This action-research experiments on two levels: First, a process of an intercultural inter-agency partnership project in order then to create the production of an intercultural artistic workshop for “at risks” young people (French and English youth aged 17). It is part of an Interreg III project (2004-2007) called “Inter-agency partnership to improve the inclusion of “at risks” youth” between the universities of Lille 3 (D. Zay) and Canterbury Christ Church (C. Parsons). The person in charge of the action-research experiment works as a coordinator (animateur socioculturel) in a secondary school that meets a new type of nation-wide institutional demand that is to say : the Projet d’Animation et de Développement Culturel. So she decided to frame her particular interreg project as a « Territory based Cultural Development Project » (PADC) that represents a new territorial and network project dimension of her work and needs to be confronted to the socio-cultural reality. The aim of this action was thanks to the experiment of a both local (situated in Lille-France) and English network (in Thanet) to make the young people meet through a circus activity which does not require the use of a common language. Within the contemporary circus arts, the traditional techniques like trapeze, balance, objects manipulation, wire, acrobatic and monocycle are mixed up with dance, video, theater…so as to create a specific “performing arts form” which tells a story (Wallon). Nevertheless, the basic practice for learners consists in being destabilized and re-finding the balance, being confronted to the risk (failure of falling, losing objects…-Goudard) and being obliged to face it within the framework of a “non-serious” playing activity ending with a public show. Re-discovering her own physical and psychic sensations allows the person to find out new ways to move on, solve the different difficulties and increase the self-esteem, openness and socialization (Covez 2004). On the education point of view M. Abdallah-Pretceille and J. Demorgon ask for educational intercultural situations that would really be able to stimulate the European exchange trough a sensible meeting. As a European educator, our aim is to create an intercultural situation that allows people to discover each other through shared bodily and emotional activities, protect each other in risky practices, and rely on each other for a respectful attention, under the common security of a big-top ! So, the question arising here is: Does an intercultural artistic practice constitute a situation for a meeting education?

The hypothesis is that the students but also the coordinator are able to develop new skills including intercultural ones. Therefore the approach is ethnographic in order to get a continuous and comprehensive view of the youth and coordinator’s work. By the way, on one hand, in order to make the circus project move on, the coordinator had to face different resistances that have to be institutionally and psycho-socially analyzed. On the other hand the youth meet difficulties to explain some circus practices that only pictures can show. The methodology dedicated to the process on one part consists of a field journal, 2 500 observatory/participant coordinator’s e-mails, lycée and network documents and 5 films. On the other part, 75 pre and post circus interviews with youth and adults (artists, networkers), 3 weeks circus activity observations and pictures from 45 hours rushes have been used to make the circus activity clear.

The action-research in interested in the psycho-socio-cultural reality of an interregional European cultural project for youth. It gives information about the contexts, logics and strategies of people working on an intercultural partnership basis, as French/English adults or youth. It also indicates how some “at risk” youth act within some national tendencies (gender, type of risks…) or common practices (translation sites, blogs…) and through their own particular way of thinking and feeling (re-motivated, new studies…). The pictures show the psychic (quiet attention…) and physical (helping with care…) relationships between the artist and the students. It gives a view of what happens in the climate of circus learning so contrary to the traditional class-room. The conclusion emphasizes on the fact that intercultural skills are developed (using more English!) But the most relevant is that the institution cannot facilitate the youth inclusion, without simply improving the way it takes them into consideration.