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Bonjour mes ami!
This is a crowdfunding campaign to help me on my ambitious voyage to France to study clowning for ten whole months.
It's now or never!
This was quite the snap decision for me to do something so bold, not only because I felt huge waves of duty and doubtlessness when thinking of doing such study, but more practically because I can only legally work in France until the day of my 36th birthday, which will be 2nd October 2026. I won't survive without work for ten months, so it is now or never, folks!
What am I fundraising for exactly?
All money raised will go towards the cost of my course at the school École Philippe Gaulier. The cost of the full course is $17,500. I am not planning to raise this much, obviously! However, I am hoping to raise as much as I can. ^_^
Why?
Of course it is up to you whether or not you find this cause worthy. If you donate money, you are ultimately helping a privileged Freo soul travel to the other side of the world, to study to become a clown.
Ultimately, I want to bring what I learn about the artform of clown home to Fremantle, and once I have enough experience in the field and embracing it in my performance art, I want to teach it! I just reckon there is not enough access to learning clowning in Perth, and while I love that we are so lucky to have Silly Town Circus, CircusWA and Karnidale, among other fantastic opportunities for learning circus skills, there is not enough emphasis on teaching the theatrical side to clowning. From what I can find, the only opportunities for regular Joes like me to learn about this amazing artform are either interstate or overseas. For the world of good that clowning can do, I think this is a great shame, and so I want to try and make it more accessible to others at home one day - but first I gotta go get an education!
There are very few times in my life where I have experienced the rapturous feeling of doubtlessness and certainty, and I've learnt that I need to act when these rare feelings grab me. It is nice knowing that I want to study clown in one of the most esteemed schools in the world, and as scary as this experience will be for me, I know it needs to happen, and it needs to happen now.
I've never felt so sure about anything in my life! (Aside from falling madly in love with my partner, Ben, who I'm sadly going to be leaving behind while I go on this journey.)
Or if you just fancy laughing at me, you can bet that I'll at least be a funnier human upon my return. If not, you can throw tomatoes at me. Either way, hopefully your hard-earned pennies towards this journey of mine will feel well spent!
Thanks for reading! :)
All my love,
Emma
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More musings below!!!
Keep reading if you wanna hear me talk more about clowning!
It seems very blatantly obvious to me all the good the artform of clown can do for an individual and for a community. From what I have seen so far, to just name a few, clowning has the power to benefit:
- Mental health. From the small amount of workshops I've done, and the conversations I've had with clowns at home and around the world, it seems that clowning is about human connection. Those that suffer with anxiety, depression, PTSD, chronic stress, or overwhelming loss can often experience a thing called "dorsal vagal shutdown", which is a state of "freeze". Don’t I know it well - it sucks!! This state of freeze is pretty much the opposite to when we experience "ventral vagal engagement", which is a state of connection and safety with ourselves and those around us. It's a state that opens the door to authentic joy, curiosity, and engagement (making us more open to social interactions and learning) and regulates our nervous system. Human connection is at the heart of clowning, and from what I have seen, when learning the skills and accessing the tools, I've seen that clown seems to open up a playfulness, a curiosity, and a vulnerability that, though somewhat scary at first, accesses this ventral vagal state. ISN'T THAT AMAZING????!!! I also believe these days, in our society, with all its hectic technology and the methods of communication we use, that our beings are experiencing all sorts of isolation, stress, distraction, and dopamine addiction, and our nervous systems are calling for this kind of human connection more than ever!
- Healthcare workers and patients. I worked in a hospital for 14 years as a patient carer and a clerk, and my mum has worked as a nurse and a clinical manager in all sorts of departments for a relly, relly long time. One thing we both chat about a lot and we have now decided is certain: patient care isn't felt through the mountains of HR forms, online admission processes, and the ticking of boxes. Care is felt with eye contact, listening, touch, compassion, verbal and non-communication, transparency, respect, empathetic presence (especially when there is suffering), and sharing adequate time. “Clown” isn't just about making people laugh (though that is definitely an awesome thing about it!); it's about seeing people, listening to them, and helping them feel understood.
If we are sick and vulnerable, yes we need physical, medical treatment, but often we need to feel like we are not alone. And I’m not just talking about kids - I’m talking about everyone!
Clowns are like mirrors of humanity! Their job is to use empathy and listening to create joy and connection! If nurses, carers, doctors, and all healthcare workers attended conferences and courses in clowning, the patient and healthcare worker satisfaction, happiness, and connection would improve dramatically. and imagine what it could do for aged-care and disability-care workers too!! Aaaaargh!!
- Teachers, and students. Now, I haven't had the pleasure of teaching 30+ kids or teenagers in a classroom - the most kids I've ever taught in a piano class is seven kids and that was chaos enough! What I have learnt though in my small-fry scale of teaching is that kids love games. Everyone likes games to a certain degree! Just depends on the game! In clown, there is a fundamental concept which explores 'finding games'. I am yet to be any good at this, but I know that finding games in anything can potentially create more motivation, more interest, more attention, and more fun - for all involved. Of course, the other wonderful aspects of clowning benefit teaching too - that good ol' listening and human connection, and making people learn while being entertained (that’s “edutainment”, baby!) - but finding games and trying to think like a kid is what clowns do best. I'm not saying that every teacher will become Carpe Diem’s Robin Williams overnight with these tactics, but the practical skills used in clowning to make audiences laugh also help understand the psychology of the way humans learn, what they find entertaining, and how they seek patterns and find joy in games.
- Political activism. Have you ever heard of clowns once being 'jesters', where they had to break news to the king in an entertaining way, else their head be cut off? Or how 'bouffons' had to find clever ways to mock the king without the king realising, in front of all the knowing people of the court? You could say that clowns had to think of subtle and creative ways to challenge authority and critique the powers that be, while also being entertainers in the broad daylight. There is a balance in being both entertaining and politically subversive, and I find it fascinating!
Did you know Sacha Baron Coen went to École Gaulier? He was dubbed a “bouffon” (Bouffon is a darker, cleverer version of Clown: they say that “if Clown is a puppy dog, then Bouffon is a fox”), and from there he went on to create satirical concept characters like Ali G and Borat!
Though on the surface, it can all seem like a big laugh, clowns and clowning techniques have been used to illuminate injustice, provide social commentary, subvert the status quo and flip audience expectation with satire and insightful mockery, and to facilitate social activism and even be on the front line of rallies in the face of adversity. They've been doing it since Ancient Greece, but for a more modern take, check out CIRCA and their radical activism! Inspiring stuff!
There are a squillion more reasons why I think more of us should dive into the depths of clowning. It challenges our egos, helps us see ourselves, helps us see others, aids in mending and creating meaningful relationships, celebrates vulnerabilities, brings us closer to each other, brings us out into the world and out of our heads - the list goes on! As someone who has had their fair share of struggles with depression, dissociation, anxiety, and that good old 'dorsal vagal shutdown', I look forward to learning more. I find the skills and tools so invaluable to life and I cannot wait to share them with my loved ones.
x
Organizer
