It all started in 1983, when Bernhard Turin, forcefully engaged in the initiative, together with a few other passionate fighters for circus arts, were invited by Anny Goyer and Claude Pollet of the local youth council of Rosny-sous-Bois to develop open air activities for adults. This first „circus activity“ afterwards became enriched by workshops on juggling, on tight wire and trampoline skills. Thus, from 1986 onwards, children could benefit from a high quality education.

After five years of on-going activities and more and more numerous adherents, the Rosny-sous-Bois School of Circus was founded. With the unique representations of Bernard Turin, the new structure was crowned with success in numerous international competitions. It revealed a form of preparation to circus arts, which overcomes traditional standards.

In 1990 Jack Lang, Minister of Culture, appointed Bernard Turin to direct the Centre National des Arts du Cirque (CNAC) at Châlons en Champagne. For four years, Turin stayed in charge of both schools. He then entrusted Anny Goyer, who had been his collaborator ever since the very beginning, with the direction at Rosny-sous-Bois.

The Minister of Culture together with CNAC granted the Rosny School with a training leading to a first state diploma for professional teaching of circus arts, the Brevet Artistique des Techniques du Cirque (BATC). The school officially became the Ecole Nationale des Arts du Cirque de Rosny-sous-Bois (ENACR).

In 1995 the first generation of students graduated from ENACR/CNAC with a performance of “Le cri du caméléon”, designed and brought on stage by Joseph Nadj. It turned out to be such a success that the “New Circus” of the 1970s appeared totally revolutionized. Very rapidly the teaching of the two institutions became an international standard. The ENACR qualifies its students for the BATC while the CNAC honours them with a DMA (Diplôme des Métiers des Arts du Cirque).

Ever since the 1990s, the schools fame radiated beyond the frontiers of the country and international partnerships were developing.

Notably the partnership with Tunis was a milestone and continues to be fruitful. The Tunesian School of the arts of circus opened in 2003.

In 2004 the ENACR's new Big Top was inaugurated in the presence of representatives of the Minister of Culture, of the Conseil Régional of Île de France, of the Conseil Général of Seine-Saint-Denis and of the town of Rosny-sous-Bois.

Enforced by its magnificent new working place, the school pursued its projects and strengthened its radiation to foreign countries: a partnership was founded with the Caméléon association of the Philippines, a festival was created in Argentina, mutual exchanges are organized with the Mandingue school of circus of Guinea as well as with the Battambang circus school of Cambodia …

In December 2008 José-Manuel Gonçalvez, the director of La Ferme du Buisson, was elected president of the school. In 2010 he became director of Centquatre, the cultural institution of the town of Paris. The consequence was a new fruitful partnership with the Paris institution. Students thus get to know present day creations and they can present their acts in the Capital under the glass roof of a highly unconventional building. The partnership with Centquatre comes in addition to the ones with other cultural institutions like la Ferme du Buisson or the Théatre de la Cité Internationale.

In October 2012 Gérard Fasoli, who had been teaching notably at the ENACR, was appointed director of the CNAC. The two institutions decided to think in common about a pedagogical curriculum for both schools.

The result is a program leading to a BATC in 1 year and to a DNSP (Diplôme National Supérieur Professionnel) for circus artists in three years. The CNAC and the ENACR line up their admission test for the study program leading to a DNSP as required by the university of Picardie Jules-Verne at Amiens.

In 2013 the ENACR celebrated 30 years of circus at Rosny-sous-Bois and 25 years of the existence of the school. Claude Capillon, major of Rosny-sous-Bois took the occasion to officially baptize the school's emplacement Espace Bernard Turin, in honor of the founder of the ENACR.

After more than 25 years of work, the Ecole Nationale des Arts du Cirque de Rosny-sous-Bois has become a tremendous training centre for students of circus arts, producing artists for tomorrow and amateurs of all ages, and furthermore offers a place for professionals of circus arts for exercise and rehearsal.