ICiMa Circus and Puppet Innovation Chair

• the life cycle of performing arts materials (design and construction of puppets, equipment and scenography, life on tour, cultural heritage conservation and restoration);
• gesture and movement: research on notation and creation of scores;
• multilingual terminology in puppetry and circus arts.

This project involves two écoles nationales supérieures of international renown that issue a DNSP and are emblematic of contemporary manifestations of these two arts.
They are the first in France in the field of the performing arts to have set up research centres that, right from their creation (2012-2013), have demonstrated their commitment to innovative and interdisciplinary projects. In terms of documentation and cultural heritage, CNAC and IIM are both associated as well with the Bibliothèque Nationale de France (National Library of France). Since 2014 their similar positions and their location in a common region they are keen to defend have led them to work on the convergence and complementarity of their equipment, of their teaching methods and of their research and innovation projects. This process culminated in 2015 with the creation of the ICiMa Chair, chaire d’innovation sociale et territoriale Cirque et Marionnette.

The ICiMa Chair benefits from the support of the Ministry of Culture, the Regional Directorate of Cultural Affairs Grand-Est, the Grand-Est Region (DESRI and Culture), the Ardennes Department, the Communauté d’Agglomération of Châlons-en-Champagne and the Communauté d’Agglomération Ardenne Métropole, as well as the volunteer skill share programme from APESA and PMB Services.

Its research projects combine the talents of scientific and technological partners, artists and professionals in the performing arts, cultural heritage institutions and networks of associations or representatives of civil society..