This research is part of an English-French Interreg IIIa project, called “Inter-agency partnership for improving inclusion of “at risk” young people”. This action-research is based on the purpose “to develop a better link with the Self and the social and physical environment, through artistic and intercultural activities”. The predominant activity chosen amongst a set of others is two contemporary circus workshops organised by artists in a regional circus school. The reason is that this also called “new french circus”, is a rich combination of different performing arts such as trapeze, balance, acting, dancing …
Therefore the research question is : “What are the effects of the practice of a contemporary circus intercultural workshop, by French or English "at risk" youth on themselves ?”
The objectives are: First to understand the effective capacities developed during such a circus practice. The hypothesis thereby are: an increase in self-esteem, social relationships, taking space or risk into account and an intercultural understanding through a boldily activity that does not use mostly speaking. Then, to get a comprehensive view of what circus practice means to the young French or English practitioners (students and adults) in relation with themselves, family, school, society and even Europe.
Therefore practice through an artistic, bodily and intercultural activity would educate to share an understanding of a "living-together" space and project. Our choice is here to understand the teenagers’ evolution  in an unusual environment such as a circus big top mixing “Channel neighboors”. So the theoretical framework is based on researches about artistic (Goudard 2004) and intercultural education (Abdellah-pretceille 1999) researches.
The objectives of this study are to understand the different meanings that the students give to the activity they practiced together, that is to say: Building up a big-top, juggling, walking on a tide rope, doing trapeze, acting, creating a show and then putting down the big-top. The first aim is to reach a better understanding of the educational and context  so not to let any  information out of the interpretation of their personal experience. The second aim is then to get a better understanding of their behaviour during the workshop and how they deal with it :  physically and psychologically facing the risk in relation with others, creating and offering a show to an intercultural public.
The theoretical framework has been constructed through the analysis of the interviews and observations. We ended up with three conceptualized categories constituting the framework of the grounded theory. Through a challenging circus process, the youth experience a  renewed relationship first to the body (taking risk into account and facing how to deal with it), then to the others (bodily and socially sharing the same circus life-experience), and finally creating altogether a public show (to express themselves to the world). Overcoming this uncomfortable situation, they learn the pleasure of living and the joy of well-being.

Audi, P. (2010). Créer. Introduction à l’esth/éthique Lagrasse : Verdier Abdallah-Pretceille, M., (1999). L’éducation interculturelle. Paris : PUF, 126 Eisenberg-Wieder R., Chavez Catalina, Cuevas Vanny, Gutierrez Judith (2004). « La récupération psychocorporelle comme axe de base pour la formation aux valeurs environnementales interculturelles ». Communication à la 7ème Biennale de l’éducation et de la formation, APRIEF-INRP, ENS de Lyon, ENS Lettres et Sciences Humaines, 13-17 avril 2004. In 7 ème Biennale de l’éducation et de la formation – Résumés, pp. 132-133. Ferréol G., Lucquois G. (2003). Dictionnaire de l’altérité et des relations interculturelles. Paris : Armand Colin. Goudard, P. (2004). Le changement de paradigme. In Wallon E. le cirque au risque de l’art. Arles : Actes Sud. INRP. (2007). Approches interculturelles en éducation. Lyon :website http://www.inrp.fr/vst Jacob P. (2001). Le cirque, un art à la croisée des chemins. Paris : Gallimard. Kerzil J., Vinsonneau G. (2004). L’interculturel : principes et réalités à l’école. Sides. Ladmiral J.R. & Lipiansky E.M. 1999). La communication interculturelle. Paris: A.Colin. Lauret J.M (2008). L'éducation artistique et culturelle peut-elle contribuer au dialogue interculturel ? In Culture et recherche, n° 114-115; Strauss, A. & Corbin, J. (1990). Basics of Qualitive Research. Newbury park: Wallon E. (2002). Le cirque au risque de l’art . Arles : Editions Acte-Sud.