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For the past five years
Playspace
director Alan Clay
has been teaching a program of
clown masterclasses in Australia, New Zealand, Canada and USA.
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2010 Clown Retreat
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Wanganui, New
Zealand
Wednesday July 14th to Sunday July 18th (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.
Reconnect
with the playful, inquisitive, cheeky, clown spirit in a centrally
heated studio space with adjoining dormitory accommodation, 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.
 Playspace Clown Training
A contemporary physical
approach to the clown art form, exploring playfulness, irreverence, and the freedom of
'not knowing', which has been developed over twenty years by Alan Clay at Playspace
Studio.
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.
"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."
Add your e-mail address to our mailing list below, to
receive information on classes, and check out the last issue on our new
Physical News page.
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Last updated
28 Jan 2010
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