Youth circus since 1985
Sorin Sirkus - 40 years of circus
Sorin Sirkus started as a youth club in the fall of 1985. They operated under the youth services of the city of Tampere. Sorin Sirkus as its own association was founded in 1989, and it started offering basic education in circus arts in 1993, becoming one of the first associations in Finland to do so.
Since then, Sorin Sirkus has grown to be a frontrunner in Finnish youth and social circus and is actively a part of both national and international development efforts. Nowadays, there are over 600 students between the ages of 4 and 20 that come to the circus to train on a weekly basis.
Our activities
Sorin Sirkus is a youth circus from Tampere Finland, established in 1985. Its main objective is to maintain, enhance and develop circus studies for children and young people. Sorin Sirkus has been giving basic education in circus arts since 1993 based on the national core curriculum. Currently the circus school has around 600 students aged from 4 to 20 years, that are gathered weekly to practice a variety of circus disciplines.
Sorin Sirkus offers a broad selection of social circus workshops for youth at risk, and short-term courses and camps for anyone from small children to adults. Sorin Sirkus is a forerunner in the field of Finnish youth and social circus. Its active work both domestically and internationally is one of its main assets. Sorin Sirkus’ faculty’s expertise in circus art pedagogy is often used by the Finnish National Agency for Education.
Sorin Sirkus is well known for its high standards and unique performances. The annual Christmas Show is seen by as many as 10 000 spectators and is performed to sold out audiences year after year. The young artists of the Performing Group have often several years and thousands of hours of practice behind them. Many of them have continued to higher education in circus and are now working as circus professionals around the world.
Sorin Sirkus develops circus arts, pedagogy and youth work at municipal, national and international levels. Sorin Sirkus is a strong partner with Caravan – International Youth and Social Circus Network as one of its founders and has thus participated in several European projects from youth exchanges to pedagogical development processes.
Celebrating our 40th anniversary
The Tampere-based circus arts and youth work institution Sorin Sirkus will celebrate its respectable 40th anniversary in 2025. The milestone will be marked throughout the year with various events and activities that highlight the history, present, and future of Sorin Sirkus. Read more about this year below!
2025 in a nutshell
During the spring, we were able to celebrate in a variety of ways. The first circus school student event was Sorifest on the April 26th. The event showcased final projects by students completing the extended curriculum, with 29 original performances created independently, either solo or in groups.
The variety of performances was exceptionally broad, which was fitting for the celebrations of Sorin Sirkus’ anniversary. The festival also recognized the World Circus Day that was celebrated earlier on April 19. The celebration of our 40th anniversary continued with the launch of a new annual tradition, as this year’s spring performances evolved into Kevätkimara. It featured two performances: Pyjamabileet and Timanttinen Tenkkapoo (Pajama Party and a Sparkling Predicament), that were performed by alternating groups of students during the second and third weeks of May.
Sorin Sirkus has had a vibrant and eventful summer celebrating both circus artistry and international collaboration. The summer began with a major highlight: Tampere hosted the national Finnish Youth Circus Festival from June 4–7, 2025. The event brought together 400 young circus enthusiasts from across Finland to train, perform, and connect. As part of the festivities, we also held the Sorin Sirkus Pro Gala, showcasing the talent of professional circus artists who began their journeys at Sorin Sirkus. The gala was nearly sold out and delivered an amazing performance to kick off our summer season and mark Sorin Sirkus’s 40th anniversary.
International Exchange programs and Games Workshop 2025
From June 29 to July 5, Sorin Sirkus welcomed international visitors for Youth Exchange programs and the Games Exchange workshop. The youth exchange programs brought together over 40 participants from Spain, Germany, Palestine, and Finland. The theme for the week was MOVENTURE – movement in nature, offering young circus artists a unique opportunity to learn about each other’s cultures, circus practices, and creative processes. Simultaneously, the Games Exchange workshop focused on sharing games and activities useful for circus teachers, arts educators, and group facilitators. These initiatives were made possible through Erasmus+ funding.
To round off the summer and continue our 40th anniversary celebrations, the Sorin Sirkus team visited Prague in early August. There Sorin Sirkus connect with our partner Cirqueon – Centre for Contemporary Circus. We also attended the renowned Letní Letná festival, a leading event in contemporary circus and theatre. This learning program was made possible through the Erasmus + funding.
Anniversary event at Tampere city hall
Sorin Sirkus celebrated its 40 year history on Saturday 11 October with a distinguished anniversary event at the Tampere City Hall. A large gathering of community members, partners and friends of Sorin Sirkus came together to celebrate the journey of several decades. The program also featured a performance by the contortion acrobat Kalle Pikkuharju.
At the event, merit badges were awarded to individuals who have made a significant lifelong contribution to Sorin Sirkus. Among the awardees were employees and community members who received recognition for 10, 20 and 30 years of service.
The most important speech of the day was delivered by the founder of Sorin Sirkus, Taina Kopra, who shed light on the circus’s development from its early days to the present. In her speech, Kopra emphasized the importance of community: “What matters most is that we do things together, learn through trial and error, succeed and fail together, perform and have fun together. We have a community where it is good and safe to be exactly who you are.”
The anniversary year culminates in a brand new Christmas show that reaches for the skies and brings to the ring a grand and whimsical saga, taking circus lovers of all ages to uncharted starfields and beyond. There may be many worlds in the circus, but only one Soriversum!
The galactic Christmas show is already the 37th in the series, starring the skilled and experienced performers of the performing group, 24 of whom take the stage this year. The premiere took place on Saturday 15 November at 14:00. The production was warmly received by the audience, community members and the finnish media. The performance season runs from 12th of November 2025 to 10th of January 2026.
The Soriversum production team consists of familiar top professionals who in recent years have created increasingly spectacular and impressive productions for Sorin Sirkus. The show is fully composed and, in honor of the anniversary year, features a live band in the ring.
Read more here.
Artistic Director Taina Kopra
Taina Kopra, founder and artistic director of Sorin Sirkus, has supervised and been responsible for its pedagogic work for 40 years. She has been not only a circus teacher and artistic director, but a visionary, who has developed and made path for Finnish youth and social circus education. She has received several awards and acknowledgements from youth work, artistic work, performances, and significant work for circus in Tampere, as well as in Finland as a whole.
With Sorin Sirkus, as one of the co-founders of Caravan back in 2008, she has since played a crucial role with the network and its Board. Taina is the president of Caravan (2022-2025).
Contacts
Director Taina Kopra
taina.kopra@sorinsirkus.fi
Producer Pertti Huovinen
pertti.huovinen@sorinsirkus.fi
Producer Katja Tuuli
katja.timlin@sorinsirkus.fi