Do you know of a Good Clown College within the Southern Hemisphere of the United States?

The Dell’Arte School of Physical Ensemble Theatre

Southern Hemisphere is below the Equator, so that link won’t do you any good. It’s in California.

What is your cutoff State for what you consider to be “southern hemisphere”? I’m confused by exactly what you mean by the term.

In Florida there is Ringling Bros. Clown College but not just anybody can attend. They are very selective in their eligibility procedures. I do know that in whichever cities they play throughout the year, they do set aside one day prior to the evening’s performance for tryouts of those who wish to be considered.

This is not really advertised to the general public so most people are unaware of it. You do have to be very persistent with the office at whichever venue they are playing to even find out which day it is.

I went with a friend of mine who was interested in applying but she ultimately didn’t make it.

You can get further info at their website. However, this may not be the best venue for you because they are teaching the type of skills for what is basically “arena” type of clowning. These would be things such as acrobatics, stage presence, big movements to communicate to large crowds, etc.

This is the direct opposite of what hospital clowning which is far more intimate, one-on-one type of interaction. Much more subtle, quiet, and non-disruptive.

I’m aware of a few other places in the US which do have classes for hospital and charity type of clowning but some are not necessarily in the Southern states or of an entire summers duration.

There is an excellent series of courses connected to a college in Wisconsin started by Richard Snowberg but obviously that’s not very Southern.

However, most clowns whom I know, myself included, are usually willing to consider quite a bit of travel to go to someplace with a great reputation for excellence. Distance is not usually the biggest factor. The reputation of the instructor is of primary importance.

If there is a local Shriners group where you live, you can get in touch with them for more resources. Because of the Shriners hospitals, they are involved with hospital clowning on a regular basis.

I’m under the impression that one must be a member of a local Shriners group tho.

There’s also the Red Skelton Clown School in Vincennes IN.
NY Goofs in New York City and Dallas
Houston Clown School

Hearts & Noses is a troupe specifically focused on clowing for hospital performances.

There are two other resources you can check out.

There is a wonderful book called “The Caring Clown” by Richard Snowberg and it lists resources for clown instruction in the back.

He also now does 1–3 day intensive workshops in cities all over the US. if it were me, I would value one of his shorter intensive workshops over an entire summer of anything.

He was the first to develop thoroughly the entire concep of hospital clowning. He is the elder statesman, if you will.

Personally speaking, I would travel any distance I could afford to take any of his classes.

Another person from whom I have taken courses and gotten to know informally at Clownfest in NJ is Marcela Murad, known as “Mama Clown”.

She is located in Miami and has 35 yrs. experience in Clowning. She has also been in charge of the Clown Care Unit at Miami Childrens Hospital in past years (not sure about currently)

A lot of her recent emphasis has Bern on her face painting work and magazine which she started.

She’s a wonderful friendly person and if there are any hospital clowning classes in the Miami Area, she will know about them. Give her a call.

Her contact info can be found on her store website

www.sillyfarm.com

Clowns really creep me the hell out. They have ever since I was a child. I just thought that needed saying.

Well, let’s just hope that if you ever have the misfortune of having a child with a chronic or fatal illness, that you spare the kid from that little tidbit of “wisdom” ~~

Kids facing challenges like prolonged or incurable illness need every bit of humor and positive energy available to them.

Let’s just hope you’re not around to rain on their therapy parade just cause you felt it “needed sayin’.”

If clowns really do creep you out, why would you have the overwhelming urge to interact with them with trolling type comments.

One would think you’d want to stay as far away as possible to avoid them instead of hanging around a thread where they’re sure to be congregating. Seems to fail the common sense test. Just saying…

Not getting enough attention lately ?

southern hemisphere of the US? where’s that? wish I was there

@Buttonstc – I would never ‘rain’ on someone’s therapy parade. It needed saying because a lot of children feel the very same way. If you think that was trolling, you’re very mistaken. Methinks you’re looking for a little attention yourself?

You have absolutely no idea what you’re talking about.

Any clown who is not a total amateur or half-assed wannabee is very sensitive to children who are afraid. We just let them be and allow them to deal with us on their own terms rather than trying to force them.

They certainly don’t need someone like you to come to their rescue like some kind of divinely appointed clown avenger or something.

The people you need to be persuading are some of the idiot parents who try to force the issue. I’ve had more of them than I can count trying to force a reluctant child to get their face painted and actually expecting me to do that.

I’ve mentioned this before. So go preach to dimwitted parents who don’t have the sense to honor their childs wishes.

And you also have absolutely no idea how many guys (no women as of yet) have come rushing over to me for the express purpose of proclaiming how much they think clowns are creepy. Do you think you’re the first that I or most other clowns have encountered.

Well, I call BS on that.

It has absolutely nothing to do with fear of creepiness.

Let’s just apply a bit of common sense here. If I were a person who was creeped out by snakes, do you think I would make it a point to buttonhole any herpatologist in the middle of his snake demo just to tell him how much they creep me out.

Obviously NOT. I would want to stay as far away as possible. That’s just common sense for any type of phobia.

So, I find it more than a bit suspect when every guy who finds clowns creepy wants to seek me out while I’m obviously dressed like their “worst fear” and tell me all about it.

If it were real, they wouldn’t want to be within 20 feet of me.

I once attended a class taught by a seasoned clown with a lot of experience under his belt who happened to also be a retired Psychology professor. He had some salient insights into this strange phenomenon of all these guys with “clown phobia” who just have such an urgent need to buttonhole us wherever we are to make absolutely certain that they can loudly proclaim how creepy they find us.

You’d think that if it were that bad for them they would want to be as far away as possible, wouldn’t you?

So please spare me your nonsense about saving all the poor kids from the likes of us.

We have more than enough common sense to treat them with the respect and dignity which they deserve.

If you were ever frightened by an overbearing clown when you were a child, I can guarantee you he never attended any type of training in what the art of clowning entails.

Any idiot can go to a Halloween store and buy a costume. It doesn’t make them a clown any more than if I were to go buy a white coat, stethoscope, and a name tag and tried to pass myself off as a doctor.

This is an enquiry thread about professional clown training. Off topic nonsense helps no one.

If you want to go on a rant, puff up your chest and proclaim your hatred of clowns, go start your own thread.

There is one in the United States Capitol. It has two houses. They flush money for entertainment.

I never said I hated anyone, just that they creeped me out. I’m sorry you’re so easily offended AND I’m sorry that clowns creep me out. I truly wish they didn’t.

You keep missing the point.

It didn’t NEED saying at all and certainly not on a thread where someone was seeking specific info for professional training. They actually want to spend money on training so that they can VOLUNTEER their time. Hospital clowns are not paid for this, btw.

Most people view that as a good thing. It takes a very churlish person indeed to say how creepy this is. And worse yet to proclaim that for the children sake it needs to be said. Yeah right ~

If someone had posted a question about the best sources of training to be a professional in health care, would comments about how much of a bad experience you had with a “quack” and how it creeps you out be at all relevant?

It’s not appropriate in the least.

So why do you think your opinion “needed to be said” as you so insistently proclaim.

Someone wants to know how to get training to volunteer their time to cheer up sick children. How is talking about how much clowns creep YOU out not raining on someone therapy parade?

Try re-reading the guidelines about off-topic comments if you are still confused about why I’m challenging the appropriateness of your ego centered observations.

Clowns creep you out. So what? How is that in any way relevant to the question being asked ? You know it isn’t, in spite of your insistence that this info is “needed”, but you don’t know when it’s best to just leave well enough alone already.

No, you’re missing the point. Some clowns are too full of themselves.