Workshops - clown courses

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Workshop

Introduction to Clowning Weekend Workshop

Schedule:
Friday July 16th 6-10pm
Saturday July 17th 12-6pm
Sunday July 18th 2.30-7.30pm

Place: Links Hall, 435 N. Sheffield Ave, Chicago IL
Cost: $150 per person
Registration: http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/108974

This workshop is based on the unique 'Clown Through Mask' technique, inspired by the Native American concept of clown, and developed by Richard Pochinko and Sue Morrison. In many Native American cultures, the clown exists as a conduit between the people and the gods, a transformational blend of human and divine, vital to the survival of the culture, one who brings balance and healing through their contrary, transgressive and sacrilegious behavior. In the modern world, we can use the principles of clown to discover our own divinity and potential to transform.

This unique approach fuses this social and spiritual dimension with European clown archetypes and the concept of clown as a highly personal artistic journey. The mask functions as a point of intersection: provides access to the inner and outer, the psychological and the divine. The red nose is the smallest of all masks and by working through its power we can learn the three basic points of connection: to the self, to the audience, and to the world beyond.

In this introductory weekend workshop we work from basics to begin our "clown through mask" journey. Through simple games and exercises we begin to explore what it means to play within these three points of connection, to accept offers from the clown gods, to play with maximum pleasure, and to become comfortable with the dark sides of our nature.

The workshop is intended for both those who consider themselves performers and those who have never performed before in their lives. Barnaby King creates a safe and nurturing space in which creative discoveries can be made through trial and error, in between chaos and control, panic and possibility. There is a balance of solo and group work, practice and reflection. Although short, the workshop provides opportunities for individuals to develop personal material, in the context of guided exercises. The balance of structure and improvisation encourages each participant to make new discoveries which can nourish an existing artistic practice, or initiate a new direction.

Intro to Clown
In this workshop we work from basics to begin our clown journey. Through simple games and exercises we begin to explore what it means to be in connection with an audience, to see as well as be seen, to accept offers from the clown gods, to play with maximum pleasure, and to become comfortable with dark and vulnerable sides of ourselves.

Know your Clown
For anyone who has worked previously with Barnaby or Sue Morrison, this workshop takes you to the next level with some deeper personal work and preparatory mask technique. We explore the relationship between sound, movement and color, and learn to get out of our own way.

Make a Mask
The culmination of the 3 workshops, we will now make our first mask, and through it discover new facets of our clown's mythology and experience. We will wear this mask once only, to discover its essence, and then create a solo clown performance that expresses what the mask wants to say.

Booking

No workshops are currently scheduled. Check back here for future workshops. Workshops may also be booked. Contact barnabyking@gmail.com

Student Testimonials

"Barnaby encouraged me to be more of who I am. I was truly touched by this experience."

"The clown workshop was engaging and fun, but what I appreciated most is that it challenged me, as an actor and a human being, in profound ways.You are a brilliant teacher!"

"I have a fortunate gift of finding great teachers. And you are one of the great ones. I really appreciate the work we did. It is central to my whole idea of being a cabaret singer. The whole point is to connect withj the audience. All you ever wanted was authenticity. You kept on insisting on that. I'm so glad i came to your class."

Sue Morrison
( master clown teacher)

"Clown is here to remind us of our extreme nature. Clowns are by nature anarchists. To teach clown is to guide people towards a new experience of themselves, how to relinquish control and embrace chaos"

Richard Pohinko
(creator of 'Clown Through Mask)

"What we need is a clown for our time, a clown that gives us a lerger sense of the God in each of us, that celebrates our humanness, our animlaness, and the times we can touch each other in a moment of laughter."