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Photos by Dan Green & Holly Tiggs Street Play Chaos Fun Shit clown & voice games exchange clowns on film clown & puppets Participant notes from Clown Congress 2025 Session proposed and documented by Laura Singer The inspiration for this discussion came from someone who sadly wasn't able to attend the session... the idea was to consider how clowning could be integrated into more traditional one-to-one coaching with clients, to enliven and 'embody' things up and allow people to benefit from the empowering process of stepping into 'clown' with both feet. 'How could clown be adapted for this rather different setting and how would it enrich the coaching journey?' they wondered - if my memory is correct - and I realised I'd been wondering that too. In the event a wonderful group of clown-pals gathered in the sunshine for a wide ranging discussion about 'clowning in the community'. It was a really inspirational conversation where we all shared a little of the work we had done; experiences we'd had and projects that had inspired us in our endeavours. This included questions around: What did we, or the communities of people we worked with, gain from clowning around? What settings suited clown offerings? How could we make clown accessible to diverse audiences with different needs? What are some of the blocks to engagement? And, what stance was needed from the community-based facilitator? As the sun warmed our faces we felt enlightened by the group's witness of our work, our plans, our dreams. We agreed on much... that play is underutilised, that we love to 'know nothing' as clowns and that we must 'dream our dreams together'. And of course that 'clown is a state of mind'. Clown helps us peel back layers of ourselves without us even really realising it, like a Russian doll ... getting further and further until we get to the essential parts of our 'self'. So much to share and inspire! Participant notes from Clown Congress 2025 Sessions proposed and documented by Anna Frearson I arrived at Clown Congress fully aware of my place there, filled with excitement and hope, yet carrying a heavy heart due to the current state of our world. I wondered how, as clowns, we might contribute to positive change. I genuinely believe that comedy has the power to heal the world. As a comedy writer, I have always leaned on humor to address difficult topics, using my natural comedic instincts to share the world I want to see and be a part of. I love humanity, especially my fellow clowns. If you can play with me and make me laugh, my heart is yours. With this in mind, I pondered a simple question: if Donald Trump can become President of the United States, why can’t a clown? After all, our British government is full of clowns, and I often stare in disbelief and bemusement at the few moments I’ve witnessed parliament in session. Anna Farthing spoke about the theatre of politics, and that encapsulates our situation perfectly. There we all were, gathered, and I felt compelled to propose the idea of a Clown Manifesto—a Red Nose Party. How would we approach “government” differently? During the first session on Saturday, it was challenging to voice all the emotions I had brewing, so I wanted to hear everyone’s thoughts. We decided to take the current political model and brainstorm our own political departments and play around with how we would draft policies. After some time, we shared our ideas. Although there was joy and fun in our discussions and a lot of passion behind our words, I still felt something was off. At the end of this session, we realised we wanted a moral compass or code—something we came to call the Clownmandments—rather than a strict set of policies to represent how we would show up as clowns in life.  A lot was stirring within me after this session, along with a sense of dissatisfaction and awareness that there was much more to explore. The words "micro" and "macro" came up frequently over the weekend, highlighting how we can make a significant impact on a small scale. Yet, I questioned why we should limit ourselves. Perhaps the micro represents grassroots movements. Maybe that is how systems will topple—through an overwhelming surge from the ground, leading to the fall of the tree. (Of course, I don’t want any trees to be harmed in the process.) Yet, I wondered how we could also move in the macro and ensure we are seen and heard. What is the clown's power? Historically, the court jester held significant influence, serving as a truth-teller and trusted advisor to the sovereign. Where have those figures gone? After a fruitful discussion at lunchtime, I felt inspired to hold another session, determined to explore the bigger picture. I realized that simply trying to match or respond to the current systems of power wouldn't be effective. Instead, we needed a fresh start. I proposed that we imagine an apocalypse had occurred and consider how we would, as clowns, rebuild the world. This is how the best play session I’ve had in a long time came to be. My heartfelt thanks to everyone who collaborated on this project. It was a true collaboration of hearts and clowns. Clowns Take Over (Post Apocalypse) Hey! The apocalypse hit In case you missed it Yeah, what came before Was gone, flattened So got to start again Finding our way Through play Unplanned, languageless A beautiful chaos Grew out the mess With no homes A rehearsal room to roam See things anew Those of us who made it through Rules were sooo pre-apocalypse Who needs rules, not us We, the original fools Our compassion knew what to do When we found each other Caring ruled Huge smiles, no hate So grateful, laughing We cheered and hollered Found a rope and pulled together Rescued those struggling Then built a warm shelter So they could recover Cos amongst the madness There was sadness So we danced for them While guarding their den (In a friendly way Not to keep anyone away But to keep them safe, inside And when other clowns arrived One by one by one We welcomed them Heartily, As they belonged Untangled a red nose Presented it like a red rose To show our love Created a song Our anthem We sang over and over Together We had too much fun It was easy No hierarchy And when people tried to leave To find another place to be We found it hard to set them free Yet we soon found the play in that Realising they’d left to come back In a different way Mischievously Making art out of rubble We loved the trouble Through trial and error Stickers for gender We swapped and removed Cos it didn't prove a thing About anyone It was just more fun There was no failure In that hour When the clowns took over We rose gracefully Free to play and be free It was ecstasy Anna @annafreepoet Comedy Writer, Performer and Facilitator
We proposed the session in the Seminar Room, but the three year old had other plans, so we put a note on the door saying that the session would be happening wherever the three year old happened to be.
The three year old was blissfully unaware that he had proposed a session. He enjoyed animating a long bogey type worm across the sofas while a clown animated the turtle trying to eat it. They laughed. This clown said she had been wanting to be around children of this age for a while and wants to do more work like this. He also enjoyed squeezing a stress ball and catching bubbles blown by another clown. A few other clowns popped in here and there and had little chats with him, which he loved and appreciated. 5-6 adult clowns played a few games from a book called “40 games for Frivolous People” https://www.abebooks.co.uk/9780713618983/Forty-Games-Frivolous-People-Wilson-0713618981/plp We particularly enjoyed “Do You Know Mr Green”, We played it several times and the three year old really enjoyed leading the end of the game. We got caught in a 3 year old/clown “shall we do that again?” loop.  We also enjoyed “This is a Ding”.
Participants were reluctant at first, because the instructions are confusing, but once another clown put some Drum and Bass music on to accompany it, everyone seemed to enjoy it a lot more. The point of the game is to be confused, but I’m not sure if people were laughing because it’s a good game, because it’s equally possible they were laughing because it’s a dreadful game. The three year old also really enjoyed watching the street clowns head out on their mission and then return. Several people asked where he got his leggings from. They’re from here: https://eddieandbee.co.uk/collections/adult-organic-cotton-leggings Participant notes from Clown Congress 2025 Session proposed and documented by Clare Parry-Jones I proposed a session on Clown and Grief following recent conversations I’d had with Robyn Hambrook, reflecting upon the future direction of my clown teaching, my performances and research over the years. My own experiences of loss and grief were sometimes helped by my state of clown: being able to see the ridiculous amidst the trauma, laughing, crying, being able to momentarily step out of the depths and view the situation. This led to the creation of a non-verbal clown performance which I have toured internationally, always with a Q&A afterwards, which gives space for discussion, curiosity and cultural exchange. I am interested in ancient rites and sacred sites of our ancestors, particularly the mesolithic and neolithic in the northern hemisphere. I have had the pleasure of making contemporary creative interventions at some of these sites, collaborating with nature, landscape and community, honouring our ancestors and reflecting upon our own state of (in)humanity. I was curious to see what would emerge within this session, from individuals and the group as a whole and what their needs and desires would be. It was immediately clear that space was needed for quiet reflection, embodiment, talking, sharing, listening and witnessing, so we made space for these. Key themes that arose: Connecting with grief, through clown What is grief? Clowning as a framework for the stages of grief Rituals, process, transformation Being in a supportive community vs current isolation of our grief processes Cultural lessons from around the world related to loss Collaboration with, and support from nature Accessing our own vulnerability through body and voice Is it too much for the audience, or for ourselves? How can you clown about …. ? Support, laugh, release, strength As a result of facilitating this session, I propose that I design and hold workshops on Clown and Grief, providing a safe space for exploration and transformation.  A few Grief Resources:
Good Grief Festival - Weston super Mare https://www.goodgrieffest.com Staging Loss: performance as Commemoration (Palgrave Macmillan) https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-319-97970-0 Llif - short film by Clare Parry-Jones https://youtu.be/NlSwvxKM8as?si=flCD-FjbP23ovei7 (*themes of child loss ) Francis Weller - The Wild Edge of Sorrow https://www.francisweller.net/books.html Participant notes from Clown Congress 2025 Session proposed and documented by Carla Keen Attendees: 10-12 This session was convened because of the amount of neurodivergent (ND) folk that clowning tends to attract. I am curious about why that is, to talk about the overlap, and hear people’s experiences. Note: a ‘talking stick’ approach was used as with many neurodivergent folk in the space, there was both talking fast/over-talking combined with difficulty processing lots of info. In short: people with different needs for communication. The talking stick enabled us to stay focussed on one person, and one topic at a time. We used a nice purple pen. :D Key themes How do ND folk engage with ‘traditional’ theatrical tools/methods? Training: should there be someone available who is there solely to support ND folk? Does clown allow us to reclaim or embrace what is being said about ND people? Does the use of medication impair your clown? To be (your ND self) or not to be (your ND self)? Being yourself vs masking and the relationship to being on stage For some being on stage allows the mask to be removed, for others it makes a space for a kind of mask or character which is not themself. So, a clown state can allow for both an escape from and/or a full embodiment of your ‘true self’. But, if your ND is a way into your funny, or part of your clown, does this mean you allow yourself to be further ‘othered’? Clowns are ‘idiots’ and ‘freaks’ - they present parts of the self that are often (for whatever reason) kept hidden or used sparingly - does it help to put your ND self out as a clown? Or does it further ‘other’ a group that already struggles to occupy space? Arguably a way to embrace what is probably being said anyway…(think of the word ‘queer’, for example.) Diagnosis Is there any value in a diagnosis? You know already if you are ND. But we live in a world where social contracts make it hard, so means you have a shorthand way to communicate, enables you to advocate for yourself. Has anyone found that medication has dulled their ‘funny’? Some said yes. That ability to think fast or the impulse to say/do something, the ND spark, can sometimes leave you, which is great if you are doing practical things like producing, but feels somehow leave you feeling less like you and less able to clown as you did.  Training
Do you need someone available who is aside from the workshop able to provide care/support? Should workshop leaders provide this. OR is there the expectation that if you are at a workshop you are able to look after yourself - How do you clown if you don’t feel safe? Clown is a vulnerable state Suggestion that care can be provided by the community - that as a collective group of people clowning would be able to ‘catch you’ Clown as a concept Idea that it is calling - that like ND - you don’t choose it, it is something within that you need to do The idea of clowning - things like making yourself vulnerable, saying the unsaid, masking, are things that ND people do all the time - they are used to being ‘other’ We are just being human on stage - coming with what we have ND lots of women in particular, have ‘found’ themselves or felt seen. Lots of ND women going ‘yes this is me’ - and this mirrors the discovery of clown Participant notes from Clown Congress 2025 Clown and Theatre of the Oppressed session proposed and documented by Rosa Stourac McCreery I proposed the session because I have been researching and exploring the intersections of theatre of the oppressed practice and clowning, and if and how these forms can support each other and create different or new invitations to audiences to interact in meaningful ways which garner solidarity and can translate into real world actions. I love clowning and I love theatre of the oppressed practice, they are the cornerstones of my life, and I think they offer us so much for healthy, connected ways of being, living and working together and challenging and proposing. Up until the past few years I had thought of these forms, as well as the physical theatre and Circus based arts which are other key parts of my practice, as necessarily separate. It seemed like the more physically challenging, or stylised forms couldn’t be used within a theatre of oppressed framework because of the need for audience to interact with the content, form, and aesthetics of a theatre of the oppressed play. But, increasingly, I felt like it would be worth exploring what happens when we bring these forms together. Does it make for more dynamic theatre of the oppressed plays? Does the Clown help us to question and reflect on the oppressions being shown and how normalised they have become? Does the Clown help to bring humour to what can otherwise be heavy and depressing subjects to tackle? Is the Clown an obstruction or distraction to audiences interacting with the play? What becomes of the role of the Joker/facilitator of the of the oppressed process, when the Clown is already establishing a direct communication with the audience? All of these questions are ones that I have been exploring. I was keen to bring this exploration to Clown Congress because of the range of clowns with different experiences that were there, and also because I think that it offers us important opportunities to question the purpose of the interaction with audience when we are clowning. Are we interacting with audience just because that’s what clowns do? It’s inherent to the form? What is it we are asking of audiences when we do this? How can interaction with audiences lead to a greater readiness to build solidarity and tackle the problems we can see represented in a Clown show, linking Clown with what’s happening in the world and inside of us? The session itself I thought was really great – I was blown away by the enthusiasm people brought to the session, and how they took agency in it and made proposals. It reminded me of the fabulous laboratory models of the feminist theatre of the oppressed practices, where we support each other’s aesthetic and political development by practically exploring our ideas for the enhancement of the play we have seen by another group by offering back a version we have quickly collectively worked on. Of course there’s only so much we can explore in the time we had and as people who are just meeting for the first time. Also, some folk there did not have prior experience or knowledge of theatre of the oppressed practice. I talked briefly about other experiences I had had of mixing these forms, most recently in Zambia, Brazil and Guatemala. In Bristol, we decided to try out creating games for an audience with which they can interact which could lead to meaningful interactions, in terms of interactions that have to do with the content of the play and people taking action on the oppressions that are shown. A member of the group suggested that we choose a theme that is current and affect lots of people; the announcement about PIP benefits had been made fairly recently and of course many people were and are very worried about how this will impact. So we agreed to use that as the theme for the short pieces and games that we made. I suggested that people could make an image of the oppression as a starting point, as a way of aesthetically representing our relationship to the issues, and giving a form to work from. Of the games that were created, one was much more clearly identifiable as a game. However, it felt as if it was the performers playing it rather than so much an invitation to the audience. So there would’ve been the task of working out how to make this accessible to an audience and get them involved, and it still felt a little bit unclear about what the purpose of the involvement would be. In the case of another group, we created an image as a starting point which showed a person representing capitalist system/politicians taking money away from people for their own gain, another figure who was supposed to be a support service or advocate, but seemed inept or over capacity and ultimately helpless, to support a third person who was clearly struggling and in need of support but increasingly downtrodden. The invitation was to step in as an audience member and act in solidarity, or support. Each of the characters appealed to members of this audience to join them or to acknowledge their intention. This one got somewhat chaotic, there was clear empathy with the person who most needed support, but the capitalist figure was very pervasive and paid very little heed to everything else that was happening. In some ways, quite real. But the audience was stalwart in support of their comrade, and kind of pushed the advocate out, whilst the money man was heading off doing his own thing. The advocate figure was a bone of contention, with most people seeming to feel that they were in the way and ultimately not serving the person who most needed it and needed to be taken out of the picture. I feel in this case that the audience took roles as actively because they were very warm to the exercise and ready to interact. I do wonder how much a different audience would have got involved, or if they would just look on. The third piece felt most effective theatrically and was impactful as well as compelling the audience to act, although performers came towards the audience rather than inviting the audience into the playing space. The piece was less clearly Clown, if anything had an element of grotesque and possibly what would be called dark Clown. It consisted of someone in need of support, and someone who was there clearly to be there with them and support them, but all the elements of support were being silently, insidiously stripped away by the shrouded figures approaching as if invisible and literally peeling away the elements which represented support. It was clear that the shrouded figures who were stripping all support elements away were coming for the persons life next. However, at that point the person came into the audience asking for help and solidarity, and the audience closed in around them preventing the shouted characters from getting to them. Whilst this piece was the one which really created shudders in us as audience members and where there was a clear offer and mechanism of acting in solidarity, there was much less playfulness and Clown-based verve. It would’ve been interesting to see what would’ve happened to the piece if more of this was present in it, and how this might have changed the relationship with the audience or not. Also, I think it would be useful to think about how the piece could be a stimulus for discussion about what that kind of solidarity would look like in real world terms, and for the narrative to be developed so that there was more variety of possibilities for interaction and intervention in the narrative from the audience. As the notes from the session attest, I think through the session and as a group we asked many really useful questions, and I really appreciated the opportunity to continue to explore and interrogate these forms coming together. I think more time would be needed to develop Clown aesthetics and narrative which invite audience involvement and maintain a sense of critical thinking throughout, acknowledging the dangers of people just getting swept along and not really thinking about what they’re actually doing and why. I think there’s something interesting about the power of the performance space and an enticing character or set of actions, and the way that an audience can get carried along with that power, or may reject it because it feels unsafe for outside of their comfort zone. I think there is still so much to be explored with these questions and with more time and space to do so it would be great to continue to share discoveries and insights. They were also good questions asked in the session about the differences between impulsive, in-the-moment actions, which someone proposed was like the metaphor of the warrior, versus slower more considered actions which would take a longer period of time to achieve, for which the image of the midwife was used. This line of questioning also makes me think about what kind of process the performance sits within. Whether or not there is the possibility to develop relationship with the audience to create dialogue and involvement in a variety of ways, including after the performance thinking about how collective strategies that have been proposed in the creative moment can be harnessed and acted upon and what kind of organising needs to take place to support that.  written by Holly Stoppit  Image credit: 3 red nosed close receiving instructions for a mission / Dan Green On the 5th and 6th of April 2025, 52 clowns took over Bristol University’s drama department to explore The Future Of Clowning In Turbulent Times. Clown Congress video filmed and edited by Dan Green Dan’s video and this blog offer a flavour of what took place at Clown Congress 2025. Read on for a bit of context, a roll call of who was there, photos and descriptions of what happened and a brand new poem from Skye Lilly!  Image credit: Holly explaining how Open Space works / Dan Green What Is A Clown Congress? Clown Congress is a space for clowns of all backgrounds to come together to meet, play, chat, eat, inspire and be inspired by each other. Clown Congress 2025 was the fifth rendition, the first two iterations happened online during the pandemic, the next three happened in person in Bristol, UK. Who Was There? This year’s hosts were Robyn Hambrook (clown activist), Holly Stoppit (clown therapist) and Jan Wozniak (clown academic). We were supported by 5 Clown Congress Comrades (Anna, Holly M, Skye, Beth and Jessi), a Wellbeing Support Clown (Alice Human), a Catering Manager Clown (Lucy Heard), a Clown Photographer (Holly Tiggs) and a Clown Photographer / Filmmaker (Dan Green). Our congregation included: clown doctors, clown activists, clown therapists, clown performers, clown teachers, clown puppeteers, clown musicians, clown wannabe’s, clown elders, boss clowns, clown parents, neurodivergent clowns, queer clowns, clown academics, clown dancers and clown deniers.  Image credit: Serious conversations at Bristol Uni Drama Department / Dan Green What Did We Do? We offered warm ups and getting to know you games in the mornings before introducing the Open Space. Open Space is a radical conferencing method where the attendees set the agenda. Anyone could propose a session exploring any theme relating to our overarching questions, then the delegates could choose where they wanted to be - they could attend single sessions, move between sessions or just hang out at the tea urn and chat with whoever was around. Our Three Questions For Exploration:
 Image credit: Clowns + cake / Holly Tiggs What Happened? There was serious discussion, frivolous play, singing, dancing, lying down, feasting, lamenting, imagining and connecting. There were clowns disrupting the status quo, creating a new manifesto, rebuilding the world, making films and spilling out onto the streets of Bristol. Here follows a run-down of the session titles, a beautiful poem written by Skye Lilly and some wonderful descriptions of the event from the attendees. The Sessions There were 6 Open Space slots over the 2 days, with a mighty 24 (official) sessions called by the attendees. To give you a flavour of what happened, here is a run-down of all the sessions. There will be reports of some of these sessions coming soon. Day 1 Sessions
Day 2 Sessions
Poet Skye Lilly created this poem over the two days, in response to their experience at Clown Congress. Dan Green filmed and edited this video of Skye performing their poem, with black and white pictures he took at the Clown Congress. Syke Lilly’s Poem Poet Skye Lilly created this poem over the two days, in response to their experience at Clown Congress. Dan Green filmed and edited this video of Skye performing their poem, with black and white pictures he took at the Clown Congress. There is utopia hereIn the dusk blue tinge of sunsetting A dream within a dream within a dream Sacred laughter echos Sacred moment savoured We click to quieten the thud of convention To hear hearts beat with certain gesticulation My grandmother took steps So I could wear silly hats So I should wear silly hats And to find others that would wear silly hats That makes silly sacred That takes silly and savours it There is a seat for you If there is a space unfulfilled it will be filled for you With you I sit on tree trunks What does everyone else sit on? If the chair is pulled from underneath you We will fall, I will fall gracefully When we fall, we fall gracefully Open heartedly Come play over tea with me Come lay randomly with me For Can you go for me Can you see for me When I am invisible can you be for me With me If you say this is the thing We say "the what?" "The what?" Again We rebuild the world again and again and again And when the falling rubble is too loud We build a bigger den And say "the what?" Again We build a fort of playful silence A thought for the not so fortunate It says non violent It says what are we going to do about it? It says what Are we going to do about it?  Image credit: a lot of clowns / Dan Green How did the attendees describe Clown Congress?
“Thought provoking, heart opening, healing, loving, compassionate, inspiring, fun and delightful.” “A gathering of professional idiots and academics to share wisdom about the ancient and sacred role of mockery in modern society.” “An emergent, horizontal/self-organising and polyvocal event giving insight into the multifaceted world of clowning through workshops, practice and applied work.” “Well, as a person that didn't know anything about clowning before I would say it’s a place to learn about and explore clowning with people from a range of different experience levels.” “Radical listening to and sharing our beautiful tragic and ridiculous vulnerabilities.” “A place where a vast array of clowns come together to find common ground, share knowledge, experiment and revitalise missions for the future.” Here are some of the reports and photos from the Congress: Get Things done Through Fun Clown & Neurodivergency Clown & Grief Sammy & Suzy's Play Session How the Clownmandments & Apocolypse came to be Clown Coaching Clown Congress in Pictures To see how the British media reported Clown Congress 2025 check out Holly Stoppit's blog here. This week, people across the UK joined anti-fascist rallies to push back against a surge in far-right activity following riots in Southport. Communities across the country gathered to stand up and make it clear that hate and extremism have no place in their communities. Bristol was no different. On Wednesday 7 August, thousands gathered in outside in Old Market in response to the threat that far right groups would be targeting an immigration law firm on the street. Despite fears of violence and riot, a few of my clown community felt it was important to brings the clowns to streets. We wanted to stand up against fascists but we also wanted to use the tools, tactics and possibilities of the activist clown. Humour and clowning has a history of being powerful tools in the fight against fascism and white supremacy. An example in Whitefish, Montana; a neo-Nazi rally was planned but fell apart due to poor organisation, the local community responded not with anger or fear, but with humour. Instead of bracing for conflict, they turned the day into a celebration, donning blue wigs and waving signs like "Trolls Against Trolls." Their playful approach didn't just defuse tension—it turned the tables on the hate groups, sending a clear message that their toxic ideology couldn't find a foothold in a community that meets hate with laughter. The “Loldiers of Odin” started in Finland as a playful response to the Soldiers of Odin, a rascist citizen patrol group. They hit the streets the same nights as the patrols, dancing around with hoops, a hobby horse, and even playing in the snow to mock the idea that these patrols were making the streets "safer" by targeting immigrants, using humour to challenge their right-wing message. One of the key reasons humour is so effective in these situations is its ability to expose the absurdity of extremist ideologies. Historically, humour has been a sharp weapon against fascism because it highlights just how ridiculous these hate-filled beliefs really are. When clowns show up at neo-Nazi rallies and start mimicking their chants, they don't just entertain—they undermine the seriousness of the hate group's message. By turning their slogans into jokes, these activists make it impossible for white supremacists to maintain the intimidating image they crave. Humour also has a unique way of bringing people together. Unlike more confrontational protests, which can be intimidating, humorous actions invite participation from a broader range of people. This inclusivity transforms resistance into something joyful and communal. Whether it's turning a neo-Nazi march into a fundraiser for anti-racist causes or having clowns mock supremacist chants, these creative acts of defiance foster a sense of unity and solidarity. By making resistance fun and accessible, humour helps build stronger communities that are more resilient against hate. Inspired by these examples and our recent work with Az-oolay, five of us dressed as clowns to attend the rally. We wanted to be in service to the space and also to mock and diminish the power of the fascist messages of 'white power' and 'stop the boats'. We brandished placards that said 'Stop the Goats' 🐐 , 'White Powder' and 'Wife Power'. We stepped onto the packed street. But there wasn’t a fascist in sight, just Bristol’s incredible, diverse community. So we meandered through the crowd, handing out stickers, blowing bubbles and bringing smiles to faces with our placards. It was a powerful way to be present. As clowns we were able to meet and talk to people, connecting through humour and our shared defiance to be divided by violence and racism. It’s a long road to healing these deep wounds in our society, but the clown is offering me a powerful tool to be with it all. Photo credits: Ian Irwin, Isadora and Hester Welch
Reference: https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/transformation/why-are-nazis-so-afraid-of-clowns/ Fourteen of us answered the call to attend the Radical Love: Clowning in Conflict workshop with Police Officer Az-oolay. Each pulled by different heart strings to; ★ explore love as a way to harmonise from conflict ★ learn about the liminal space of the clown in real situations of power and conflict ★ focus on heartfelt sensations and empathy ★ research clowning as a way to disarm and disrupt the norm and shake people out of binaries ★ radically transform the impacts of trauma from state violence and oppression ★ collectively heal and support our nervous systems in challenging and difficult times ★ and acknowledge what is happening in Palestine at the moment and the power dynamic that is playing out globally across the world. I had been inspired by a news item of Police Officer Az-oolay’s work from 2021. Here was a lone clown, working on the streets of Jerusalem, meeting state oppression, violence, divided politics and nationalistic views, all with love. It was her bravery and the trajectory of her work; always towards the action, into the danger or propelled to those in need. Police Officer Az-oolay seemed to put herself directly into the conflict spaces with such bravery that I was genuinely moved. There is a playful inversion of the police officer; a wrinkled uniform, wrong-footed, over-sized shoes, garland hat and red nose. Her gentle parody of the power stances of the police is always with a lightness that often earns her a place on their side of the line. But also violence and jail time. There is already so much incredible documentation of her work I have listed some links below. After bringing her onto the Activist Clown Toolkit as a guest facilitator I extended an invitation, if she ever found herself in the UK I would love to host a workshop with her. The opportunity arrived this May. So we gathered, 14 curious humans to meet Police Officer Az-oolay, hear about her story and experience her work. The artist, Idit presents the workshop in her clown persona. Something she has always done to keep her anonymity and safety in Israel. We begin with a presentation including photos, videos and stories of the evolution of the character, now a staple in the demonstrations, protests and streets of Jerusalem and beyond. She also shares the work she has been doing since the 7 October, including pilgrimages to the borders of Gaza. Next we jump up and get moving to experience her embodied practice. They are simple and familiar exercises but with a beautiful spin related to the needs of her work. After lunch we dived into the streets of Stokes Croft, meeting the eclectic neighbourhood in the ways of Officer Az-oolay, handing out heart stickers to those who wanted it. Experiencing the work of understanding what a person or a space needs. Interacting with those who wish to play and not taking it personally if a person doesn’t want to connect to our invitations. Rejection can feel painful but the practice is to accept it as completely as being fully received. We were there to serve the space. I was so inspired by the simplicity of the exercises, and how quickly that took us gently to the streets. We had some beautiful connections with people in art galleries, some looking down at us from apartments, others driving by in cars or walking up to us to take photos and receive stickers. And we connected as a beautiful gaggle of clowns. Officer Az-oolay was so touched by the chance to work and play with others as she generally works alone. I was surprised at how much I learned in such a short time. Here are a few reflections from the session:
It was such a moving and inspiring workshop, leaving us all with a desire to meet and play again soon. In what we hope will be more peaceful times. Photos by Peta Lily, Hilary Ramsden and Robyn Hambrook
Follow Officer Az-Oolay on social Media: Instagram: @shoteretazoolay Facebook page : ישר-אל הלב مباشرة إلى القلب Straight to The Heart | Facebook Facebook Profile: Az-Oolay Attached is the link a TV article made on Police Straight to the Heart: https://youtu.be/2KhlEN9tlbY and some articles about Police Straight to the Heart that are published in English : KIOSK Magazine Send in the clown The National News |
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ABOUT ROBYN
Robyn is a Bristol-based director, teacher and performer. With over 20 years experience she is a passionate practitioner of clowning, physical theatre, circus and street arts. She has a MA in Circus Directing, a Diploma of Physical Theatre Practice and trained with a long line of inspiring teachers including Holly Stoppit, Peta Lily, Giovanni Fusetti, Bim Mason, Jon Davison, Zuma Puma, Lucy Hopkins and John Wright.
Over the past five years she has been exploring the meeting point of clowning and a deep desire to address the injustices in the world. This specialism has developed through her Masters Research ‘Small Circus Acts of Resistance’, on the streets and in protests with the Bristol Rebel Clowns and in research residencies with The Trickster Laboratory. Robyn’s Activist Clown research has led to collaborations with Jay Jordan (Laboratory of Insurrectionary Imagination, France), Clown Me In (Beirut), LM Bogad (US), Hilary Ramsden (Greece) and international Tricksters; ‘The Yes Men’ (US). During the pandemic in 2020, Robyn set up The Online Clown Academy with Holly Stoppit and developed a series of Zoom Clown Courses. Robyn’s research, started during her Masters, has been exploring the meeting point of clowning and activism, online, in the real world and with international collaborators. With this drive to explore political edges of her work she has also dived back into the world of the Bouffon; training with Jaime Mears, Bim Mason, Nathaniel Justiniano, Eric Davis, Tim Licata, Al Seed and the grand master Bouffon-himself; Philippe Gaulier. Keen to explore the intersection of clowning and politics, Robyn is driven to create collaborative, research spaces, testing and pushing the limits of the artform to create new knowledge and methodologies for her industry and strengthen partnerships for future work. Some of her most recent collaborations and teaching projects have included the Nomadic Rebel Clown Academy (5-day Activist Clown Training), The Laboratory of the Un-beautiful (Feminist Grotesque Bouffon Training for Womxn Theatre Makers) and the Clown Congress (annual gathering of clowns, activists & academics collectively exploring what it means to be a clown in this current era) |
Photo by HeardinLondon Photography
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