It began as an alternative, theatrical circus without animals, featuring dangerous stunts like chainsaw juggling, fire breathing, wall of death, etc.
Archaos is also the main organiser of the Biennale Internationale des Arts du Cirque, the world's largest contemporary circus festival.
[5][6] Archaos also helped reinvigorate the existing UK New Circus movement, spawning companies like Mamaloucos (formed in 1996), who went on to collaborate with the Royal National Theatre.
The obituary in The Guardian celebrating Bidon's life noted that Archaos was "one of the ensembles that galvanised the new circus movement, in which traditional arts have been re-imagined and combined with contemporary artistic sensibilities and theatrical techniques.
Archaos took a major role in the Circus in Capitals project that was part of Marseille Provence 2013 and the experience inspired the company to create the first Biennale Internationale des Arts du Cirque.