how was the congress...

Thanks to prompts from Holly Stoppit here are some of the brainstorming and reflections about the Clown Congress from participants

WHAT NEXT FOR CLOWNING IDENTITY?

• More research exploration activities
  
• Conversation on how language offers identity
  
• Divergence & how clown offers space for queering
  
• Field explorations – going into the streets to explore identities
  
• How broad or narrow is ‘clown’
  
• How clown, fool, jester, trickster are linked
  
• Exploring how identity effects attraction and how that affects people’s perception of those clowns
  
• Navigating self-doubt/uncertainty
  
• Process orientation and learning whilst doing
  
• What does it mean to be a clown?
  
• Queer/gender discussions, research & performance
  
• Age & class explorations
  
• Cultural identity & rituals and how they connect with clown
  
• Archive/ access to videos, reference materials
  

WHAT IS THE FUTURE OF THE CLOWN CONGRESS?

• Who gets to go to the ball? (Cinderella)
  
• Is laughter the goal or a tool?
  
• Does clown always have to be entertaining?
  
• Why do you clown?
  
• Full Open Space? Who gets to curate?
  
• Other parts of the country
  
• Something in Nature
• Clown Congress out on actions or direct action camps (within activist settings)
• Work in progress clowns – clown project formation forum (development of ideas)

WHAT THEMES WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE EXPLORED NEXT AT THE CLOWN CONGRESS?

• Climate futures
  
• Clown applications
• Biodiversity loss
• Clown/fool connections
• Identity & the politics of identity – building on what started already in this congress - & expand it or go deeper into it
  
• Explorations by/with people from further away (funded!)
  
• Co-creation & clowning
• Clown & NVC
• Sustainability in clowning – clown teaching , clown doctoring, clown activism, clown resources
• Work in progress laboratories – where clowning is in someone’s practice or how they would like to integrate clown into their practice
• Why do we clown?
• Gender
• More embodiment practices applied to clowning
  
• Grief, Joy, Death, Seasons, Rhythms of Life
• Clowns & political activism
  
• Cross-cultural / international clown ...world clowning
  

WHAT WAS GREAT ABOUT THE CLOWN CONGRESS 2023?

• Connections, holding space, comfort, openess
  
• Facilitators
• Clown talks
• Listening to people’s needs
• Freedom to be rowdy
• Cake
• Yummy Food
• Venue size, space, options, heat suited me
• Focus on self-care
• Everything is an invitation
• How the holders held
• Age range of clowns
• Accepting and welcoming vibe
• Variety of workshops and opportunities an modes of doing
• The theme; acknowledging ableism which often doesn’t get much attention
• All the weird talk
• The Openness
• The Price
• More new people came
• Hybrid online/in person session
  
• Holly’s facilitation and holding
• Invitations being genuinely options
• The peer support and acceptance
• Dramaturgy & craft – “fast clowning”
• Mixing & networking with others and hearing about other people’s research and projects
• People – the mix of experiences and intersections
• The differences and the overlaps between the contributors
• Reflection
• Access focusses & explorations
• Kindness
• Needs-based awarenesses, curiosity and communication
• How much play there was in the open spaces
• Being in solidarity
• Community & Compassion – acceptance and needs consideration & disability, access awareness, mental health & togetherness in grief and uncertainty
• Connections – so many cool folks
• Consensus building
• Everything is research
  
• Such a rich soup of experience, expertise and heartfelt passion and care.