Introduction to Clowning

* Clowns Explore 5 Mins

Aims: Being creative, being serious about silliness, physicalising an idea, exploring character.

1. Explain that they will all go outside of the room,
2. When they re-enter, they are their clowns and will explore the room as if seeing it for the first time.
3. Encourage them to think about what their clowns get excited over in the room. What mundane objects fascinate them? Are they playing with the bin/curtains/ chairs?
4. Ask them to show you what they’ve found and encourage them to show each other.

Discussion:

What mischief do the class clowns get up to? Do they find new ways of using things in the room?

* Clowns Share 5 Mins

Aims: Performing in front of the group, making mistakes, analysing what the audience finds entertaining.

1. Make an audience of clowns.
2. Ask the clowns if any of them would like to show the rest of the group what they found.
3. They can do this by themselves or in pairs or groups.

* The Gift 5 Mins

Aims: Physicalising an idea, watching and analysing what others are doing, working together, improvising.

1. Make a circle. They are playing as their clowns
2. One at a time, they will mime giving the person next to them a present until everyone has had a turn.
3. Encourage the clown giving the present to show the size of the present.
4. The next clown then has to take the present out of the box and show us what it is and whether they like it or not.

Example:

Person 1: Mimes passing over a large present to person 2.

Person 2: Receives it, opens it and excitedly mimes being on a bike. Person 2 then mimes giving a small present box to Person 3.

Person 3: Opens it, mimes a smelly sock and throws it back to Person 2, crossing their arms, showing they’re not happy.