As part of his PhD research fieldwork in 2011, Barnaby spent a year in Bogotá and other parts of Colombia, learning from many clowns about the reasons they clowned and the the kinds of social impact they had.

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In the process he spent many hours performing alongside clowns, some of whom you can see below, and then writing about them in his final PhD thesis.

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Part of the research also involved the creation of the Clownencuentro Internacional, an annual festival and conference of clowns from all across South America, which served as a networking, training and research hub.

 

A couple of years after graduating, he published his findings in a book with Bloomsbury Methuen: 'CLOWNING AS SOCIAL PERFORMANCE IN COLOMBIA' and a few years later it was also published in Spanish under the Colombian editorial Tienda Teatral.

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Featuring descriptions of more than 24 distinct clown performers, the book showcases how many clowns in Colombia are popular cultural figures, sometimes wielding real political influence. It is a testament to the diversity and ingenuity of clowning beyond Europe and North America, showing how clown artists have thrived by adapting their craft to changing social and economic conditions.