Research support

Do you have a research project?

The CNAC works to develop research projects and experimental workshops in the circus arts, particularly in collaboration with universities and higher education institutions specialising in the arts.

To fulfil this mission, the CNAC runs a programme to support circus research in line with the cross-cutting themes of its new institutional strategy:
- circus aesthetics
- circus pedagogy
- arts and cultural education and outreach
- the health of circus artists
- the professional integration of young circus artists

The CNAC encourages theoretical research and research-creation projects carried out by artists and/or researchers. Proposals may be submitted by circus artists, researchers or students, regardless of their nationality. Applications may be submitted by an individual or by groups (artist/researcher duos, research collectives)

Applications for funding for the year 2026 are now closed.

➜ Find out more about the projects supported on the CIRCODATA platform, in the section dedicated to circus research at the CNAC.


 

The circus research projects and experimental workshops to be supported in 2026 : 

• “The Autobiographical Circus”, a project led by Tania Simili

• “Hybridisation of hand balancing”, a project led by Camille Bontout, Maurizio Martinez and Step Mouat

• “Collective Writing Residency” (Esther Friess, Carolina Moreno, Marie Tissot and Léana Valentini), a project led by the Faire Corps collective

• “Co-developing a method for observing circus workshops in schools”, led by Marie Tissot

• “Reflecting on and Healing the Artist’s Wounds: Dramaturgy and Contemporary Circus Practices”, a project led by Lucile Bony

• “Gut Feeling – What is Embodied Knowledge in Circus Pedagogy?”, a project led by Juho Sarno

• “A cultural history of the circus in the 19th century”, a project led by Marie-Astrid Charlier

• “Circus Dream: Evolutions and Reflections, Forty Years”, a project led by Montana Miller

• “The poetics of the impossible: Magie Nouvelle as a dramaturgical tool for contemporary circus”, a project led by Lu-Chieh Lin

• “Never Say Die to the Little Boxes”, a project by Pauline Guillier and Alice Rende

• “The Pistellar Clown”, a project led by Caroline Obin

• “The Poetics of the Act”, by Sandy Sun and Philippe Goudard

The circus research projects and experimental workshops to be supported in 2025 : 

• "Les enroulés, a poetic notation", a project led by Marion Collé
A report on this residency is available on CIRCODATA

• "Echoes of the world in a body at play, towards an ecology of the clown", a project led by Violaine Dargent

• "Becoming a playwright for the circus", a project led by Marion Guyez

• “Archives, Memory & The Voice of Clowns!”, a project led by Marc Lozano
A report on this residency is available on CIRCODATA 

• “Aesthetics and Politics of DIY in the Contemporary Circus Scene”, a project led by Carolina Moreno Haverlan

• “Queer Aesthetics in Contemporary Circus: Between Traces, Myths, Legacies and New Forms of Expression”, a project led by Nadia Perreau

• “The autobiographical circus: towards a free dramaturgy of contemporary circus writing?”, a project led by Tania Simili
A report on this residency is available on CIRCODATA

• “Nostalgia for the Spectacular”, a project led by Anna Tauber and Fragan Gehlker

• “Echoes from the Crowd (the memory of female spectators)”, a project led by Anna Vigeland

The circus research projects and experimental workshops to be supported in 2024 : 

• « Nouveau manuel de jonglage », projet de Denis Paumier

• « Construire pour le cirque », projet d’Esther Friess

• « Laboratoire de recherche pour les surhumain·es fissuré·es », projet présenté par Inbal Ben Haim, Lucie Bonnet et Isaure Jacques.

• « Writing circus : An international perspective on publishing about circus through independent press, projet présenté par Elise Missal et Florence Schroeder

• « Prémices d’une cartographie de la marche sur le corps », d’Alexandre Fray - Cie Un loup pour l’homme

• « D’une praxis d’un joueur masqué au nuancier de la mascarade », de Cédric Paga - Cie Ludor et Consort

• « Conservation, valorisation et actualisation de la mémoire du cirque », de Marie Tissot - Doctorante, Université Paul-Valéry-Montpellier 3 (Rirra21) et Université du Québec à Montréal

• « Les écoles de cirque : quelles pédagogies de l’art pour les enfants ? Le cas du Centre Municipal des Arts du Cirque Le Lido », de Léana Valentini - Doctorante, Université de Bordeaux (CeDS) et Mairie de Toulouse

<img> Residence Montana Miller

03-06-2026

Montana Miller - Research residency

The CNAC is hosting Montana Miller for a research residency; she was the first American student to join the CNAC (3rd intake) and the winner of the ‘Support for Circus Research 2026’ call for proposals. Now a lecturer and researcher at Bowling Green State University (Ohio, USA), Montana has decided

15-04-2026

Marie Tissot and Flore Sahuc - Research residency

Winners of the CNAC 2026 call for projects “Support for Circus Research”, Marie Tissot, Head of Practice Development at Utopistes – International Circus Arts Centre, and Flore Sahuc, a Master’s student in Social Psychology at Lumière Lyon 2 University, are conducting a research residency for their

13-03-2026

Résults - Research Project Call

Following the “Support for Circus Research” project call for 2026, several innovative projects have been selected: • "Le Cirque autobiographique", project led by Tania Simili • "Hybridation des équilibres sur les mains", project led by Camille Bontout, Maurizio Martinez, Step Mouat • "Résidence

21-11-2025

Anna Tauber & Fragan Gehlker - Research Residency

Anna Tauber and Fragan Gehleker (Association du Vide), accompanied by Aziz Drabia, continued their project "The nostalgia of the spectacular", winner of the 2025 Circus research support call (CNAC) during a residency at the CNAC resource center. With "The nostalgia of the spectacular", the team

16-10-2025

Marion Collé et Suzanne Sebõ - Research residency

This week, CNAC welcomed in residence Marion Collé and Suzanne Sebõ, both winners of the 2025 circus research support call. Their project, « Les enroulés : une notation poétique », aims to translate the practice of the tightrope into a sensitive and visual language. By combining writing, drawing

15-10-2025

Marion Guyez - Research residency

CNAC welcomed Marion Guyez in residence, circus artist and teacher-researcher, and winner of the 2025 Circus research support call. Her project, “Devenir dramaturge pour le cirque”, explores the emergence and role of dramaturges in contemporary circus: their career paths, collaborations with artists

01-10-2025

Call of projets - Circus research

CNAC is launching once again ist "Circus research support" call for projects for 2026, aimed at encouraging research initiatives led by artists as well as researchers. Applications must be submitted by email to recherche@cnac.fr before December 15, 2025. For more information, click here.

19-09-2025

Tania Simili - Research Residency

CNAC is hosting Tania Simili in residence, circus artist and PhD student at University of Lausanne. Her work focuses on autobiographical circus, which she explores trough her project “Le cirque autobiographique : vers une dramaturgie libre des écritures circassiennes contemporaines”. This approach

17-09-2025

Violaine Dargent - Research Residency

During a 10 day residency at CNAC, Violaine Dargent, clown artist and PhD student at University of Artois-Arras, developed per project « Echoes of the the world in a playing body: towards an ecology of the clown», winner of the 2025 Circus research support call at CNAC. Her reflections focus on how

12-09-2025

Research residency : Exploring improvisation and tinkering in contemporary circus

Hosted in residence at the CNAC resource center, Carolina Moreno-Haverlant, PhD student at University of Toulouse, continued her research on her project "Aesthetics and politics of tinkering in contemporary circus performance", selected through CNAC's 2025 circus research support call. This