La Volière - Cirque aérien

What La Volière - Cirque aérien does

La Volière - Cirque aérien is a French non-profit cultural association (loi 1901) headquartered in Saint-Nazaire, Pays de la Loire, operating a dedicated venue for contemporary circus and aerial dance since 2020. The organization traces its lineage to Fred Deb's company Drapés Aériens (founded 2006) and the creation of Festival LRDA (Les Rencontres de Danse Aérienne) in 2009, the first dedicated aerial dance festival in France. La Volière functions as a multi-pillar cultural hub combining artistic creation, pedagogy, professional training, and event production: it operates a year-round Ecole de Cirque (circus school) for amateurs of all ages, hosts creation residencies for professional and emerging artists (including international artists via Culture Moves Europe), runs QUALIOPI-certified continuing professional training, and produces performances and festivals anchored by Festival LRDA. Additional pillars include corporate team-building, cultural outreach in schools across the CARENE territory, and an amateur troupe.

The venue's core technology centers on aerial circus apparatus — aerial fabrics (tissu), trapeze, hoop (cerceau), straps (sangles), rope, and cocoon — together with specialized rigging systems and ground equipment for balance, juggling, and acrobatics. Notable R&D includes the development of linen-fiber aerial apparatus (collaboration with Compagnie Appesa) and a domain specialization in vertical and suspensive aerial aesthetics. Operations are consolidated under a single roof with a small core team supplemented by pedagogical instructors and intermittent artists.

The revenue model blends earned income with public subsidies. Earned streams include annual course subscriptions, one-time vacation and discovery workshops (€45-120 per unit), performance ticket sales (€8-12), multi-course festival passes (€185-535), QUALIOPI-certified professional training fees, and bespoke corporate events. Public funding flows from Ville de Saint-Nazaire, CARENE agglomération, DRAC Pays de la Loire, and Région Pays de la Loire; the organization also accesses EU mobility funds through Culture Moves Europe. Customer segments are diversified across amateur practitioners and families, professional and international artists, educational institutions, corporate clients, and the broader aerial dance community. In the 2024/2025 season the organization delivered 3,292 hours of activity (+9.21% YoY) to 10,080 participants (+49% YoY).

Name

La Volière - Cirque aérien

Legal name

LA VOLIERE – LRDA

Website

https://lavolierecirque.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

La Volière - Cirque aérien is a French non-profit in Saint-Nazaire operating a dedicated venue for contemporary circus and aerial dance, offering year-round courses, artist residencies, professional training, performances, and the annual Festival LRDA to amateurs, professionals, schools, and corporates.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Circus Arts and Aerial Dance Education & Performance

NAICS

Promoters of Performing Arts, Sports, and Similar Events with Facilities (71131), Dance Companies (711120)

SIC

Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)

akta.pro primary industry

Dance Festivals & Dance Series (MPAGADAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Performing Arts & Cultural Event Venues (Theaters, Museums) (THAHAAAG), Multipurpose Event Center Operations (Civic Centers, Community Event Complexes) (MPAGALAE)

Keywords

• Circus arts education
• Aerial dance performances
• Circus school courses
• Artist residency programs
• Cultural venue services

Headquarters

HQ city

Saint-Nazaire

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Annual Course Fees: Recurring revenue from year-round leisure courses in circus and aerial disciplines for amateurs, with prorated pricing for mid-season enrollment
2. Workshop and Stage Fees: Vacation workshops for children and adults, including circus discovery, aerial disciplines, and specialized masterclasses during the LRDA festival
3. Professional Training: Continuing professional education programs for circus artists and practitioners, including production, diffusion and administration training
4. Performance Tickets: Ticket sales for residency showcases, cabaret evenings, festival performances, and amateur shows
5. Corporate Events: Customized team building, conferences, and artistic performances for businesses, leveraging circus arts for corporate development

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

La Volière operates a cultural venue dedicated to contemporary circus and aerial dance, providing year-round amateur circus courses, vacation and specialized workshops, creation residencies for professional artists, an annual international aerial dance festival (Festival LRDA), professional training programs, corporate team-building events, and territorial cultural and educational outreach. It functions simultaneously as a circus school, an artistic creation laboratory, a programming venue, and a social hub for aerial disciplines in the Pays de la Loire region.

Product overview

La Volière is a cultural venue dedicated to contemporary circus and aerial dance, offering a comprehensive ecosystem of services centered around artistic creation, education, and public engagement. The organization functions as a multi-faceted circus center combining an Ecole de Cirque (circus school with year-round courses and vacation workshops), artistic fabrication through creation residencies for emerging and professional artists, and a programming arm presenting spectacles and hosting festivals including the annual Festival LRDA. Additional pillars include professional training programs, corporate event services, cultural action projects in schools, wellness offerings through aerial yoga, and the amateur troupe. The venue operates as both a laboratory for artistic creation and a social hub connecting practitioners and audiences around circus and aerial disciplines.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Festival LRDA (Les Rencontres de Danse Aérienne): Annual international festival dedicated to aerial dance, hosting amateurs and professionals from around the world for training and performances.

Products and services

• Ecole de Cirque (School of Circus) Year-round amateur and recreational circus courses for children, teens, and adults of all levels, covering aerial disciplines (tissu, trapèze, cerceau, sangles, cocon), acrobatics, juggling, and balance work.
• Stages & Ateliers (Workshops & Classes) Vacation workshops and specialized classes for children and adults, including circus discovery, aerial disciplines, Chinese pole, and mixed circus & Brazilian music workshops.
• Festival LRDA (Les Rencontres de Danse Aérienne) Annual international festival dedicated to aerial dance, featuring workshops, masterclasses, training sessions, and public performances for amateurs and professionals from around the world.
• Yoga Aérien (Aerial Yoga) Wellness program combining yoga practice with aerial circus apparatus, open to a broad public beyond traditional circus practitioners.
• Résidences de Création (Artistic Residencies) Hosting of emerging and professional circus artists for creation residencies, including international artists through programs like Culture Moves Europe, with support for production and diffusion of new works.
• Spectacles & Programmation (Shows & Programming) Presentation of circus and aerial dance performances, including cabaret evenings, amateur shows, and professional company presentations.
• Formation Professionnelle Continue (Continuing Professional Training) Professional development programs including 'Atelier de la production diffusion du cirque' covering production, diffusion, and administration of circus shows, delivered in partnership with other circus organizations and funded through AFDAS.
• Evénementiel Entreprises (Corporate Events) Customized team-building, corporate events, conferences, and product launches using circus arts as a vehicle for professional development and team cohesion.
• Actions Culturelles & Pédagogiques (Cultural & Educational Projects) Territorial cultural projects, school interventions, and educational programs including circus workshops, performances, and artistic collaborations with local schools and communities.
• Troupe Amateur (Amateur Troupe) Year-round amateur circus troupe that performs at events and shows throughout the season, providing performance opportunities for advanced amateur practitioners.

Quantifiable outcome

• 10,080 participants in 2024/2025 season (+49% growth)
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered secondary, minor, flagship and core.

• Conservatoire Boris Vian de Saint-NazairesecondaryStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Collaborative performances combining circus arts with music education, including Cirk & Rythme project
• Département de Maine-et-LoiresecondaryStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Commissioned creation Particules d'éternité for 20th anniversary celebration of Collégiale Saint-Martin d'Angers
• Centre Wallonie Bruxelles à ParisminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Belgian cultural center partnership for Focus Belge programming
• Culture Moves Europe / Goethe-InstitutflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024EU-funded mobility program hosting emerging aerial artists for 2-month residencies, facilitating international artistic exchange and career development
• Maison de l'Entreprise de Saint-NazairesecondaryGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2024Business network partnership for corporate events and local enterprise engagement
• Athénor - Centre National de Création MusicalesecondaryStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Partnership for RESONANCE project combining aerial circus with electroacoustic music creation
• Territoires de CirqueflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023International organization coordinating La Nuit du Cirque event with support from Ministère de la Culture, Institut Français, and European partners
• Théâtre, Scène Nationale de Saint-NazaireflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Annual partnership for circus programming, co-presentation of La Nuit du Cirque and Quel Cirque events, and collaborative cultural projects including performances and professional development
• Ville de Saint-NazairecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Municipal partner providing ongoing support for circus arts programming and facility development
• DRAC Pays de la Loire (Direction Régionale des Affaires Culturelles)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Regional cultural authority supporting through Ateliers de Fabrique Artistique program, artist residencies, and cultural projects
• Fédération Française des Ecoles de Cirque (FFEC)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020National federation membership providing network support, professional standards, and circus education framework
• Fédération Régionale des Ecoles de Cirque Atlantique (FREC Atlantique)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Regional federation membership supporting network activities, regional encounters, and collaborative projects among circus schools
• CARENE Agglomération (Saint-Nazaire)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2015Long-standing institutional partner supporting the cultural project and territorial development through Projet Culturel de Territoire (PCT) and ongoing operational support

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Regional players

• École Supérieure des Arts du Cirque (ESAC): Belgian higher-education circus school in Brussels operating under the Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles. Comparable curriculum and mission in professional circus training; relevant for La Volière's Belgian partnerships (Focus Belge, Compagnie TRIOVULE).
• Galway Community Circus: Irish youth and community circus organization with circus schools, social programs, and professional training pathways. Closely comparable community circus model combining amateur education, social inclusion, and professional development in a single regional organization.
• National Centre for Circus Arts: UK's only degree-granting circus school based in London. Comparable as a national circus training institution with professional and amateur tracks, though larger scale and more academically oriented.
• Codarts Circus Arts: Rotterdam-based higher-education circus program within Codarts University of the Arts. Comparable professional circus training institution with bachelor-level programs and creation components.
• Carampa: Madrid-based circus school and performing arts center offering professional training and community programming. Comparable as a regional Spanish circus education hub with both amateur and pre-professional tracks.

Direct peers

• Académie Fratellini: French national circus school and creation center based in La Plaine Saint-Denis, offering professional training, creation residencies, and community programming. Most direct structural peer in France combining circus education, professional support, and public-facing performances.
• Le Samovar: Performing arts training center in Aix-en-Provence with strong circus and movement arts programs for amateurs and young artists. Comparable as a French regional circus training hub with public funding and community education focus.
• Le Plus Petit Cirque du Monde: Community circus center in Bagneux (Île-de-France) offering circus courses, social outreach, and professional artistic residencies. Closely comparable mission as a community-anchored école de cirque with professional artist support.

Broad incumbents

• Cirque Éloize: Montreal-based contemporary circus company with creation, touring, and training arms. Comparable as an internationally recognized contemporary circus organization with both performance production and artist development, but operates at significantly larger commercial scale.
• Centre National des Arts du Cirque (CNAC): France's national higher-education institution for circus arts in Châlons-en-Champagne. Comparable as a flagship training and creation center for contemporary circus, but at significantly larger scale and broader scope (La Volière founder Fred Deb' is a CNAC graduate).

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCis3y6x37qLqAimt-y9zAMw
• Facebookfacebook.com/lavolierecirquearien
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/la-voliere-cirque-aerien
• Instagraminstagram.com/lavoliere_cirqueaerien

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 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 La Volière - Cirque aérien