Our story

The first social circus organization in Canada

Since 1995, our team has been offering social circus workshops to youth facing challenges.

Cirque Hors Piste was founded by Cirque du Soleil and Jeunesse du Monde, which created the Cirque du Monde program in 1995. In 2011, Cirque Hors Piste decided to stand on its own as an independent nonprofit organization. Since then, a wide range of activities have been developed to meet the needs of young people and communities.

The growth in recent years has allowed Cirque Hors Piste to expand its social circus expertise and establish itself as a pillar of the social circus movement in Canada.

CHP Timeline: 1995, birth of the Cirque du Monde program (Cirque du Soleil), beginning of our activities; 2005, creation of our Cirko-vélo program; 2008, launch of our Collective Creations program; 2011, first edition of the Hors Piste Event and birth of the CHP nonprofit; 2015, we celebrate 20 years of working with youth; 2017, relocation to Îlot Sainte-Brigide and full autonomy of CHP; 2018, launch of research on our Collective Creations; 2019, first fundraiser and Cirkaskina, our national program, takes flight.
 

Celebrating 20 years of working with youth

Building a circus hub in Hochelaga-Maisonneuve to meet the needs of youth and the community.

For over 20 years, our relevance as a key player in homelessness reduction in the Centre-Sud neighbourhood has been well established. From 2017 to 2022, the former Sainte-Brigide-de-Kildare church provided us with a suitable space for our practice and the young people we serve.

Starting in 2023, a new chapter in our story will unfold through a partnership with the Mercier-Hochelaga-Maisonneuve borough. By managing the Emmanuel-Arthur-Doucet building, our dream to develop a circus hub will finally come true!

This space will allow us to fulfill our mission for youth while providing opportunities for interaction between young people, professional circus artists, and the community.

Rest assured, we will stay active in Centre-Sud thanks to our community partners in the neighbourhood.

Exterior of the Cirque Hors Piste building

 

Help us set up our new space dedicated to social circus.

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