Plantez-là ! Festival of Circus Arts

A contemporary circus festival born in 2016 in the Causse du Quercy

The Plantez-là ! festival was born in 2016 from the desire of Mathilde Menand and Rémi Luchez, founders of the Association Des Clous, to invite circus artists to share their creations with the inhabitants of the Lot region. Based in the Lot since its creation in 2010, the Des Clous company focuses on artistic work in contemporary circus, supported by the DRAC Occitanie, and has always considered its activity in close connection with its territorial roots.

The first editions took place in Théminettes, a small village in the Causse, and were an immediate success. The festival quickly became a family-friendly, festive, and warm event, driven by the energy of around forty local volunteers who invest themselves each year to welcome the public.

Le Copeau in Assier: a new venue dedicated to circus arts

At the end of 2021, the Association Des Clous acquired former carpentry workshops located in the Bouyssounet business park, in Assier (46320). After renovation, this venue, named Le Copeau, opened its doors in May 2022, for the 5th edition of the Plantez-là ! festival. Since then, Le Copeau has become a true territorial hub: a place for artistic residencies for circus companies, a space for show diffusion, public reception, and training.

In 2025, the French Ministry of Culture awarded the Association Des Clous the label "Atelier de Fabrique Artistique" (Artistic Production Workshop), recognizing the quality, relevance, and impact of their cultural project in a rural area. Le Copeau is identified as a circus venue where experimentation, the play of vertigo, and the necessity of gesture question the present.

A program focused on contemporary circus and performing arts

Each edition of Plantez-là ! offers a program of contemporary circus shows, accompanied by music, theater, and street arts. The Des Clous team selects creations that have touched them, their artistic favorites, in a festive and relaxed atmosphere. The festival showcases both emerging companies and in-house creations, such as the shows Quarantaines or Typhus Bronx by the company Des Clous.

Performances take place outdoors and under a big top, in a bucolic setting in the heart of the Causse du Quercy. Shows are scheduled for Friday and Saturday evenings, allowing the public to enjoy a full weekend of performing arts.

Circus workshops and conviviality for all ages

Plantez-là ! aims to be a moment of reunion, encounters, and suspended time. The festival offers circus workshops open to everyone, from 7 to 108 years old, led by professional artists. These participatory sessions allow spectators to try their hand at circus disciplines in a supportive atmosphere.

On-site, local catering and a bar welcome festival-goers throughout the event. Since 2016, the association has been working in partnership with local producers, associations, and businesses in the area, strengthening the festival's local roots.

A committed event in a rural area

Plantez-là ! embodies the Association Des Clous's commitment to bringing performing arts to rural areas. The festival demonstrates that a demanding cultural event can exist and thrive in a small village in the Lot, by focusing on proximity, conviviality, and artistic quality. With accessible prices and a deliberately controlled capacity, Plantez-là ! remains true to its purpose as popular art, open to all and rooted in its territory.