Who we are
Fondazione Cirko Vertigo is a professional and university training center (equivalent three-year degree in DAMS – First Level Degree in Disciplines of Figurative Arts, Music, Entertainment and Fashion/Class L03, pursuant to Interministerial Resolution No. 941 of 22 December 2015 – Recognition of qualifications in MIBACT sectors -, with decree of 5 September 2022.), an international center for creation and production in the field of contemporary circus, active for 20 years and based in Grugliasco (Turin, Piedmont). Starting in the 2023/24 academic year, it will expand its training offerings with a new location in Mondovì, in the province of Cuneo, where residential lessons and masterclasses will be held, supported by the CRC Foundation. Furthermore, thanks to the support of the City of Mondovì, since 2024, the Cirko Vertigo Foundation and the blucinQue Nice National Production Center have been equipped with the new Chapiteau Nice, a venue for the Academy’s performances and creative activities. A new headquarters is scheduled to open in 2027 in the former Citadel of Mondovì, which will host the Master’s Degree program.
Founded in September 2016, the Cirko Vertigo Foundation inherits the legacy of activities, knowledge, and values developed by the Qanat Arte e Spettacolo Association, founded in Turin in 1999 by Paolo Stratta as the first Italian circus arts training program outside of traditional circus. In 2002, the Association promoted the first professional training course for contemporary circus artists, first in Turin on a provisional basis and then, since 2005, at its Grugliasco headquarters (which is its main partner), where it still maintains its headquarters today at the Le Serre Cultural Park. In 2022, the Foundation, with its Academy, was recognized as the first three-year degree program for contemporary circus artists in Italy. This program reaffirms its vocation as a creative and educational hub, preparing promising young contemporary circus artists for direct entry into the world of work through its collaboration with the blucinQue Nice National Production Center. This program, unique in Italy, will guide emerging artists from training to joining a company or to the creation and production of new contemporary circus works.
The direction is firmly in the hands of its founder, Paolo Stratta, while the presidency is entrusted to Paolo Verri, a cultural manager and former director of Matera Capital of Culture. From October 2025 and for the following three years, Jérôme Thomas, recognized as the father of contemporary juggling, will be the artistic director of the degree program. As part of this artistic partnership, the internationally renowned Maestro will donate the historic Cirque Lili to Cirko Vertigo, which will host not only contemporary circus performances but also serve as a creative and studio space for Cirko Vertigo students.
Furthermore, through the Casa del Circo Contemporaneo project, the Cirko Vertigo Foundation offers its spaces and the expertise of the professionals it collaborates with in training and organization, allowing selected artists and/or companies to participate in an artistic residency each year to develop their creations.
The ethical charter
On December 29, 2022, Fondazione Cirko Vertigo approved its ethical charter, based on the values of inclusion, hospitality, sustainability, community spirit, and training—principles applied across all areas and at every level of the organization.
The Academy’s Mission
Seeking and nurturing new talent, promoting young artists, spreading awareness of contemporary circus, and networking with organizations outside our region to grow personally and professionally through the exchange of experiences. This is the mission of the Cirko Vertigo Foundation, which intends to promote a network of organizations and partners capable of guiding young talents, for the first time in Italy, from advanced training to artistic residencies, and finally entering the world of work, thanks to its synergy with the National Production Center blucinQue Nice. Following their training, the most deserving artists will have the opportunity to be supported in new productions or, if positions are available, to join the blucinQue company, directed by Caterina Mochi Sismondi. Those wishing to embark on a journey of personal creation will be able to access the Foundation’s spaces and expertise through a call for applications as part of the Casa del Circo Contemporaneo project, dedicated to artistic residencies.