la cascade

What la cascade does

La Cascade (legally "La Cascade, Pôle National Cirque") is a French non-profit association (association loi 1901, SIRET 437 484 249 00010) operating since 2008 as a government-recognized national circus arts center in Bourg-Saint-Andéol, Ardèche. The organization functions as an integrated performance, creation, training, and professional development venue, combining a 330m2 performance hall (terrain de jeu) with 15m ceiling heights, a 228m2 dedicated training space (Espace d'Entraînement, opened October 2022) equipped with four metallic portals 9.40m high for aerial apparatus, a dance hall, and a cloister. It serves four primary customer segments: professional circus artists (creation residencies, co-productions, training space access), performing arts professionals more broadly (Qualiopi-certified training including clown, wire, aerial, acrobatics, and circus technician safety), amateur participants of all ages (weekly workshops, summer stages, parent-child sessions), and educational institutions (CTEAC programs, Lycée de Die option cirque).

The business model blends earned income with public-sector funding. Earned revenue streams include ticket sales for performances and Festival d'Alba (the 17th edition in 2026 drew 23,282 spectators across 102 performances); daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly, and annual training space memberships (€6 to €200) with cross-access to La Grainerie and Centrale del Circ; professional training programs (€300 to €3,150) eligible for AFDAS/OPCO financing; amateur workshops (€12 to €195); and bar/catering during events. The majority of operating capital is derived from institutional funders: DRAC Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, Région Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, Département de l'Ardèche, Communauté de Communes DRAGA, and the EU France Relance program. The organization is governed by director-artist Alain Reynaud and has built a partnership network across French and European circus infrastructure (La Grainerie, Centrale del Circ, AERISC, ENSATT, Comédie de Saint-Étienne, Les Colporteurs, Collectif TBTF, Projet.PDF).

Go-to-market is direct-to-consumer via a physical box office (phone, email, in-person), online registration through HelloAsso, and the Pass Région partnership. The organization reports 26 permanent employees, scaling to 55 paid staff and 181 volunteers for Festival d'Alba. Since 2019, professional training has accumulated over 8,000 hours with 120 participants and a 94.42% satisfaction rate. Expansion is driven by infrastructure investment (the 2022 chapel-to-training-space conversion), international professional encounters attracting artists from up to 19 nationalities, and progressive diversification of the training catalog. Revenue is not publicly disclosed, which is consistent with the entity's status as a publicly subsidized cultural institution rather than a commercial enterprise.

Name

la cascade

Legal name

La Cascade, Pôle National Cirque

Website

https://lacascade.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

La Cascade is a French national circus arts pole (Pôle National Cirque) operating since 2008 in Ardèche, offering integrated performance, training, and creation services for professional circus artists, amateurs, and educational institutions across the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Performing Arts / Circus Arts Cultural Center

NAICS

Promoters of Performing Arts, Sports, and Similar Events with Facilities (711310), Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation (71)

SIC

Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)

akta.pro primary industry

Circus, Magic & Variety Shows (THAJAFAH)

akta.pro secondary industry

Training, Workshops & Certification Events (MPAGAGAJ)

Keywords

• Circus arts training
• Professional performing arts
• Cultural venue operations
• Artist residency programs
• Amateur arts education

Headquarters

HQ city

Bourg-Saint-Andéol

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Performance and Event Ticket Sales: La Cascade sells tickets and manages reservations for performances, creation stages, and public events. Payment accepted by cash, checks, and Chèques-Vacances. Partner of Pass Région.
2. Professional Training: Professional circus training programs delivered throughout the year, with recognized instructors (Ami Hattab, Alain Reynaud, Thomas Loriaux). Possibility of AFDAS/OPCO financing. Qualiopi certified.
3. Training Space Memberships: Artist training space access sold on a daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly, or annual basis. Partnerships with La Grainerie (Toulouse) and Centrale del Circ (Barcelona) for cross-access.
4. Bar and Catering: Le Barracetas bar and snack space open during public events.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

La Cascade is a national circus arts center (Pôle National des Arts du Cirque) operating a purpose-built venue offering four integrated functions: creation support (residencies, co-productions), public performance and event hosting (including the annual Festival d'Alba), professional training (Qualiopi-certified, AFDAS/OPCO eligible), and amateur/education programs (workshops, school partnerships). It runs a dedicated 228m2 training space with aerial rigging infrastructure, a 330m2 performance play area, a dance hall, and a cloister. Revenue comes from ticket sales, training space subscriptions, professional workshop fees, amateur workshops, and bar/catering, supplemented by French government grants.

Product overview

La Cascade is a National Circus Arts Pole (Pôle National Cirque) that functions as a multi-service cultural venue and not a traditional software product company. Its offerings comprise physical spaces and training services: the core training facility (Espace d'entraînement) with 228m2 main hall and 35m2 mezzanine for circus artists; performance spaces (Salle de spectacle and Terrain de jeu); professional training programs (Formation professionnelle) with Qualiopi certification; amateur training (Formation amateur) including weekly workshops and seasonal stages; professional encounters (Rencontres professionnelles); cultural actions for schools (CTEAC and Option cirque); and creation support services. These interconnected services serve professional circus artists, students, amateurs, and schools across the Ardèche-Rhône-Alpes region.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Espace d'entraînement (Artist Training Space) A 228m2 main training space with wooden floor, four metallic portals of 9.40m height by 9m width with attachment points for aerial apparatus (trapeze, flying rope, fabrics), 12 floor anchors and a 35m2 mezzanine warm-up area. Sold on daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly and annual passes, with cross-access included for annual subscribers at La Grainerie (Toulouse) and Centrale del Circ (Barcelona). Aimed at professional circus artists and performing-arts professionals.
• Salle de spectacle (Performance Hall) Fully equipped performance hall with technical specifications (stage area, IPN plans, JLU plans, rigging plans) used for circus shows, co-productions, hosted residencies and public ticketed events at the venue.
• Formation professionnelle (Professional Training) Qualiopi-certified professional circus training programs (clown, wire walking, aerial arts, acrobatics, circus technician safety, cooperative staging) ranging in duration from short stages to multi-week courses, taught by named instructors (Ami Hattab, Alain Reynaud, Thomas Loriaux, Heinzi Lorenzen). Eligible for AFDAS/OPCO financing for intermittent performers. Includes 8,000+ hours of training delivered since 2019 with a 94.42% satisfaction rate.
• Formation amateur (Amateur Training) Amateur circus training for adults and children including weekly workshops (acrobatics, aerial, juggling, balance), seasonal stages (summer, winter, school holidays), and parent-child circus sessions across age groups from 18 months upwards. Priced per session or per stage (e.g., €12 per session for parent-child ateliers).
• Rencontres professionnelles (Professional Encounters) International professional circus encounters and conventions bringing together 20-50 artists from multiple countries to exchange practice around specific disciplines — wire (Rencontre internationale de fil), Chinese pole, acrobatic portage, Icarian games. Organised in partnership with Les Colporteurs, Collectif TBTF and Projet.PDF. Some events are free with lottery selection.
• CTEAC (Éducation Artistique et Culturelle en milieu scolaire) School-based artistic and cultural education programs (EAC) delivered through partnerships with educational institutions, providing circus arts instruction in school settings.
• Option cirque Lyc\u00e9e de Die (School Circus Option Program) Partnership-based curriculum program with Lyc\u00e9e de Die delivering three years of circus arts training to secondary school students — including weekly hours (4 to 6 per week depending on year), AS practice workshops and professional artist encounters.
• Formation aux écoles supérieures (Higher-Education Training Stages) Clown training stages delivered in partnership with ENSATT Lyon and the Comédie de Saint-\u00c9tienne, led by Alain Reynaud or Heinzi Lorenzen, giving theatre students exposure to a national circus pole.
• Accompagnement à la création (Creation Support) Creation support services including co-productions, artist residencies, the artist-associates program and the Explorenscène initiative, supporting professional circus artists in developing new work at the venue.
• Festival d'Alba (Annual Circus Festival) Annual flagship circus festival hosted by La Cascade, integrating free and ticketed performances across the venue and surrounding area. The 2026 edition delivered 102 performances (including 33 free shows) to 23,282 spectators, with institutional support from the Festival d'Alba organisation.
• Le Barracetas (Bar and Snack Space) On-site bar and snack space (Le Barracetas) open to the public during La Cascade's events, providing ancillary food and beverage revenue during performances and festivals.

Quantifiable outcome

• 23,282 spectators served at Festival d'Alba 2026 with 102 performances
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• La Grainerie (Toulouse)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2022Partnership agreement allowing artists with annual training space subscriptions at La Cascade to train 10 times free of charge at La Grainerie in Toulouse (plus membership fee at La Grainerie). Cross-access partnership between two major French circus training venues.
• Centrale del Circ (Barcelona)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2022Partnership allowing La Cascade's annual training subscribers 10 free training sessions at Centrale del Circ in Barcelona (plus insurance fee at Centrale del Circ). Cross-border European partnership for circus artist training access.
• France Travail Scènes et ImagesminorOthersCo-animation of professional training rights information days with France Travail Scènes et Images at La Cascade, helping intermittent performers understand their training entitlements and financing options.
• ENSATT (École Nationale Supérieure des Arts et Techniques du Théâtre)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with ENSATT Lyon for clown training stages led by Alain Reynaud or Heinzi Lorenzen at La Cascade, allowing theater students to discover circus arts and a dedicated pole.
• Comédie de Saint-ÉtienneminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with the Comédie de Saint-Étienne drama school for clown stages led by Alain Reynaud or Heinzi Lorenzen at La Cascade, similar to the ENSATT arrangement.
• Les Colporteurs (Compagnie)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLes Colporteurs, founded by Antoine Rigot and Agathe Olivier, initiated professional wire/en counters at La Cascade. They organize the annual international wire meeting at the venue, which has become a flagship international professional encounter.
• Collectif TBTFminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollectif TBTF (Bernie Favre, Cyril Combes, Patricia Minder, Tim-Aïna Meiffren, Juri Bisegna, Justin Collas, Yannis Gilbert, Timothé Vincent) organizes regular professional acrobatic encounters and Chinese pole meetings at La Cascade.
• Projet.PDFminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollectif Projet.PDF organizes gender-mixed acrobatic portage (balancing) professional encounters at La Cascade, focused on creating inclusive spaces for women and gender-minoritized practitioners.
• AERISC (Association Européenne pour la Recherche, l'Innovation et la Sécurité des arts du Cirque)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAERISC delivers circus technician safety and rigging training at La Cascade. Thomas Loriaux (AERISC) leads the training, combining engineering expertise with 25 years of aerial circus practice.
• L'Escargot MigrateurminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with L'Escargot Migrateur for cooperative and emancipatory staging processes training. Escargot Migrateur handles registration and financing for this training program held at La Cascade.
• DRAC Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes (Ministère de la Culture)coreOthersFrench Ministry of Culture (via DRAC regional office) is a primary funder of La Cascade's national circus pole designation and major projects including the 2022 training space renovation. Direction of the publication of the website.
• Région Auvergne-Rhône-AlpescoreOthersRegional council is a key funder of La Cascade, supporting the national circus pole's operations, training programs, and infrastructure projects.
• Département de l'ArdèchecoreOthersArdèche department is a key institutional funder of La Cascade's national circus pole.
• Communauté de Communes du Rhône aux Gorges de l'Ardèche (DRAGA)coreOthersDRAGA is the contracting authority (maître d'ouvrage) for the demolition of the old cinema and creation of the new training space, and co-funder of La Cascade's infrastructure projects.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Centre National des Arts du Cirque (CNAC): The preeminent French national circus school and venue in Châlons-en-Champagne, sharing La Cascade's Pôle National Cirque designation and combining professional training, creation, and public performances. Operates at a larger scale and is the principal reference point for the French national circus pole network.
• La Grainerie: Circus creation and training center in Toulouse and a current cross-access partner of La Cascade. Closely comparable offering (artist training subscriptions, creation residencies, professional encounters) but located in Occitanie rather than Ardèche.
• Académie Fratellini: Pôle National Cirque in Saint-Denis offering professional training, creation, and performances. Directly comparable mix of training programs, school partnerships, and creation support, in a more urban Parisian catchment.
• Le Cirque Jules Verne (Pôle National Cirque d'Amiens): Another Pôle National Cirque in Amiens combining creation residencies, performances, and training. Closest structural analogue to La Cascade within the national pole network, though with a more theatre-anchored history.
• Théâtre Cirque d'Elbeuf (Pôle National Cirque de Normandie): Pôle National Cirque in Normandy integrating creation, training, and public performance. Sister PNC with overlapping mission and similar institutional funding model.
• LIDO – Centre des Arts du Cirque de Toulouse: Toulouse-based circus arts center combining professional training, creation, and programming. Comparable hybrid training/creation/performance model and a regional peer in the southern French circus ecosystem.

Regional players

• National Centre for Circus Arts: London-based higher-education institution for circus arts combining degree-level training with public performances. Comparable integrated training-and-performance model in a different (UK) public-funding and regulatory context.
• Codarts Circus Arts: Rotterdam-based circus arts BA program within Codarts University for the Arts. Comparable professional training offering from a European peer institution, anchored in a different national arts-education funding system.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/LaCascade
• Instagraminstagram.com/la.cascade.cirque
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/la-cascade

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 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 la cascade