps for children aged 4+ during school holidays, with full-day and half-day options available.
5. Handicirque Inclusive Programs: Adapted circus courses for people with disabilities, with annual fees based on course duration (CHF 800-1,180).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The École de Cirque de Lausanne-Renens delivers in-person circus arts education and training for children (from age 2), adults, and people with disabilities, covering disciplines such as acrobatics, aerials (silks, rope, hoop, trapeze, straps), trampoline, juggling, contortion, Chinese pole, and pole dance. The portfolio spans weekly recreational courses, holiday camps (Stages), Junior formations, a Sport-Études preparatory track, an intensive pre-professional Perfectionnement program, an adult Aerial Sports Center with a competition team, inclusive Handicirque adapted courses, event animation services (birthday parties, corporate events, festival shows), and the annual international Festicirque festival.

Product overview

École de Cirque de Lausanne-Renens is a circus arts school established in 1994 offering a comprehensive portfolio of programs including weekly circus courses for children (from age 2), adults, and people with disabilities (Handicirque); vacation camps (Stages); junior training programs; Sport-Etudes preparatory and pre-professional formation tracks; a dedicated Aerial Sports Center with competition team; and the annual international Festicirque festival. The school also provides event organization services for birthdays, corporate events, and public/private performances. The offerings span from recreational leisure activities to intensive professional training that has placed over 80% of graduates in international circus schools.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Festicirque: International circus school festival organized by École de Cirque Lausanne Renens, bringing together circus schools from around the world for performances, workshops, and artistic exchange.
• Handicirque

Products and services

• Cours de Cirque (Weekly Circus Courses) Weekly circus arts courses for children (from age 2), adults, and people with disabilities (Handicirque), covering disciplines such as acrobatics, aerial arts, juggling, trampoline, and more. Delivered at the school's Renens facility.
• Stages (Circus Camps) Vacation circus camps for children (from age 4) and adults offering playful initiation to circus arts during school holidays, with full-day and half-day options.
• Formations Junior (Junior 1 and Junior 2) Junior training programs preparing children in circus arts through athletic development, flexibility, coordination, and artistic creation training. Junior 2 requires an audition.
• Préparatoire Sport-Études Preparatory program for students aiming to audition for international circus schools, combined with general education at Gymnase Auguste Piccard in Lausanne.
• Formation Préprofessionnelle (Perfectionnement) Intensive year-long pre-professional formation preparing students for auditions at major international circus schools through specialized training, theater, and dance, with integrated sports medicine and physiotherapy support.
• Centre des Sports Aériens (Adult Aerial Sports Center) Adult aerial sports facility offering multiple aerial and complementary disciplines for adults of all levels, with qualified coaching for progression.
• Centre des Sports Aériens – Competition Team Competition team within the Aerial Sports Center, providing intensive training, individualized artistic coaching, custom choreography, costume support, and competition registration assistance for national and international aerial sports competitions.
• Handicirque (Inclusive Circus Programs) Inclusive circus courses adapted for children and adults with disabilities, developing dexterity, coordination, and motor skills through juggling, balance, and acrobatics.
• Festicirque (International Circus Festival) Annual international circus school festival bringing together schools from Switzerland and abroad for performances, competitions, workshops, and cultural exchange.
• Votre Événement (Event Services) Event animation services for external public or private partners, including birthday parties, corporate team events, festival performances, and professional circus artist bookings.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 80% of pre-professional graduates admitted to professional circus schools worldwide since 2019
• +2 more outcomes

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered major, minor and core.

• Chaplin's World (Corsier-sur-Vevey)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Prestigious venue partner for Festicirque 2026 festival. Special bundled entry offers combining museum visits with festival tickets. Located at Chaplin's World estate, enhancing the festival's prestige and audience reach.
• Astra Hôtel VeveyminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 20264-star superior hotel partner offering preferential accommodation rates for Festicirque festival attendees. Located in central Vevey near the station.
• École Nationale de Cirque de MontréalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing partnership with one of the world's leading circus schools. Multiple alumni from Lausanne-Renens have been admitted to ENCM. Marilou Cousineau, ENCM's Director of Studies, serves on the Festicirque festival jury. The school uses ENCM's circus arts instructor certification program.
• Swiss Pole & Aerial Sports Federation (SPSF)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOfficial member of the Swiss federation for pole and aerial sports. Competition team participates in SPSF-organized national championships and international IPSF competitions.
• Fédération Suisse des Écoles de Cirque (FSEC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMember of the Swiss federation of circus schools, connecting the school with other Swiss circus institutions and industry standards.
• Ville de LausannemajorOthersOfficial logo partner and municipal supporter. City of Lausanne provides institutional backing and recognition.
• Ville de RenensmajorOthersHost city and primary municipal partner. Nathalie Jaccard, municipal councilor for culture, serves on festival juries. City provides venue and institutional support.
• Canton de VaudmajorOthersCantonal government supporter and logo partner, providing regional institutional recognition and support.
• Loisirs.chminorGTM or Marketing PartnerRegional leisure organization partnership for marketing and visibility.
• Banque Cantonale Vaudoise (BCV)minorOthersRegional cantonal bank sponsor for Festicirque festival.
• Local municipalities (Chavannes-près-Renens, Ecublens, Epalinges, Oron, Puidoux, Belmont-sur-Lausanne)minorOthersSurrounding municipalities listed as logo partners and supporters.
• Gymnase Auguste Piccard de LausannecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with public secondary school for the Sport-Études program, allowing students to combine general education with circus training.
• Kinémyos CentercoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerSports physiotherapy, osteopathy, massage, and sports psychology support for pre-professional students, provided weekly at the school.
• Motion-LabcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerSports medicine center providing close collaboration and monitoring for pre-professional students' physical health and performance.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Others

• Festival Mondial du Cirque de Demain: Paris-based international circus competition and showcase for emerging circus artists and schools; comparable event-side peer to Festicirque, providing global visibility and award pathways that overlap with Lausanne-Renens's competition and festival verticals.

Direct peers

• ESAC Brussels (École Supérieure des Arts du Cirque): Belgian higher-education circus school offering bachelor-level training in circus arts; shares the ENCM-aligned pedagogy and graduates professional artists, directly comparable to Lausanne-Renens's pre-professional track.
• Codarts Circus Arts: Rotterdam-based circus arts program within Codarts University; provides professional and pre-professional circus education with similar multi-disciplinary curriculum structure as Lausanne-Renens's Centre de Formation.
• DOCH (Dans och Cirkushögskolan): Stockholm University of the Arts's circus program; European state-funded circus school offering bachelor-level training; comparable to Lausanne-Renens in scope (pre-professional through recreational) but larger and publicly funded.
• National Centre for Circus Arts: London's degree-granting circus school offering youth, community, and professional training with strong international pathway; comparable mission, course tiers, and graduate-outcome model to Lausanne-Renens.
• Le Lido – Centre des Arts du Cirque de Toulouse: French professional circus school in Toulouse offering university-level training; competes for francophone pre-professional students and shares the European circus-school identity and ENCM-adjacent methodology with Lausanne-Renens.
• Circomedia: UK circus and physical theatre school in Bristol offering part-time, full-time, and degree programs; serves a similar youth-to-professional funnel and recreational/performing arts balance as Lausanne-Renens.
• École Nationale de Cirque de Montréal: Canada's national circus school and one of the world's most prestigious; offers youth, pre-professional, and professional programs and is Lausanne-Renens's primary international partner for instructor certification and graduate placements.

Peers

• National Institute of Circus Arts (NICA): Australia's national circus school based in Melbourne; offers full-time professional and part-time community programs with international recognition; comparable in structure and graduate outcomes to Lausanne-Renens's Centre de Formation.

Broad incumbents

• Cirque du Soleil: Global entertainment incumbent and the dominant consumer-facing circus brand; acts as a destination employer for Lausanne-Renens's graduates (multiple instructors are former Cirque du Soleil artists), defining the competitive and aspirational ceiling for the school's training programs.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCAnPpmLWWKXpynEcwbK_jZg
• Facebookfacebook.com/ecoledecirquedelausanne
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ecole-de-cirque-lausanne-renens
• Instagraminstagram.com/ecoledecirquedelausanne

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Lausanne-Renens Circus School