In a circus near Toulouse, underprivileged children come “on the track”
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Muret (France) (AFP) – Under the red marquee, which they are discovering for the first time, a troop of children carefully perform acrobatics. Coming from underprivileged neighborhoods near Toulouse, they will become, for the duration of a show, the “stars” of the Aïtal circus.
Revealing the “world of possibilities” offered by the track to these little ones is the “crazy project” of Victor Cathala and Kati Pikkarainen.
“We naturally turned to young people in difficulty, from neighborhoods where culture is not necessarily a point of support,” said Victor, 42, to AFP.
To the tune of “Somewhere over the rainbow”, this artist with imposing stature lifts little Kenza like a feather who, with apparent ease, performs all kinds of figures in the air.
“You have to let go. Trust in the other and give it back. There is a letting go which is beneficial”, maintains Victor, who grew up in Muret.
The circus artist insists to children, some of whom are dropping out of school, on the importance of perseverance. “Nothing is taken for granted, it’s work every day.”
His partner Kati also grew up in cities in Finland. It was thanks to an educator, who set up a circus school, that she found her way.
“Shooting star”
“Working with these young people was really a gamble. They remind me a lot of my childhood, when the circus school made me forget everything about my family history”, confides nostalgic the 39-year-old circus artist, pulling up her locks. blondes.
“And if one or two of these children took this path, that would be great already,” Kati hopes.
A dream that echoes the aspirations of Kenza, 9 years old.
“I want to become a circus professional like Kati and Victor”, launches the little brunette girl with the intense gaze in a very confident tone.
Spinning in the air, “It’s like there’s nothing and no one around me anymore. Like a shooting star.”
For four months, the seven children participating in the project, ages 8 to 12, connected with Victor and Kati in a municipal gymnasium.
Before discovering, amazed, the Aïtal circus tent during two dress rehearsals in mid-December. Stepping onto this new stage after a solo act, Kenza gracefully greets an imaginary audience.
“Proud” of its partnership with the Aïtal circus in this project called “Tous en piste”, the municipality of Muret wishes to continue the adventure with this “socially very disadvantaged” public.
“They sometimes have the feeling that certain cultural actions are not necessarily for them. We want to tell them that if,” enthuses Sophie Touzet, deputy mayor PS of Muret, in charge of cultural affairs.
Discover its capabilities
“I hope that they will have realized that art and culture are within their reach, that they can be an actor and a spectator”, she says, hopes that beyond the technical prowess, it will remain with children these “values of solidarity and teamwork carried by circus companies”.
Jordan Ako, dark skin tone and laughing eyes, does a bit of a clown during rehearsal. If he dreams of becoming an engineer, the circus has opened his eyes to his abilities.
“Adults often say + you’re a child, you’re good for nothing, do your work at school and we’ll see later. + But we too are capable of doing extraordinary things. Even a real show! C ‘is what I learned here, “said the malicious man, taking a serious look.
A “real” show therefore with two performances in front of more than 150 people each evening, under the big top of this circus which has performed in Argentina, Brazil or China.
“Throughout the rehearsals, we saw stars in their eyes and that’s what matters to us. We wanted to tell them that there were plenty of doors that open to them, and we see that some already have hand on the handle, “Victor says.
© 2021 AFP