Tag: clown

Start the new year by finding your clown

All the way back in the fall of 2012, I finally succumbed to the pressure of my friend’s unsolicited encouragement that I should pursue theatrical clown training. It just so happened that her teacher, Helen Donnelly, was offering an affordable entry-level weekly clown one course at a time that I was craving a new approach to performance. I needed to redefine what performance meant to me.

Twelve years later, clown has become my main performance style and part of my day-to-day existence. There’s a certain kind of humanity that comes with clown training. It’s hard not to fall in love with everyone who puts themselves out there with such a level of joy and humility. It’s hard not to feel connected with one another when we play games to the best of our ability, when we revel in the win and equally in the loss. It’s not hard to celebrate those flops when they happen (and oh boy do they happen).

This February I’m planning an intro clown weekend intensive – perfect for those who have a tricky time committing to a weekly class and equally as perfect for those who want a more focused experience. During these 3 days we’ll have plenty of time to explore presence, to play and to find the beginnings of our clowns (or to deepen our understanding of them if you have already met your clown).

The intensive will happen in Mississauga @ AN1 Studios. It is off the beaten path, as it were, so a car is definitely advised if you’re coming from out of town (heck, even if you’re coming from in-town – Mississauga is a beast). I’m happy to help facilitate carpooling for the weekend (via https://caroster.io/ or some other means).

Check below for more information. And if you’re interested in joining, fill out the form at the bottom of the post to secure your spot!

Pre-Registration is required as class spots are limited!

WEEKEND CLOWN INTENSIVE – PRESENCE & PLAY

3 days of presence work and le jeu. Before we put on the clown nose we start with ourselves. Specifically, ourselves in front of others. Together, we’ll uncover and explore the beginnings of your clown persona – and learn what that even means – through witnessing one another and finding those things that naturally make us funny or endearing to an audience. By the end of this intensive, students will walk away with an understanding of the 5 tenets of the clown and the soft skills used in clown performance. You will also have experience taking ‘turns’ on stage.

No experience required! This intensive is good for those new to the practice, those who are currently practicing and also for those who want to jump back into the fundamentals of theatrical red nose clown. Really, it’s good for everyone.

Feb 7th – 9th
Friday will be from 6:30 – 9:30pm
Sat & Sun will be from 10am – 5pm (with a lunch break @ 1pm – 2pm)
15 hours of clown training in total

$300 registration / $250 early bird (if registered before Jan. 15th) – HST incl.

@ AN1 Studios (2465 Cawthra Rd., Unit 132, Mississauga, ON)

Registration Form:

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Clown Training x Red Nose Remedy

It’s the summer of clown!

Alongside Red Nose Remedy, I’m hosting a series of 3 one-off clown workshops, each focused on a different set of tools the clown utilizes in performance. They are happening at Sweet Action Theatre and are on the 2nd Mondays of June – July – August.

In June we’re working on soft skills of the clown, including pointe-fixe, up and out, repetition, the puppetry of the body and more. In July we’re diving into our emotional landscapes and playing with articulating and crafting emotion as gesture. And in August we’re taking it all away and focusing on one-thing-at-a-time.

Check out the images below for more information and for registration:

Pre-registration is encouraged but Drop-ins are available as well!

Clown 1 – The Tenets of Clown

For absolute beginners, no previous experience necessary! Join us on a 5-week journey in Frog in Hand’s Art Shelter. Led by Andrew Gaboury.

NEW CLASS ANNOUNCEMENT

Before we put on a nose we start with ourselves. Beginning with presence, we will witness one another, learn and discover what naturally makes us and others funny. Each week will focus on a guiding principle of red nose clown through exercises, games and ‘turns’ on stage, all the while scaffolding in the ‘soft skills’ of the clown. By the end of the course you will find the beginnings of what will eventually become a clown persona. 

This course is inspired by theatrical traditions of red nose clown as interpreted through a variety of contemporary artists and teachers through the ages and across continents. It is my attempt at balancing what I’ve found the most useful in my own clown practice in order to share the joy of clown with others. 

No clown or performance experience necessary. Clown is one of those wonderfully transferable skills that can be applied to everyday situations, including public speaking, team work, project management and rekindling your own sense of play.

5 weeks

Thursdays, June 6, 13, 20, 27 & July 4 | 6 – 9pm

@ The Art Shelter (887 Hydro Rd, Mississauga, ON L5E 1E9)

$250

$200 early bird if registered before May 21st, 2024

REGISTER HERE

For this class, I thought I’d write a clown-specific bio:

Andrew Gaboury is a performer, writer and educator based in Port Credit, Mississauga. Central to his practice is the desire to bring a sense of wonder and joy to the everyday. He initially found his clown in 2012 when he met Helen Donnelly and took her course, Discover Your Clown. Andrew has since been clowning theatrically for 12 years, performing at the Toronto Festival of Clowns, the Foolish Cabaret, the Red Nose Cabaret, HarbourKIDS Circus, for Common Boots Theatre with Luminato’s presentation of Walk With Amal, internationally at Ei! Marionettas (Portugal), and nationally at World Stage Design in Calgary, the University of Guelph and at various parks and promenades in the GTA. Andrew has been teaching clown since 2019 with the Frog in Hand Summer Company, Clay & Paper Theatre and through various workshops. In 2018 he began his journey into the world of therapeutic clown when his teacher, Helen Donnelly set up a training program with George Brown College. The nexus of clown, joy and wellness in difficult situations has become a place of passion for Andrew, who has travelled to the Netherlands to train with an international panel of artists for the 2022 Healthcare Clowning International Meeting (HCIM). This year, Andrew was part of the planning committee for the 2024 Meeting of the Noses presented by Fondation Dr Clown and the North American Federation of Healthcare Clowning Organizations (NAFHCO). Through the pandemic, Andrew worked with Derek Kwan and MABELLEarts to bring a practice of social therapeutic clowning to their community. Andrew is Acting Executive Director and a therapeutic clown practitioner with Red Nose Remedy – a company founded by award-winning clown Helen Donnelly, as well as one of Kathleen Le Roux’s therapeutic clown partner’s focusing on Long Term Care and rehabilitation hospitals.

Postponed: CLOWNING FOR DANCERS

UPDATE (OCT. 19th, 2022)
This session has been postponed to the near future. Stay tuned for new details, dates and options for clown training! In the meantime, check out the Writing Circle and World Building classes I’m leading with Frog in Hand to keep your creative juices flowing.

Explore the joy of movement mixed with the hard-biting truth of the present moment.

This class is for dancers and movers of all kinds who want to explore the ridiculous, the weird and the joy within.

I’ve found that clowning as a training tool for dancers helps us get out of our heads and back into the room; it helps us make connections with our audiences; and gives us permission to try things out and commit fully without worrying if it’s right or wrong.

In this 6-week class we will explore the joy of play, presence, nonverbal communication, puppetry of the body, a trip on the old emotional rollercoaster and duo dynamics. Throughout this, you will start to find the foundations of your clown persona. We will work towards crafting a “turn” – a short individual performance with multiple chances to present and receive direct feedback.

Wednesdays, 6-9pm

Oct. 19 & 26, Nov. 2 & 9, 23 & 30th

(note: no class on Nov. 16)

@ the Winchester Theatre

(80 Winchester St. Toronto)

$280+HST

Registration is required to attend. You can use the Registration form at the bottom of this post or send an email to afieldofcrowns@gmail.com

A limited number of spaces are available.

Andrew Gaboury as his clown Trowel (photo: Colleen Snell)

Andrew Gaboury has been clowning for a decade, studying closely with Helen Donnelly and performing at festivals and on stage nationally (World Stage Design 2022, Calgary) and internationally (Ei! Marionetas, Portugal). As a collaborating artist with Frog in Hand, Andrew leads the Summer Company in clown training and performance. Andrew’s clown projects have performed for thousands of audience members at events and festivals across the GTA. Alongside Derek Kwan, Andrew is also co-executive director of Red Nose Remedy, a therapeutic clowning not-for-profit that brings the art of clown to people in healthcare settings through compassionate connection, lightness and joy.