Clowns use humour to entertain audiences and inspire people to rediscover their innate qualities of childlike spontaneity, pleasure, wonderment, and playfulness. Continue Reading
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What are the typical responsibilities of a Clown?
A Clown would typically need to:
The work setting may range from a circus to a birthday party to a corporate event, but the environment is usually brightly lit and loud, involving huge crowds. Clowns may work indoors or outdoors and are on their feet for long periods, in full costume and makeup.
The best jobs involve regular travel across the country, staying in hotels, and spending long hours on the road. Clowns may find themselves in a new city every week. Freelancers usually work solo or in a pair or a trio.
Clowns work long and irregular hours that include evenings, weekends, and holidays for the most part. Clowns who focus on performing at parties and on television work all-the-year-round.
The actual work hours may vary based on the kind of act being performed. Employment in an amusement park may mean long shifts while circuses may have you performing for five to ten minutes in between other acts.
Research suggests that flexible hours appeal more than salary to the younger generation. There has been an incremental increase in the number of employers willing to give promising employees the chance to adjust their schedules as per the demands of the job.
Finding a new job might seem challenging. Clowns can boost their job search by asking their network for referrals, contacting companies directly, using job search platforms, going to job fairs, leveraging social media, and inquiring at staffing agencies.
Clowns are generally employed by:
Professional associations and organisations, such The World Clown Association (WCA), are crucial for Clowns interested in pursuing professional development or connecting with like-minded professionals in their industry or occupation.
Professional associations provide their members with various continuing education and networking opportunities and mentorship services. Membership in one or more adds value to your resume while bolstering your credentials and qualifications.
Accredited vocational clown colleges offer training programmes ranging from two months to two years that help develop the students’ clowning skills. In addition, the college facilitates interested students’ auditions for circuses.
You may want to consider clown schools that hold all-inclusive intensive and customised classes over a weekend or a week on pantomime, relevant physical skills, improvisation, humour, costuming, makeup, and producing clown skits.
Circus schools which familiarise the students with diverse disciplines, such as aerial arts, ground skills, physical theatre and dance, may help Clowns desirous of auditioning for the circus.
Prospective Clowns may also take advantage of weekly online classes that mix basic clown exercises with tasks that generate ideas and material for clown performances on- and offline mediums.
Quite a few clowns cultivate their latent talent or attend training conventions, which are a fount of valuable skills, such as magic, juggling, tumbling, and acrobatics.
Also available are creative workshops that last a few hours to an entire week. Facilitators with diverse experience in theatre, teaching, storytelling, play therapy, and counselling lead them, using collective intelligence, supervision, peer review, and co-facilitation to teach clowning.
Most courses are hands-on and involve movement, stage performances, and reading from various texts. From warm-ups that include games, and vocal and physical exercises students progress to individual or group stage improvisations.
Join clown organisations to take advantage of for-members-only resources, such as mentorship from a more experienced Clown or a tutorial on how to apply makeup more effectively.
Clowns who wish to freelance must focus on acquiring and building skills that will enable them to perform crowd-pulling acts, such as creating balloon animals, humorous pranks, basic magic tricks, slapstick humour, juggling, and small acrobatics.
Create business cards that detail your contact information, clown name, photo, and speciality acts. Make flyers with the information and display them in coffee shops, restaurants, public parks, and toy stores.
Offer to perform for free at a child's birthday party in your family or social circle. The free publicity thus gained will likely fetch you lucrative offers from parents at the party.
Another common alternative is to perform in front of a small audience consisting of people you know and trust, especially if they are also into clowning. They could rate you on how entertaining your performance was and include comments and recommendations.
Setting up shop on a street corner to perform for tips would also help to experiment with new acts, meet new people, and spread the word, especially if you can put out business cards for people to take.
If you intend to become a circus Clown, you may want to begin with minor gigs at birthday parties and festivals to practice your skills in a non-competitive atmosphere before you audition for the circus.
The kind of circus you wish to join will determine the kind of skills and experience required. In general, a keen sense of body language, comic timing, improvisation, gymnastics, and juggling are appreciated.
Even while in high school, you can check with a teacher or counsellor about relevant work-based learning opportunities available in your school or community that can help you connect your school experiences with real-life work as a Clown.
Join some groups, try some hobbies, or volunteer with an interesting organisation, so you can have fun while learning about yourself and be directed toward your chosen career.
The experience may also help you determine whether the private or voluntary sector is best suited to realise one’s ambitions. Your educational provider’s career service department can provide information about opportunities for work placements and voluntary work in diverse sectors.
Read about the profession and interview or job shadow experienced Clowns to prove your commitment to course providers and prospective employers.
Although a high school diploma or GED may usually suffice to become a Clown, some aspirants opt for a bachelor’s degree in drama, theatre, and the performing arts, drama and theatre studies, or fine arts.
Short courses that include warm-ups, play tasks, insights into comic craft, and work with text can make the students more confident about their ability to make the audiences laugh.
Aspiring Clowns who wish to develop an oral comic routine will find classes in acting, writing, drama, and public speaking especially useful.
Recommended high school courses include drama, music, singing, acting, physical education, and psychology. English and speech classes will help you develop your research, writing, and oral communication skills.
Remember that completing a particular academic course does not guarantee entry into the profession. Be that as it may, professional qualifications and transferable skills may open up more than one door.
Do your homework and look into all available options for education and employment before enrolling in a specific programme. Reliable sources that help you make an educated decision include associations and employers in your field.
Accredited certification in business skills such as accounting, business management, and marketing from a reputable organisation will help Clowns, especially those who intend to be self-employed, set up and run a thriving business.
A combination of education, experience, and testing is generally required to gain certification, though requirements differ across regions.
Clowns may need to acquire licences to operate a motor vehicle and use pyrotechnics in the entertainment industry to perform in diverse entertainment venues.
Individual government entities conduct the licensing process. It typically requires passing an examination after meeting eligibility requirements, such as a minimum level of education, work experience, and training.
Clowns may also need to undergo an employment background check, including but not limited to a person’s work history, education, credit history, motor vehicle reports (MVRs), criminal record, medical history, use of social media, and drug screening.
Performance, experience, and the acquisition of additional skills drive the career progression of Clowns who gain ground by creating a unique clown persona and marketing themselves effectively.
Clowns may go the self-employment route and perform solo gigs at private parties or events or be employed by circuses and private entertainment companies. Either way, they begin their careers in supporting roles under the tutelage of more experienced performers.
A few achieve worldwide recognition, some may become the star attraction in a circus, and a small number may become local celebrities, while a handful may be able to make it to the small screen.
Fame makes it easier to demand a higher remuneration, move to a larger organisation, and pitch for performances that are longer in duration.
Experienced Clowns with a flair for teaching deliver workshops in mainstream and special schools. They work with speech and language practitioners or become involved in the positive psychology movement as Laughter Leaders.
It is also possible to work as a Clown Instructor or Clowning Facilitator and teach the art of clowning to future generations.
The desire to accelerate career growth and personal development has an increasing number of millennials choosing to job hop and build a scattershot resume that showcases ambition, motivation, and the desire to learn a broad range of skills.
Studies prove that job hopping, earlier dismissed as “flaky” behaviour, can lead to greater job fulfilment. Employees in search of a positive culture and interesting work are willing to try out various roles and workplaces and learn valuable, transferable skills along the way.
Clowns who are entertaining, punctual and approachable have the best job prospects.
Continuing professional development (CPD) will help an active Clown build personal skills and proficiency through work-based learning, a professional activity,
or self-directed learning. CPD also enables the regular renewal of desirable certifications and licences.
Most employers provide crucial on-the-job training that may include learning the script for a specific show and practicing with props and other clowns.
Efficient publicity and wod-of-mouth recommendations are tried-n-tested strategies for self-employed Clowns to stand out from the crowd of competitors. Take the help of your friends, family, co-workers, and neighbours in getting more clients and gigs.
Whether employed or freelancing, conferences and workshops provide excellent opportunities for Clowns to interact with their peers and pick up new skills and tricks from them.
You must invest in rigorous practice sessions to continue to polish your skills and maintain the requisite fitness levels. Take advanced classes to hone your comic talent, enhance your stage presence, and kindle more laughter from your audience.
Clowns who wish to take advantage of the increasing popularity of business events must learn how to work with other entertainers and come up with activities that appeal to the corporate world.
With an increasing number of parents wanting their children to be entertained in a safe environment, Clowns will need to create fun and engaging activities that sync with children’s expectations.
Those who wish to teach will do well to research the applications of clowning in the context of teacher training, medicine, conflict management, ecology, and intercultural work across the globe.
More Fun than a Barrel of Monkeys
The intent is to entertain. The way Clowns go about it may vary.
Professional Clowns undergo rigorous training and are masters at balloon sculpture, magic, puppetry, ventriloquism, juggling, acrobatics, storytelling, balancing acts, music, stilt walking, or unicycling. Easy and efficient interaction with the audience requires quick wit and an aptitude for word play.
Amateur Clowns, on the contrary, take up clowning as a hobby and work as volunteers in hospitals and nursing homes. Auguste Clowns make use of slapstick humour, silly acts, and getting into trouble to evoke laughter. Auguste was German slang for a stupid, bumbling fool.
So called because of their white makeup, whitefaces are usually the ones who are in charge of a routine and set up a situation cleverly. Character Clowns work alone on unique routines.
The hobo or tramp, most famously depicted by Charlie Chaplin, wear ragged clothes and appear naive and sad, even while they provoke laugher through their antics.
Dressed in oversized western-style clothing, rodeo Clowns protect cowboys thrown from bucking broncos or steers in rodeo arenas by distracting the animal while the cowboy moves to safer ground.They also entertain the rodeo audience wit their clownish antics.
All Over the Map
Most Clowns work in a large tent or arena when employed by itinerant circuses that travel from one city to another. They may also work in theme parks and perform on stage, work in parades, or go around the grounds, interacting with visitors.
If hired to perform at birthday parties, weddings, or corporate events, Clowns may work in a rented space or at the client’s home or workplace. Some juggle or perform magic and tricks to entertain passersby on the street or in public places where they can draw a crowd.
Bear in Mind
Creativity has a huge role to play in the design and execution of the Clown’s performance, costumes, and makeup that entertain children and adults alike. Whether it involves interacting with children or performing stunts and tricks, clowns need to be physically fit and agile.
While entertaining is their main aim, Clowns must also empathise with the emotions of their audience and adapt accordingly, so even children who may be scared by the strangeness of it all will unwind enough to laugh.
Make the best use of verbal and nonverbal communication to convey your message and make the audience laugh. Silly voices, funny faces, and other imaginative strategies are all handy tools.
Clowns of American International has a set of commandments that exhort members to remember that a good clown entertains others without embarrassing them and not to smoke or drink when in makeup or costume.
The Current Scenario
Rising standards, a declining popularity among millennials, low pay, and tough competition make it tough to pursue a clowning career, especially in the circus industry. However, some American and European shows still attract huge crowds, and competition for audition is intense.
Besides, there is still viable demand for Clowns in birthday parties, amusement parks, carnivals, business promotions, theatres, shopping malls, and television and video productions.
Recognition of the role that laughter plays in health and wellness has led to an increased demand for Clowns who can make good on their promises to provide wholesome entertainment.
Potential Pros & Cons of Freelancing vs Full-Time Employment
Freelancing Clowns have more flexible work schedules and locations. They own the business and can select their projects and clients. However, they experience inconsistent work and cash flow, which means more responsibility, effort and risk.
On the other hand, a full-time Clown has company-sponsored health benefits, insurance, and retirement plans. They have job security with a fixed, reliable source of income and guidance from their bosses. Yet, they may experience boredom due to a lack of flexibility, ownership, and variety.
When deciding between freelancing or being a full-time employee, consider the pros and cons to see what works best.
Despite not receiving due credit for practising one of the greatest and most difficult art forms, Clowns continue to ply their trade with courage and discipline, with simplicity and genius to make their audience laugh heartily.
Market yourself aggressively. If you want to make a successful career out of clowning, exhaust every possible opportunity, person and resource to make it happen.
You can celebrate one of history’s greatest clowns, Joseph Grimaldi, by tap dancing to the tune of his famous “Hot Codlins” over the musical tiles installed over his grave.
What do Clowns do?
A Clown would typically need to:
Accredited
$47,270
