How the Clownmandments & how the Apocalypse Came to Be

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