The C: Clown IT

The training “CLOWN it!” aims to develop youth workers’ competences in using clowning techniques to empower youth to take environmental action During the training we will have a focus on ocean pollution, and in particular plastic in the oceans of the globe

Participants will stay at our wonderful training location, Aasen Theater, a small theater venue in northern Jutland, Denmark. Here the participants will experience the beautiful surroundings of Aasen Theater, located 30 km away from the North Sea. The sea will be our guide, our main source of inspiration as we slowly dive into the topic of plastic pollution in the ocean with the support of a marine biologist.

Meanwhile we begin to understand the consequences of plastic pollution in the ocean better, participants will also develop a deeper understanding of clown methodology for youth empowerment. They will do that with the guidance from our two talented trainers. Through this week of team-building, theater exercises, games, fun, cultural exchange and exploration of the topic, the participants will get to know each other and trust each other, as they go into the delicate work of discovering their own clown. They will work with externalizing emotions as a clown and how to discover the world in a clown’s pair of shoes. They will increase their competences in performing solo and in duets and in how to engage with the audience as a clown. Through peer-to-peer learning the training also creates a space for participants to share and learn from each other.

By means of trash that we upcycle, we will transform trash into useful treasures such as clown clothes, decoration for our clown acts, underwater creatures (puppets) and other props. And finally participants will try to combine clown, mime and puppet theater as they develop a final clown performance. As participants and trainers, we have a common mission during the training to develop a 45 minute show to be live broadcasted on Facebook and recorded at the end of the training. Through this experiential learning experience, we will create a performative action together to create awareness about ocean pollution which will become a stepping stone for participants to create similar actions as they return to their respective organizations.