Cité des arts du cirque

Created in the late 1990s out of a common desire from Montreal's circus community to equip itself with adequate infrastructures to pursue its development, Cité des arts du cirque is a sectorial cluster dedicated to contemporary circus, a pole of creativity, innovation, outreach and employment in Montreal's Saint-Michel district.

Composed of the National Circus School, the international headquarters of Cirque du Soleil and La TOHU, the only specialized circus presenter in North America, Cité is a unique concept across the world.

It brings together, within a tight perimeter, a large part of the dynamic forces of the Montreal circus community, from training to production and distribution. Nearly 2,000 people pass through the centre every day to study, teach, research, create, program or perform contemporary circus, not to mention the 135,000 or so spectators who come to attend shows each year.

Cité brings together several thousand square feet of training, research and creation studios, as well as a series of spaces dedicated to the dissemination of circus arts. La TOHU's grand hall, in particular, is the only circular hall in North America, a concept that pays tribute to the traditional circus tent. Some twenty such halls are in use, mainly in Europe (members of Réseau360).

Up until 2019, the premises of En Piste, the national circus arts association, were also located in the Cité, now facing opportunities for growth and development. Other players could be added in the coming years.

Cité des arts du cirque is also the official gateway to Frédéric-Back Park.

Founders

JAN-ROK ACHARD
CHARLES-MATHIEU BRUNELLE
MARC LALONDE
GAÉTAN MORENCY

CIRQUE DU SOLEIL
EN PISTE
NATIONAL CIRCUS SCHOOL