The host would like you to UNMUTE!

Making a Spectacle - a phrase applied to women 'misbehaving'

Online Feminist Clown(ing) courses are here:

The host would like you to UNMUTE...

Some images are the credit of Matt Austin

Making a spectacle: I’m sure my mother used it a few times when I was growing up. Anyone else?

Turns out that behaving in a way that is at odds with social ‘norms’ is transgressive - I was destined to clown!

The host would like you to UNMUTE!

I'd like to draw attention to my upcoming Feminist Clown(ing) courses, what this term means, who it is for and how, as the world surges forward in new directions - we might consider our own pathways.

I am so excited about my first online feminist clown course. In the past I have run clown classes in universities; community clowning sessions for business women; clowning workshops for vulnerable adults; clowning classes for young adults, and evening sessions for mixed groups. The all-women workshops were always, implicitly about subverting norms and encouraging transgression.

Going online has created national and international interest – and also questions around the course, including:

Is it open to women, non-binary and people identifying as women. Yes.

Does it address issues around the word female? Yes.

Is it practical as well as theoretical? Yes.

Can I pay by PayPal? Yes (and on Eventbrite).

The course is unique as it is very much a product of my PhD thesis which supports a broader approach to clowning – especially one that crosses traditional boundaries and generates a dialogue between transgression, archetypes and myths. My feminist clown practice has intentions for healing and transformation but also is aims to subvert cultural and social norms.

Feminist clowning can be interdisciplinary through its engagement with art and film, and can shift the parameters for clowns by performing in arenas in which clowns might not usually be encountered. So, the sessions are not only for clowns and wannabe clowns – they are also for artists, dancers, painters, scientists, psychologists, actors and people who want to add more clowning to their work.  

Our first course sold out in days, so we've created another one on the 28 April if you would like to explore. This is booking quickly.

Hope that all helps and makes better sense. Should be a lot of fun, and you can push yourself as far as YOU want to go, in a supportive environment.

As usual, huge thanks to all, and see some of you soon.

Cheers from Maggie