The Le Serre cultural park in Grugliasco, in the province of Turin, is the historic home of the Cirko Vertigo Academy. In 2007, the Municipality of Grugliasco granted the then Cirko Vertigo School use of the abandoned premises within the cultural park. These consisted of a low building and a shed, located next to and behind the Chalet Allemand, the last two buildings to be renovated to complete a major restoration project for the park and the city. These premises, suitably renovated, are now the Casa del Circo Contemporaneo (House of Contemporary Circus) and the headquarters of Italy’s first contemporary circus university: a protected and stimulating space adjacent to the Chapiteau Vertigo, a circular yellow and blue tent at the center of the park. A new, cutting-edge project, the first of its kind in Italy, a residence for young companies, and a hub for international encounters between young artists and masters of the performing arts.
The project by architect Paolo Data-Blin (architect and dancer at the Sanprogetto studio) fully captured the artists’ needs and the history of the Park, conveying, through the use of large windows, the idea of a “greenhouse,” an incubator of ideas, performances, and creations.
The spacious facilities include three large workrooms, which accommodate, among other things, the study of aerial disciplines, restrooms, changing rooms, offices, and documentation spaces. The renovation (begun in December 2007 and completed in December of the following year) was made possible thanks to a grant from the Piedmont Region and a loan from Banca Etica.
In 2023, the Cirko Vertigo Foundation signed an agreement with the Piedmont Region and the Compagnia di San Paolo Foundation for a feasibility study of new classrooms for the three-year degree program in Contemporary Circus Artists in Grugliasco. Over the next five years, it is estimated that additional spaces will be renovated or a new room will be created for student activities.
