The Trickster Laboratory

An exciting project that brings together international clowns, activists and originators to explore and develop clowning as a form of creative activism
The Trickster Laboratory brings together international clowns, activists and originators in an exciting project that explores clowning as a form of creative activism. It is centred on the Clandestine Insurgent Rebel Clown Army (CIRCA) and the development of the practice of Rebel Clowning. Building on my ongoing research into clowning, street spectacle and protest I will work with CIRCA’s founding activists; Jay Jordan and Hilary Ramsden to reimagine the Clown Army for a new era.

Over 2 residencies we will gather activists, clowns, academics and performers, old and new, to explore and update the Rebel Clown training methodology and form. Through conversations, play, reflections and experimentation we aim to develop new methodologies for street action that will be tested ahead of COP26 in Glasgow. 

Background to CIRCA

The starting point for this journey is the original Clandestine Insurgent Rebel Clown Army (CIRCA); a form of non-violent direct action that arrived alongside protesters in 2003. Dressed in flamboyant combinations of army fatigues, brightly coloured clothes and incongruous objects, the Clown Army (as they were more commonly called) drastically transformed public space; subverting the binary relationships between protester and police, activist and authority, obedience and disobedience, permission and prohibition to redress power imbalances through humour and laughter.
CIRCA started somewhere between London and Leeds between 2003 and 2004 when a gaggle of clowns shut down an army and navy recruiting office by trying to enlist in any of the services. It was a genius plan and was the start of many such interventions and actions on the part of activists who were tired of the same protester-authority binary dynamic that surfaced at every demonstration, who were tired of feeling burned out on anger, negativity and lost causes.

CIRCA captured activist’s imaginations because it offered people exciting and innovative ways to protest differently. It aimed to transform and sustain the emotional life of those engaged in social change - seeing the personal as political - as well as being an effective tool for direct action. At the core of this approach is the notion that innovative forms of creative street action are crucial for inspiring and building movements, and simultaneously involve a deeper process that “liberates people with weapons of love and laughter”.
Although initially focussed on the G8 summits in Gleneagles, rebel clown gaggles sprouted up all over the world. They began to adapt the practice for local issues. Rebel clowns in San Diego formed the Boredom Patrol to counteract and parody the Minutemen patrols along the US/Mexican border. In Finland, rebel clowns worked against racist anti-migrant citizen patrols.

Project Details

In 2021, supported by residencies in Bristol and Glasgow and a public opportunity to take performance and spectacle to the steets, we explore the meeting point of clowning and direct action and the potential of clowning to address complex issues of climate change and social justice.
PART 1: between clowning + activism: a trickster Laboratory at The Arts Mansion in Bristol
​​7 - 12 September 2021
Reflecting on the history of CIRCA and the Rebel Clowning trainingn methodology that was created, we will spend one week at The Arts Mansion in Bristol with an invited group of clowns, artists, academics and activists to explore:
  • What does it mean to be a Rebel Clown in current era?
  • How do we update the Rebel Clown form to address issues of diversity and decolonisation to have any meaningful impact on issues of equity and social justice?
  • How does that sit in a post-covid world where the political, protest and activism landscapes are in flux?
And we will develop a new training methodology that leads participants to devise street spectacle and performance that responds to pressing climate, social justice and political crises.
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We will share work in progress with audiences of The Arts Mansion Open Day on Saturday 11 September
PART 2: Surge Residency
​25 - 29 October 2021
During a week-long residency with Surge in Glasgow we will work with performers to develop our training methodology. Participants will contribute to the research and co-creation of the methodology. They will gain skills in clowning, creative activism, devising and creating outdoor performance. Importantly the process gives participants the chance to explore complex issues about the climate and environment through participation, parody and humour while exploring the regenerative and therapeutic potential of clowning. These residencies take place in the lead up to the UN Climate Change Conference (COP26) happening in Glasgow, 1 – 12 November.
PART 3: Performing at COP26
1 - 5 November 2021
COP26 provides a platform and context from which to create performance and street spectacle. For audiences on the streets of Glasgow and at COP26 the clowns will bring levity, hope and resistance to oppressive fears about our future. Through laughter we encourage receptivity to conversations about the climate crisis and the collective power we have to bring about change.

Why COP26?

This year the UK will host the 26th UN Climate Change Conference (COP26) where world leaders and thousands of delegates come together to tackle climate change issues. Taking place in Glasgow from 1 – 12 November 2021, 35000 delegates are expected attend as well as thousands of international protestors, media and an estimated 10,000 police. With the eyes of the world on COP26 this is a powerful opportunity to use clowning, activism and spectacle to have difficult conversations about the climate and our future.

Experience for Participants

Participants of the Bristol Residency and Glasgow workshops will all contribute to the research and co-creation of the new Rebel Clowning training methodology. They will gain skills in clowning, creative activism, devising and creating outdoor performance. Importantly the process gives participants the chance to explore complex issues about the climate crisis through participation, parody and humour. The embodied experience will give them tools and strategies to take into their own practice to empower their voices to be heard.

Experience for Audiences

The clowns will bring levity, hope and resistance to oppressive fears about the future. Through laughter we encourage receptivity to conversations about the climate crisis and the collective power we have to bring about change.

To make the work accessible (both clowning and climate activism are predominantly white, middle-class pursuits) our Diversity Equity and Inclusion Mentor, Aisha Ali will help us build radical inclusion into the project from the ground up; to ensure we have diversity amongst participants; to understand oppression as we work towards decolonising the clowning form; and to ensure it is accessible to diverse audiences.

Who's involved?

Robyn Hambrook - Lead Artist
Robyn is a director, teacher, performer and clown. With 20 years experience, her passions lie in street arts, circus, clowning and activism. Since 2018 she has been exploring the meeting point of Clowning and Activism through her Masters research ‘Small Circus Acts of Resistance’, at Extinction Rebellion protests and on the streets with The Bristol Rebel Clowns. During the pandemic Robyn took her work online, setting up The Online Clown Academy with Holly Stoppit and then developed The Activist Clown Toolkit co-lab series to continue conversations and research with international collaborators.
Jay Jordan - Lead Artist
Labelled 'a magician of rebellion' by the French press, Jay is the co-founder of the creative direct action movements the ‘Clandestine Insurgent Rebel Clown Army’ and ‘Reclaim the Streets’ and now works with the Laboratory of Insurrectionary Imagination, a collective that merges art, activism and permaculture. They have 25 years experience using creative forms of rebellion to address climate justice and they love betwixt and between spaces of all sorts, especially where creativity and resistance, culture and nature, the masculine and feminine entangle. Jay will be one of the project leads. www.labo.zone

​Hilary Ramsden - Lead Artist
Hilary is a clown, researcher and lecturer in physical and visual theatre, street arts, rebel clown and a Dr. of Walking. She was a member of internationally acclaimed lesbian-feminist Siren Theatre Company and later co-artistic director of Walk & Squawk for 14 years in Michigan, USA. She was a co-founder of the Clandestine Insurgent Rebel Clown Army (C.I.R.C.A), wearing red noses for revolution. www.walksquawk.org

​Aisha Ali – DEI Mentor (Diversity Equity and Inclusion)
With 7 years' experience as a somatic counsellor Aisha sees the world through a political lens. She is passionate about Radical Inclusion and decolonising practises in the Arts, which led her to set up Kiota. She is also a performer, improviser and clown. Aisha will work as a mentor on radical inclusion and will help us embed inclusivity and decolonisation practices into the project from its foundations. aishaalicompositio.wixsite.com/website
Riss Obolensky - Social Media Documenter
Riss is a performer and clown from Bristol. As an absurdity, frivolity and playfulness advocate she is particularly interested in how these can be used as tools in activism and humanitarian outreach. Riss is also a writer and spent 2 years creating content for a world-wide tour operator online platform. She also brings years of theatre marketing experience to this project as our social media documenter. With mentor support from Ruby Keane @ NextUp Comedy and Sisters Uncut Riss will explore the outreach potential of social media platforms including TikTok and Instagram. She will create and disseminate content that will effectively tell the story of this project and create a world-wide following.

Project Partners


​The Laboratory of Insurrectionary Imagination - labofii.wordpress.com/
Since 2004 The Laboratory of Insurrectionary Imagination (Labofii) has brought together artists (from theatre, performance, fine art and design) with activists to create new forms of joyful protest via workshops and trainings. Facilitated by popular Educator Dr Isabelle Fremeaux and artist activist Jay (formerly John) Jordan, the Labofii has one foot in social movements (especially around issues of climate justice) and the other in cultural institutions, being invited to show work at venues and festivals across Europe from The BerlinerFestspiele to The Vooruit in Ghent, Arts Admin in London to Kampnagel in Hamburg, the Victoria and Albert Museum to the Quai Branly in Paris. The Clandestine Insurgent Rebel Clown Army (CIRCA) was their inaugural project. Laboffi will provide mentoring, expertise and ongoing project support.

Artspace Lifespace - https://artspace.uk/
Artspace Lifespace recycles vacant, under-used and problem properties into thriving creative resources. They work in partnership with artists, building owners, property developers, local communities and organisations to secure and re-cycle interesting, unusual and often difficult buildings as vibrant multi-use art venues. In May 2018 Artspace Lifespace took on Ashton Court as a meanwhile project - The Arts Mansion. Since opening the doors to the public, they have hosted exhibitions, art and sculpture workshops, family events, arts sector summits, heritage days and provided space for the development of new theatre, dance, circus and puppetry. Artspace Lifespace is providing a residency space, outreach and associated support.

Surge - www.surge.scot
Surge is Scotland’s leading developer of physical theatre, street arts and circus. They run Surge Festival annually which brings world-class performance to the streets of Glasgow and reaches 100,000 people across one weekend. Surge works with artists, communities, performance companies and educators at all levels of experience to bring new Scottish work and cutting edge international performances to the streets, theatres and unusual spaces of Scotland and beyond. Their residency programme gives artists the space, time and support to develop their ideas and practice under the mentorship of Surge and has contributed to the development of the sector. Surge is providing residency space, technical support and outdoor arts expertise.