Open Clown Laboratories

From time to time The Clown Institute proposes periods of research called Intensive Open Clown Laboratories. This is an opportunity to build a shared language and pedagogy together and participate in the research and training activities du jour.
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The Open Clown Laboratories are designed for both experienced and professional artists and clowns, however clown curious beginners are welcome to submit their interest. We welcome all genres of artists (painters, sculptors, architects, designers, musicians, actors, dancers, puppeteers, directors, dramaturges, writers etc.).

Each Lab has a particular theme or question. Check out our past weekend intensive open labs. 

1. Therapeutic Clowns: Healing with Humour (2022)

What is a Therapeutic Clown?  
The profession of Therapeutic Clowning is an arts‐based practice typically in healthcare settings with children, adults, or elders. It is designed to reduce stress, restore a sense of control and dignity, and celebrate the personhood of each individual regardless of their physical or cognitive limitations. In a healthcare context, this is the basis of person centred care, but for a clown, it is life!

While Therapeutic Clowns have a different purpose from clowns who perform in circuses and theatres, they still have much in common, particularly the way in which curiosity, presence and playfulness are central to their work.

How can this benefit me?
In this workshop, you will learn an array of practical skills and exercises that will allow you to introduce laughter into your work, whatever that may be.

Over the weekend, we will take a deep and practical dive into and the potential application of clowning techniques in health, wellbeing and person centred care.
  
Together in two days, we will:
  • Guide you through simple theatre exercises that will engage your playful self
  • Role-play and simulate sensitive interactive person-to-person entertainment to adults, children, elders, staff, families, and carers 
  • Explore the power of the clown archetype in offering lightness, release, play, connection, and a completely different way of viewing the world.
  • Learn the techniques of empathy through various clowning observation games
  • Play with costumes and objects of trade ​
Intensive Lab
​10 hours, 2 days 
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No upcoming workshops. Submit your interest to get the latest clown workshop news & offers in your inbox.

​Host a workshop at your arts organisation, rehearsal studio, conference centre, community hall or outdoors at a park! Get in touch to make a booking.

Perfect for: Performers who want to learn more about therapeutic clowning; Non performers who are curious; Anyone who is seeking to introduce more laughter and connection into their work​

2. Humanitarian Clowning: Humour is a very powerfool weapon (2021)

Putting humour into humanity
Welcome to creative & absurd experiments for empowered clown play in direct action towards social justice and healing.
In clowning and clown training we can engage movement, parade and laughter to alleviate pain and suffering, and to remind us of our humanity. Clown figures exist to liberate the oppressed, the sick, the isolated, the incarcerated through self-empowerment, raising awareness, and most importantly play.
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This is an intensive clown lab that makes my heart burst with delight and that I am really honoured to be able to explore with you. My vision is to create a safe place for positive change to occur, to restore our connections to each other and create more resilient, healthier and socially cohesive communities.
 
Can the clown align with a political point of view? Let’s find out.
 
Together in two days we will explore:
  • Integrating the art of clowning as a medium of intervention and healing through fun and laughter.
  • How the clown’s logic can reveal an existing problem, expose ‘truths’, highlight an alternative, demonstrate a new possible solution - non-violently and legally.
  • The role of a ‘rebel’ clown in direct action. How does the clown participate in political protests and anti-authoritarian movements?
  • The clown chorus / gang of clowns
  • The power of song, music, parades, dance and banners
  • Playing with costume and make up
Intensive Lab
10 hours, 2 days
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No upcoming workshops. Submit your interest to get the latest clown workshop news & offers in your inbox.

Host a workshop at your workplace, rehearsal studio, conference centre, community hall or outdoors at a park! Workshops are available online or in-person.

Perfect for: the adventurous and if you like working in collaboration, clowning students, clowns, activists, community organisers, performers, humanitarian NGOs. You do not need to be funny to join this class, just bring your spirit of fun.

3.Virtual Clown Lab (2020)

Laughter is the shortest distance between two people – Victor Borge

Over four days observe and play with the poetic dynamics of a virtual landscape, and together create moments of clown logic to both reverse audience expectations and make them laugh.
How do we authentically connect, laugh and play with audiences through screens and be with them on their journey and they in ours? How do we become a bridge for those isolated, incarcerated, separated, or sick?

Clowning as an art form can be found in children’s hospitals, aged care facilities, as well as around the world in refugee camps and now remotely via software platforms like Zoom. The need for an online audience seems apt and presents exciting possibilities in continuing to produce meaningful performances and connections, and in reaching new audiences.
 
This four-day online clown lab invites you to develop a playful and dynamic relationship with a virtual audience, in a virtual space becoming a more open, hilarious, and dynamic human-being.

​Main areas of discovery:
  • Celebrate and work with your clown’s natural being state, the here and now - being present to and listening and responding to each nuance, niggle, desperation, desire, wound and dream that it offers. And creating play from it.
  • Explore the best conditions for laughter in a virtual space by being inspired by the constraints, the limitations and opportunities of this environment.
  • Stretch your imagination & body and search for dramatic and comic spatial possibilities and dynamics corresponding to a virtual space.
  • The search for poetic disaster - transform personal tragedies and narratives into works of absurd poetic clown performance for an online environment.
  • Look for a rhythmic consequence of strong images, stimulating the spectator's imagination rather than their reason.
Intensive Lab
​20 hours, 4 days
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No upcoming workshops. Submit your interest to get the latest clown workshop news & offers in your inbox.

​Host a workshop. Uniquely designed for remote learning via Zoom, or your preferred video conference platform.Get in touch to make a booking.

Perfect for:​ Open to everyone with some performance or clown experience, genuine interest in clowning and/or are seeking playful development and skills practice. Community arts practitioners, improvisers, poets, stand-ups, comedians, circus and theatre makers, directors, and actors.

What to prep:
  • Check for any Zoom software updates (test it)
  • A quiet and safe space to move, play and stand up (no virtual backgrounds please)
  • Enough light so that we see your pretty face (test it)
  • Stable internet access (test it)​

This workshop was subsidised for 9 artists in 2020 and made possible by Create NSW who helped fund the pilot initiative as a response to COVID-19.  

4. The Poetry of Nonsense Clowning Lab (2019)

A 4-part weekend workshop series aimed at exploring the poetry of the clown, via dynamic phenomena, both visible and abstract.
The elements, objects and materials, colours, and music will serve as inspiration for clown discovery. Inspired by the Jacques Lecoq pedagogy.
Clowning is an adventure, so together we’ll embrace the uncertainty and enjoy the journey - searching for the beauty and poetry of your clown. 

Part 1. Clowning & Presence 

What is the essence of the clown (of your clown), Uncover clowning through silence and stillness + find the pleasure of discovery.
Explore the notion of presence and how to cultivate your inner voice as a clown actor ready to receive, feel and share with the world.  You will encounter the stage and practice the state of being fully alive and present to the moment in all aspects – emotionally, physically and mentally. Nourishing self-awareness whilst feeding your imagination and creativity.
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In two days we will explore:
  • A sense of openness, available to make offers & receive them
  • Establishing ‘complicité’ - connectedness and a shared understanding
  • Finding the pleasure in discovery and treating each situation like it’s new
  • Finding your fixed point, breath, enjoying the silences in between the sounds and actions
  • Mini field trip – observing and listening to natural rhythms of life

Part 2. Clowning & the Body 

Physical approaches to finding and creating a clownesque body via everyday phenomena like materials, objects and nature.
Engaging your body in a state of play and action, this workshop is designed to stretch your awareness of your physical presence and its playful possibilities. We will crack your body open like a beautifool little rose bud searching for the clown state – from the poetic to the grotesque, bringing the clown’s body to a state of readiness: aware of rhythm, space and breath.
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In two days we will explore: 
  • Introduction to the petit mask the red nose - explore the poetic body as a mask and as one giant muscle of creative expression.
  • Discover physical dramatic tensions and how we can endow these to the clown
  • Look at the relationship with the public and the pleasure of sharing.
  • Explore phenomena like the elements, objects and animals as a basis to creating the clown body
  • Lots of laughter.

Part 3. Clowning & Music 

Exploring live sound and different musical works to create moments of conflict and comedy for the clown actor.
Immerse yourself in play and wonder and explore the comic-poetic potential of music and sound. Together we’ll discover how live sound and different musical works can create moments of conflict and comedy for the clown.
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​Working in duos, trios and as a group ensemble you will play and improvise with voice and instruments, supporting one another to take funnier and greater risks leading to an expansion of ridiculous possibilities. 
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In two days we will explore:
  • Finding the clown thinking and movement via the 'follie' of music
  • Working in duos and trios to create harmony and disharmony
  • Creating soundscapes and atmospheric compositions for clown performance
  • Working with the body, imagination, space and rhythm to find your musical clown

Part 4. Clowning & Melodrama 

An investigation into finding a theatrical language to transform personal human tragedies and narratives into works of poetic clown performance for the stage.
A search for what it is that we wish to awaken in others. Clowning is the language of the heart and the clown’s job can be to remind people of their humanity. We'll discover in clowning a real intimacy between you and people that is related to truth, the energy and emotions of the heart. Play in themes about separation, love, sickness, loneliness and more! How do clowns deal with tragic situations? 
 
In two days we will explore:
  • Creating identifiable life moments and images that provoke humour and pathos 
  • Discovering the dramatic and empathetic space in clowning
  • Playing and subverting tragedy for comedy
  • Searching for clown logic in human tragedies encouraging your vulnerability to surface​ 
  • Be ready to work with strong, sensitive and confrontational themes
Intensive Lab
​10 hours, 2 days
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No upcoming workshops. Submit your interest to get the latest clown workshop news & offers in your inbox.

Host a workshop at your workplace, rehearsal studio, conference centre, community hall or outdoors at a park! Workshops are available online or in-person.

Perfect for: Open to improvisers, poets, stand-ups, comedians, circus and theatre makers, directors, and devisors from other disciplines, actors and artists practicing the art of clowning or seeking provocation and growth.

5. Bouffon: Le Beautifool Grotesque (2018)

Here's your chance to vomit glitter on all that is disturbing in the world

Plunge into the madness of mockery with the highly visual parade of the fantastic and grotesque.
This rigorous physical lab will guide you through games and ambitious improvisations that promise to invigorate and encourage you to play, and find a firm platform to satirise the 'madness du jour'.

You will connect your imagination and heart with the deeply surreal and bizarre unravelling a profound humanity. 

​Main areas of discovery:
  • Mockery & Mimicry: Finding the game and the pleasure of playing it to its edge
  • Exploration of the Bouffon Territories: The Grotesque, Fantastic and Mysterious.
  • Bouffonesque Body: Creating a grotesque body and the gang with objects and materials 
  • Power & Madness: Discovery of parody threshold and audience anarchist-entertainer relationship.
  • Performance: Play with the great texts and devise short ensemble-made bouffon pieces 
Intensive Lab
​10 hours, 3 days 
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No upcoming workshops. Submit your interest to get the latest clown workshop news & offers in your inbox.

​Host a workshop at your arts organisation, rehearsal studio, conference centre, community hall or outdoors at a park! Get in touch to make a booking.

Perfect for: Open to improvisers, poets, stand-ups, comedians, circus and theatre makers, directors, and devisors from other disciplines, actors and artists practicing the art of clowning or seeking provocation and growth
Celebrating the Poetry of Your Nonsense since 2015.
​© 2021 The Clown Institute