The Smallest Circus in the World

What The Smallest Circus in the World does

The Smallest Circus in the World (Le Plus Petit Cirque du Monde, PPCM) is a French non-profit association founded on 4 February 1992 and headquartered in Bagneux, Île-de-France, operating at the intersection of amateur circus education, professional training, and social-circus intervention. Its core offerings span annual amateur circus courses, holiday and summer stages, accredited professional training (BPJEPS, Arts Acrobatiques Urbains), free neighbourhood programmes, school and medico-social interventions, and ticketed spectacles and artist residencies. A dedicated commercial subsidiary, PPCM Productions, was created in 2021 to handle touring performances and artist representation.

The organisation co-developed the European Competency Framework for Social Circus (2014), holds the Centre Culturel de Rencontre label (2023, the first awarded to an urban-periphery actor), and is certified Entreprise Solidaire d'Utilité Sociale (2019). It participates in the EU-funded 2GAITHER Interreg Caraïbes project (2024-2027) and maintains a research partnership with UFR STAPS (2017).

Revenue is generated through a hybrid model: subscription-based annual courses, pay-as-you-go staged workshops, ticketed public spectacles (€5-€14), service contracts with schools and medico-educational institutions, ticket and touring income via PPCM Productions, philanthropic support (notably BNP Paribas Foundation), and multi-year public grants from DRAC Île-de-France, Région Île-de-France, DRIEETS, and European programmes. The customer base is diversified across individual practitioners, families, public-sector institutions, and touring audiences; concentration risk sits on the funding side rather than the end-customer side.

Name

The Smallest Circus in the World

Legal name

Association LE PLUS PETIT CIRQUE DU MONDE

Website

https://lepluspetitcirquedumonde.fr

Company type

Private

Founded year

1992

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

PPCM is a Bagneux-based non-profit association (est. 1992) delivering amateur circus courses, professional training, social-circus programmes, and touring spectacles for community, educational, and medico-social audiences across France.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Bagneux

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Annual Course Fees: Revenue from annual circus courses for children, adolescents, and adults. Season 26/27 registrations are open with courses running throughout the academic year.
2. Summer and Holiday Stages: Fees for intensive circus workshops during school holidays (summer, Toussaint, February, Easter), typically one week duration for children aged 4-14.
3. Show and Performance Tickets: Revenue from ticketed performances produced by PPCM Productions and hosted at the venue or touring to partner venues.
4. Institutional Partnerships and Service Provision: The PPCM provides circus animation services to schools, community centers (centres socio-culturels), medico-educational structures, and municipalities. Revenue comes through partnership agreements and service contracts for workshops, initiation sessions, and educational cycles.
5. Public and European Funding: Significant operational funding from public sources including Ministry of Culture (DRAC IDF), Ile-de-France Region, and European programs. The organization manages projects like 2GAITHER (Interreg Caraïbes 2024-2027) and benefits from Entreprise Solidaire status obtained October 7, 2019.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

PPCM is a hybrid circus arts center that delivers amateur circus education through annual courses and holiday stages, professional training (BPJEPS and Arts Acrobatiques Urbains), and adapted social circus programming through its proprietary Circus Trans-Formation methodology. It also produces and tours professional circus shows via its PPCM Productions subsidiary, runs free neighborhood programs in priority urban areas, and offers signature cultural events such as Le Grand Voyage during European Heritage Days.

Product overview

Le Plus Petit Cirque du Monde (The Smallest Circus in the World) is a hybrid cultural center combining an amateur circus school, professional training programs, artist residency and production facilities, and community outreach services. The organization operates as a multi-faceted circus arts institution offering: annual amateur circus courses (École de Cirque Amateur), professional training tracks (Formation Professionnelle), holiday and summer camps (Stages), free neighborhood circus programs (Cours de Cirque de Quartier), professional circus performances (Spectacles), and artist residency programs (Pépinières). PPCM Productions serves as the production arm for touring shows. Community engagement includes Vendredis Baraque evenings, school partnerships, socio-cultural collaborations, and medical-social outreach. The center also produces signature events like Le Grand Voyage during European Heritage Days. Since 2023, it holds the label Centre Culturel de Rencontre (Cultural Meeting Center) dedicated to urban peripheries, their heritage, architectures, cultures, and youth.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• PPCM Productions: Production and distribution structure for circus shows, created in 2021 to support young artists and promote first projects.

Products and services

• École de Cirque Amateur (Annual Circus Courses) Annual subscription-based circus courses for children (ages 4+), adolescents, and adults across disciplines including acrobatics, juggling, equilibristics, aerial arts, Chinese pole, hip hop, percussion, and parkour, with weekly sessions and progression paths running throughout the academic year.
• Stages (Holiday & Summer Camps) Week-long circus workshops during school holidays (summer July 6 to August 28 2026, Toussaint, February, Easter), running 1.5 to 2 hours daily from Monday to Friday for children aged 4-14, with end-of-session performances.
• Formation Professionnelle (Professional Training) Professional circus training programs including BPJEPS certification and specialized tracks such as Arts Acrobatiques Urbains (Urban Acrobatics Arts), designed for individuals seeking careers in circus instruction or performance.
• Cours de Cirque de Quartier (Neighborhood Circus Programs) Free circus courses and workshops for youth in priority neighborhoods of Bagneux, including Mardis Quartier (Tuesday evenings), Samedis Quartier (Saturday afternoons, launched 2021), and Stages Quartier (school holiday camps), targeting youth aged 10+ in the Tertres-Cuverons district.
• Spectacles (Circus Performances) Production and presentation of circus performances at the PPCM venue, including co-productions with emerging artists and touring spectacles under the PPCM Productions arm. Ticketed performances range from €5 to €14 depending on venue.
• PPCM Productions Wholly-owned production and distribution subsidiary established in 2021 to support young artists and promote first projects, managing touring productions including Esquive, Précieuse, Impact d'une Course, and Stek (Intrepidus).
• Actions Socio-culturelles (Socio-Cultural Partnership Programs) Partnership programs with socio-cultural centers (CSC Jacques Prévert, CSC Fontaine Gueffier), associations, and municipalities including the Projet Cirque weekly workshops for children aged 6-10 and initiation stages for priority neighborhoods, active in Fontenay-aux-Roses, Bourg-la-Reine, and Bagneux.
• Interventions en Milieu Scolaire (School Programs) Circus initiation cycles for school classes from CP to 3ème (ages 6-15), with session durations of 1h to 2h and minimum 7-session cycles, focusing on acrobatics, equilibristics, juggling, and aerial arts with end-of-cycle presentations.
• Interventions Médico-sociales (Medical-Social Programs) Circus workshops adapted for children, adolescents, and adults with cognitive difficulties or mental disabilities, with hour-long sessions and minimum 10-session cycles, working in conjunction with healthcare professionals including doctors, psychomotor therapists, and educators.
• Formation d'Animateurs en Pratiques Artistiques et Solidaires (Trainer Certification Program) Trainer certification program adapted for Caribbean contexts building on the Circus Trans-Formation methodology, with modules covering artistic and solidarity-based animation practices delivered to artists, instructors, and facilitators. Over 100 people have been trained in Guadeloupe since 2014.

Quantifiable outcome

• 7 sessions of 70-140 hours of circus animation training delivered in Guadeloupe since 2014, training over 100 people in Circus Transformation method
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles7 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

16 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Metis'Gwa (Guadeloupe)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024International partner in the 2GAITHER project (Gérer, Annover, Innover sur des Territoires avec les Habitants pour l'Emploi et la Réussite) supported by European Interreg Caraïbes program 2024-2027. Collaboration in social circus training and Caribbean cultural exchange. Metis'Gwa also coproduces STEK (Intrepidus).
• Touka Danse (Guyane)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Partner in 2GAITHER project for social inclusion, youth employment, and territorial development through art, culture, and citizen participation in French Guiana.
• Culturans (Mexico)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024International partner in 2GAITHER project bringing Caribbean-American regional perspective to collaborative cultural development initiative.
• The Hub Collective (Saint Vincent and the Grenadines)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Partner in 2GAITHER project extending Caribbean collaboration network to Eastern Caribbean island nation.
• CSC Jacques Prévert, BagneuxcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity socio-cultural center in Bagneux Quartier Politique de la Ville. Partner for weekly circus courses (Projet Cirque) for children aged 6-10, with approximately 12 children per session.
• CSC Fontaine Gueffier, BagneuxcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity socio-cultural center in Bagneux QPV. Partner for weekly circus courses ( Projet Cirque) providing access to circus practice for children who otherwise would not have the opportunity.
• Espace Marc LanvinminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal partner hosting initiation stages during school holidays for youth from priority neighborhoods.
• Association ASSBAC, BagneuxminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal association partner for community events including Gaming events and summer stages for youth.
• Centre d'Animation, d'Expression et de Loisir de Bourg-la-ReinecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity animation center in Bourg-la-Reine (92). Partnership for 3 weekly circus courses including 2 initiation courses for ages 4-10 and 1 circus/hip hop course.
• Ville de Choisy-le-RoiminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMunicipality hosting 5 outdoor circus initiation workshops during summer for neighborhood animation.
• Mairie de ChâtillonminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMunicipality partnering for 19 workshops in parkour, capoeira, and circus targeting youth in Quartier Politique de la Ville.
• Fédération Française des Ecoles de Cirque (FFEC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational federation for circus schools. PPCM holds Pratique amateur certification N°92116 from FFEC. Federation provides referral network for inquiries outside PPCM's primary territory.
• Le Carré Magique - Pôle National Cirque en Bretagne, LannioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational circus pole in Brittany. Coproduction partner for STEK (Intrepidus), Borderless, and R=OG (Cie Nawar). Venue host for touring productions.
• Aux Gémeaux - Scène Nationale de SceauxcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNational stage venue hosting PPCM productions including Piano sur le Fil (Bachar Mar Khalifé & Gaëtan Levêque).
• L'Azimut - Pôle National Cirque (Antony)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational circus pole. Coproduction partner for STEK and participant in Rida inter-regional artistic diffusion encounters.
• L'Espace Périphérique, Parc de la Villette, PariscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoproduction partner for Impact d'une Course (La Horde dans les Pavés) and R=OG (Cie Nawar). Venue for professional circus programming.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Piste aux Étoiles / Centre des Arts du Cirque de Lomme: Lomme-based French circus school offering amateur and professional training in the Hauts-de-France region. Comparable as a FFEC-affiliated French circus school with amateur courses, stages, and creation activities, though smaller and less diversified than PPCM.
• Académie Fratellini: French professional circus school and creation center based in Saint-Denis (Plaine Saint-Denis). Highly comparable as a French circus training and production institution combining professional artist training, creation support, and community-facing programming - similar scope and target audience to PPCM.
• Le Samovar: Ris-Orangis-based French circus school focused on amateur practice and social inclusion. Comparable as a community-rooted French circus training organization with similar grassroots and amateur focus, though smaller scale and more limited professional training offerings than PPCM.

Regional players

• ESAC (École Supérieure des Arts du Cirque): Brussels-based higher education institution for professional circus arts. Comparable as a European circus training school with degree programs, but serving the Belgian market and operating under a different institutional framework than PPCM.
• Caramba - Centre des Arts du Cirque de Louvain-la-Neuve: Belgian circus school and creation center in Louvain-la-Neuve. Comparable as a French-speaking European circus training institution offering amateur and professional tracks with social and community engagement, though smaller and serving the Walloon market.
• National Centre for Circus Arts: UK's only national provider of circus arts training, based in London. Comparable as a publicly-funded national circus school offering degree-level and community programs, but serving the British market rather than directly competing with PPCM in France.
• École Nationale de Cirque (ENC): Montreal-based Canadian national circus training school founded in 1981. Comparable as a publicly-supported national circus training institution offering professional and recreational programs, but operating in the Quebec ecosystem rather than competing directly in France.
• Codarts Circus Arts: Rotterdam-based higher education institution offering BA in Circus Arts. Comparable as a European professional circus training institution, but operating in the Dutch higher education ecosystem rather than the French associative framework.

Broad incumbents

• Centre National des Arts du Cirque (CNAC): France's national higher education institution for circus arts, located in Châlons-en-Champagne. Comparable as the national reference for professional circus training, but operates at a larger scale with broader mandate and significantly greater public funding than PPCM.

Others

• Fédération Française des Écoles de Cirque (FFEC): National federation of French circus schools of which PPCM is a member (Pratique amateur N°92116). Comparable as the industry umbrella body governing amateur circus education standards in France, providing referral network and accreditation rather than direct training.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCeGWvtxPfYKhNjxAn5jKotg
• Facebookfacebook.com/lepluspetitcirquedumonde.fr
• Instagraminstagram.com/lepluspetitcirquedumonde/?hl=fr
• Xx.com/petitcirque
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/le-plus-petit-cirque-du-monde

Compliance8 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries1 record

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 The Smallest Circus in the World