What is a Clown School Really?

After releasing the previous blog post Why Clown School might be better than Traditional Education someone asked the question, "Clown school, meaning what!?! When You mean Clown School I'm a little confused? What is a Clown school ?!😶"

So, we decided to write this blog to share both in more detail about some qualities of a Clown school and more breadth about different clown schools that exist around the world.

Qualities of a Clown School: Clown Spirit Village

What elements make a school a school. First, we will look at Clown Spirit Village as an example to share what makes it a Clown School. Below are some qualities and examples of practical offerings.

• Ongoing learning opportunities - each month there is a Masterclass that is offered with a different guest teacher

• Self-Directed Courses - various courses are available that are tailored to different levels, for example Awaken Your Clown Spirit and the Clown Connection

• Community of Practice - regular opportunities to meet and share with other members in the community

• Regular Learning Opportunities with a Teacher - bi-weekly small group coaching sessions, in addition to the masterclasses and other courses

• Library of Learning Resources - a rich archive of articles, podcasts, interviews and other learning materials

Discovering the Diversity of Clown Schools

Clown schools come in many shapes and forms. Some offer in-person clown training, others provide online clown courses, some a hybrid approach. Some schools have physical locations; others are nomadic, popping up in different locations. While some are run by a single clown teacher, others are collaborative programs led by multiple artists and facilitators.

What Are Some Other Clown Schools?

At the Clownvergence, we hosted a global panel titled “The Future of Clown Schools”, featuring leaders from several clown schools around the world. One key takeaway was how many incredible clown training programs exist—and how hard it is to spotlight them all.

To help navigate this ever-growing landscape, we’re sharing:

• Short video clips from the clown schools that were on the panel

• A community-generated list of additional clown schools

• An open invitation to contribute: if you know a clown school that’s not mentioned here, please leave a comment or message us so we can add it to the list!

Examples of Clown Schools

Here are a few clown schools featured during the panel session. Each offers a unique approach to clown education:

The Why Not Institute

The Why Not Institute, based in London, has a mission to celebrate, promote, and develop the art of theatre clowning. Founded by renowned clown Angela de Castro, it supports a global community of performers through training, collaboration, and resources. The Institute is best known for de Castro’s internationally acclaimed course How To Be A Stupid, which explores clowning as a courageous, truthful, and deeply human form of expression.

With a strong emphasis on clowning within theatre traditions, the Institute values experimentation, emotional depth, and character-driven performance. It embraces both the comic and the tragic, encouraging performers to communicate raw, honest truths through simplicity and laughter. In doing so, it works to reclaim clowning’s place as a respected and challenging art form. Through workshops, mentorship, and creative development, the Why Not Institute plays a key role in shaping the evolving landscape of modern clowning in the UK and beyond

The Red Nose Academy

The Red Nose Academy offers professional clown training designed to help you discover your unique clown through creativity, play, and self-exploration. Based in Aarhus, Denmark, the program is open to anyone seeking to enhance their performance skills, emotional authenticity, and body awareness—whether on stage or in fields like education, social work, care, or public speaking.

Led by expert teachers from Denmark and abroad, the course combines physical and online sessions over 120 hours from September 2025 to March 2026. The flexible schedule allows participants to balance training with work or study. Instruction is in English.

More than just a school, Red Nose Academy is a vibrant, supportive community of curious and playful individuals. The training fosters empathy, presence, and personal growth through clowning's magical and diverse traditions. Whether you’re an artist or simply someone seeking deeper connection and expression, this program invites you to find your own clown and shine.

London Clown School

The London Clown School, led by Jon Davison, offers workshops These clown workshops that focus on the dynamic, real-time relationships between performer, audience, and fellow clowns—shaped by actions, feelings, and laughter (or its absence). Rather than teaching how to be funny, the workshops explore our responses to laughter and presence, encouraging performers to notice and work with their own thoughts, sensations, and reactions.

In Davison's approach laughter is treated not as a goal to control but as a powerful force that releases us from norms and expectations. The approach avoids mystifying clowning; instead, it simplifies it. Through straightforward, accessible exercises—akin to meditation—participants become more aware of their bodies, emotions, and interactions. These elements become the core material for clowning, which often takes place outside traditional narrative or character.

All perspectives are welcomed, with no requirement for uniformity or formal technique.

Celebration Barn

Celebration Barn, located in South Paris, Maine, is a vibrant center for physical theater dedicated to training, creation, and community. Through workshops and residencies, the Barn supports artists working in clowning, mime, devising, and related disciplines, offering space to refine their craft and develop original work under the guidance of renowned instructors.

More than a training ground, Celebration Barn is a values-driven institution rooted in courage, justice, sustainability, and joy. It nurtures bold creativity, encourages artists to confront and change the world, and promotes fair pay, antiracism, and decolonization in all aspects of its work. Committed to environmental care and holistic artist well-being, the Barn fosters an inclusive and sustainable artistic practice.

Through public performances and community initiatives, the Barn connects local audiences with the transformative power of physical theater. It’s a space where imagination flourishes, the impossible becomes possible, and artists reimagine not just theater—but the world itself.

The Clown School

The Clown School, based in Los Angeles, is dedicated to unlocking creativity, authenticity, and joy through the art of clowning and physical theater. Founded in 2009 by David Bridel and Orlando Pabotoy, the school offers world-class live and virtual training for performers from all walks of life—actors, comedians, educators, and more. Its approach is rooted in the belief that clowning celebrates the full spectrum of human experience, inviting freedom, spontaneity, and fearless play.

Led by Bridel and an impressive roster of international guest teachers—including Shannan Calcutt, Eric Davis, and Caroline Dream—the school explores clowning’s many traditions and modern expressions. The curriculum embraces everything from indigenous clown rituals to commedia dell’arte and silent film, merging ancient wisdom with contemporary performance.

The Clown School’s mission goes beyond the stage, empowering individuals to rediscover their expressive potential and joyful absurdity. It’s a place where your inner clown is not only welcomed—but celebrated.

A Community-Sourced List of Clown Schools

During the panel, we invited the audience to share some of the clown schools they were aware of. There was a great list that was shared, so we know there are so many great schools out there.

If you know any additional clown schools, clown training intensives, or clown workshops—especially ones in underrepresented regions—please share them with us so we can include them.

Why This Mapping Matters

We share this blog in the spirit of collaboration, visibility, and solidarity. All of us, whether online educators, performance teachers, or students of clown, are working toward a shared mission:

To unleash as many clowns into the world as possible.

Together, we are stronger than we are alone. May this blog post serve as a growing resource for those looking to study clowning and connect with the global clown community. Let’s keep amplifying each other’s work—in joy, in friendship, and in the deep wisdom of the red nose.