A two-day Sydney workshop with international guest artist Jon Davison

10–11 October 2026 - SOLD OUT
Sydney

Internationally acclaimed clown director, teacher and academic Jon Davison (UK) comes to Sydney for an intensive two-day Clown Lab. Over two days, participants will explore, create and develop original clown material, whether building a new clown act or taking the first steps towards a full show.

You have trained. You have played. You have discovered moments that were strange, ridiculous, surprising or genuinely funny.

But how do you turn those moments into a clown act?

How do you take an idea out of the workshop room, shape it into performance material, and keep it alive when it meets a real audience?

That Was Supposed to Be Funny is a two-day intensive for clowns and theatre-makers who are ready to take the next step: moving from clown exercises and improvisation towards the creation of an act, a scene or the beginnings of a show.

This is not simply another workshop about being present, playful or spontaneous. It is a practical performance-making laboratory. You will generate material, identify what has potential, give it structure and discover how to perform it without losing the unpredictability that makes clowning alive.

The aim is to perform prepared material in a way that remains alive to the people in front of you.

Workshop Details

Dates
Saturday 10 and Sunday 11 October 2026

Time
10am–5pm each day

Location
Sydney
Full venue details will be sent to booked participants.

Full price
$345

Early bird
$315 for the first six bookings or until Sunday 16 August, whichever comes first.

Use booking code JON315 at checkout.

Capacity
Maximum 18 participants.

Bookings cover the complete two-day workshop.

Can’t make Sydney? Check out Jon at the Brisbane Workshop | 3-5 October 2026

• What will we explore?

  How prepared material changes when it meets a real audience.

  You will work with laughter, silence, unexpected responses and the gap between what you planned and what actually happens.

• What will I practice?

  • reading the audience

  • responding without losing your plan

  • adjusting material in real time

  • staying with unexpected moments

  • keeping prepared work alive

• Who is it for?

  Some previous clown training or familiarity with clowning is advisable.

  You do not need to arrive with a completed idea. You may bring an existing fragment, character, routine, image or performance problem, or begin generating material during the workshop

  It is particularly suited to:

  • clowns and performers wanting to develop material

  • actors and improvisers with clown training

  • theatre makers interested in audience response

  • people exploring how to keep prepared work alive in performance

• About Jon Davison

  Jon Davison is a UK-based clown performer, teacher, director, writer and researcher with more than 40 years of experience.

  He is the founder of London Clown School and the author of several books on clowning and clown performance. His teaching combines practical experimentation with a close investigation of laughter, failure, audience response and the relationship between planned material and live performance.

  This Sydney intensive offers participants a rare opportunity to work directly with Jon and encounter his approach over two full days.

• FAQs

  Do I need to prepare anything?

  You do not need to arrive with a completed idea. You may bring an existing fragment, character, routine, image or performance problem, or begin generating material during the workshop.

  Do I need previous clown training?

  Yes, previous clown training is required.

  The workshop is particularly suited to people with an interest in performance, theatre making, improvisation or developing live material.

  Can I attend for only one day?

  Bookings cover the full two-day workshop.

  The work develops across both days, so participants need to attend the complete workshop.

The audience has entered the building

Your material may survive intact.

It may become something stranger.

Either way, we will find out what happens when the performance you planned encounters the people who are actually in the room.

10–11 October 2026
Sydney
$345

Early bird tickets are $315 for the first six bookings or until 16 August.