For the past five years Playspace director Alan Clay has been teaching a program of clown masterclasses in Australia, New Zealand, Canada and USA.
- 2010 Clown Retreat - Wanganui, New Zealand
Wednesday June 9th to Saturday June 13th (5 days) 10am to 4pm each day.
Following the last two clown retreats in our centre in Wanganui, NZ, we find that the relaxed atmosphere and secluded environment means that students get more out of the contact hours and can also process and discuss the work outside of the class.
As a result we are increasing the number of residential workshops in New Zealand.
Reconnect with the playful, inquisitive, cheeky, clown spirit in a beautiful outdoor setting, overlooking the mouth of the Wanganui river.
We tend to think of clown as the painted faced character which has come down to us from the circus tradition of the last two hundred years. However clown is possibly the oldest art form, occurring in every society throughout the ages, and it is an art form which has been undergoing a renaissance and a rejuvenation over the past few years.Modern clown is less character based and more interactive than traditional clown, it is less about hiding behind make-up and more about revealing our true selves, and less about routine based entertainment and more about spontaneous artistic expression. We need training and tools to facilitate these new skills in our work, and this workshop aims to give participants a way of working which supports this process.
Clown is empathic, 'feeling with' the audience, and it is also playful, open to the impulses in each moment, and this workshop will train and develop these skills through improvisation exercises. Each day will start with a yoga warm up and participants will work physically to free themselves from patterns and to connect with their emotions.
The workshop is aimed at those with a professional interest in clown. It is suitable both for beginners and for those with experience, and it functions best with this mix in the class. There will be a minimum of four and maximum of eight on the workshop.
The fees include six nights accommodation with kitchen facilities. The Clown Retreat will be held in a secluded studio within reach of breathtaking west coast beaches, bush walks and jet boat or canoe expeditions, but still handy to good coffee and all the facilities.
NZ$600 Price buster (by April 5) NZ$700 Earlybird (by May 17) NZ$800 Full. Including 6 nights accommodation with kitchen facilities. (All fees and deposits are non-refundable) email: clown[at]artmedia.com.au to hold a place or make enquiries about this workshop.
"In the best clown tradition Alan held up a window-mirror for us to step through and reflect on the patterns, habits and rituals of our days... It was funny, moving and excellent theatre." NZ Herald.
Alan Clay
The intensives will be led by Alan Clay. Alan has been performing for twenty eight years and teaching clown for over twenty five years, including a recent couple of tours teaching clown masterclasses in Canada and USA, New Zealand and Australia.
"For me the key to clown is playfulness. We can all play, although we often loose the ability as we get older. If we are lucky, we replace it with exploration, but where play is directed to the joy of the activity itself, exploration involves mapping out possibilities. As we advance with our theatre practice, our successful patterns often trap us into not taking risks and therefore not growing in our work."
"In the best clown tradition Alan held up a window-mirror for us to step through and reflect on the patterns, habits and rituals of our days. It was funny, moving and excellent theatre." NZ Herald
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Last updated 24 November 2009
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