by Rehana Tejpar and Dan Rudolph

Beginnings

In most parts of the world, humanity is trapped in overlapping systems of power that are backward, and we could try facing backwards on the systems for a change! Playfulness and deviation from the norm are urgently needed, as business as usual (read: hyper-capitalism) is exponentially destroying natural and cultural ecosystems.  In both education and work cultures, we see this manifest in a constant sense of urgency and hyper-productivity, with little time to slow down and rest, care for our health, feel our emotions, tend our relationships in collaboration, and dream into the future we want to live.  

The sacred clown, the heyoka, the wise fool, the trickster, the contrarian, the player – this archetype, who goes by many names in different traditions, once played an essential role that many of us have lost touch with. In many Indigenous and ancient societies, the sacred clown figure in the community was not simply a performer. They were members of the society with a sacred role to help the community stay connected to deeper truths and not fall into dogma, or take itself too seriously.

The spirit of the sacred clown, which we find in play and sacred clowning practices today, offers a curious, humorous, emotionally honest and compassionate way of being and seeing ourselves, each other and the world. She holds us by the hand and journeys with us to see beyond the illusions of our conditioning, beyond rigid labels and categories, into a garden of endless possibility. She brings us into the eternal present and reminds us of the sacred and the funny in the everyday. She invites us into unapologetic authenticity and speaking our truth so that people can hear it.  And so importantly, she trains us to see the world through the wondrous eyes of a child, awed by the magic, the “what if?” ok to hang out in the liminal space of the unknown and find a sweet rose on the roadside.  She is open to change and growth, able to see seedlings of possible futures, everywhere. Unafraid to try, to flop, and to keep flying. 

To support our exploration of the potential and power of play, we’re going to look back at the sacred clowns, share how sacred clowning can be used to address the modern challenges facing society, and offer a list of resources to play-based practices and contemporary practitioners that you can use to bring more play into your life and work. We see how fringe and misunderstood clowning and associated practices have become, so as a way of demystifying and giving context to these practices, we offer this essay. Writing it also gave us a chance to deepen our own study as we continually learn the ways of the sacred clown. 

We (Dan and Rehana) feel this call to the sacred clown very deeply. Interestingly, we first met through the Ecoversities Re-Imagining Education Conference (REC), specifically coordinating a Clown for Culture Change session that Rehana & Sukhmani Kohli offered at REC 2.0. We were intrigued. This intrigue and shared passion for Re-Imagining Education and clowning led us to eventually fall in love and get married. 

Both of us weave sacred clowning in different ways into our work and lives. Rehana, as a dancer and through her work midwifing deeper wisdom and health into organizational cultures at Bloom Consulting and Dan through Unified Playfulness and his work with the Clown Spirit Village. We have even started a monthly playgroup in our local Montreal/Tiohtià:ke community!  We personally need play to thrive, to feel alive, to navigate the heaviness of these times, and see the untapped potential it can offer all of us.    

We hope this essay will challenge commonly held (mis)perceptions about clowning and contribute to a renaissance of tools and practices that have the power to transform education, communities, political action and daily life. Through our involvement with the Ecoversities Alliance, we have seen the urgent need to re-imagine education and create spaces where learning is a holistic, playful, and a community-centered process. Clowning offers a pedagogical approach that is in service of this. 

Clown History: From Sacred Clowns to Sacred Clowning 

Jeffrey Vallance. Clown Family Tree, 1998

One of the archetypes that historically embodies intentional, wise play is the clown. Clowns have played a pivotal role in societies since ancient times. People are often surprised when I (Dan) share with them the history of the clown—how they were once revered in society, seen as wisdom keepers, medicine people, and advisors to the leaders. The sacred nature of the clown remains widely unknown.

As a practitioner and aspiring teacher of sacred clowning, learning about the history of clowning has inspired me and brought a deeper reverence to my practice. While sacred clowns from the past differ from the spiritual clowning emerging in various spaces since the resurgence in the 1960’s and 70’s I strongly believe that understanding the history of clown figures in society is essential for recognizing how this ancient practice can be applied as a radical act of service in modern times. It is important to note that much of my research and exposure to clown history has been in Western settings (North America and Western Europe), and therefore, the examples in this essay reflect those contexts.

Various Indigenous cultures feature clown figures, such as the Heyókȟa of the Lakota Sioux, Noonlemala fools of the Kwawkiutl, Mudhead clowns of the Zuni Pueblo, and Koshari and Kachinas of the Hopi tribes.

Lame Deer exemplifies the significance and power of the clown, the Heyókȟa, for the Lakota Sioux people of the Great Plains of North America.  In Coming to Light: Contemporary Translations of the Native Literatures of North America, Swann describes the Heyókȟa as the contrarians, jesters, and satirists who speak, move and react in an opposite fashion to the people around them. Their satire presents important questions. They ask difficult questions and say things others are too afraid to say. By reading between the lines, the audience can think about things not usually thought about or look at things differently.  Unbound by societal constraints, Heyókȟa are able to violate cultural taboos freely and thus critique established customs.

With innocence, wisdom, humour, and play, they accept themselves completely despite being quite different from the rest. They prevent society from falling into dogma or following the status quo. They help people stay awake. 

Similarly, in power but with a different articulation, jesters served as advisors to the king in medieval Europe. They lived in the castle and had a seat on the cabinet. The jesters often were the only people who could disagree with, or even mock, the king. They had the moral authority to speak truth to power. They were seen as some of the wisest people in the society and made decisions that had major implications. The section clipped from this video shares more context about the jester’s relationship with the king in medieval times. 

In the 18th century, jesters had died out except in Russia, Spain, and Germany. In France and Italy, traveling groups of jesters performed plays in public spaces, through an Italian theatre form called commedia dell’arte.  Commedia dell’arte spread across Europe, using masks, pantomine, semi-scripted/semi-improvised satirical performance, which often amplified social stereotypes with humour. A version of this passed into British folk tradition in the form of a puppet show, Punch and Judy. In France the tradition of the court jester ended with the French Revolution. 

The shift away from sacred and truth-telling clowning occurred as societies transitioned into the industrial age, where cultural values and social structures underwent significant changes. With the rise of industrialization, there was a growing emphasis on efficiency, productivity, and entertainment as commodities. This shift contributed to the marginalization of clowning’s deeper roles and functions in society.

As a result, clowns and jesters, who once played essential roles in community rituals, healing practices, and truth-telling, increasingly became viewed as mere entertainers. The relationality, connection to community, reverence, healing, and sacredness that characterized ancient clowning traditions were largely abandoned. Clowning’s profound potential as a form of social commentary and communal connection was overshadowed by a focus on performance for amusement rather than engagement with deeper cultural and spiritual dimensions. This transformation led to the modern clown’s image being associated more with superficial entertainment than with its original, multifaceted roles in society.

Today, this non-sacred clown is what most people think of when I mention ‘clowning’ to them. They think of kids’ birthday parties, Ronald McDonald, Pennywise the Dancing Clown from Stephen King’s horror film “It”.  Sometimes, people think of criminals they’ve seen on the news dressed up in clown costumes or the Joker. When I share my excitement about clowning, it’s rare to encounter someone who recognizes its more sacred forms or views it as a contemplative practice. Clowning holds a unique power to be authentic in a world of illusions, to speak truth in ways that can reach those in power without getting one killed, and to find beauty even in failure. Unlike traditional activism, the clown’s approach to speaking truth is more artful, honestly using humor, satire and vulnerability to disarm defenses and reveal deeper truths.

With that said, there has been a resurgence in clowning since the 1970s, where it is once again being recognized as a sacred art. Some key figures in this movement include Jacques Copeau, Jacques Lecoq, and Richard Pochinko. Pochinko, who was a student of Lecoq (among others), encountered the North American Indian Clown, Jonsmith, while working at the University of Washington. Jonsmith became his mentor and initiated him into the tradition of North American Indian clowning. Drawing from his diverse experiences with leading European clown teachers and indigenous practices, Pochinko developed his own methodology that blended these traditions together.

“But how do you teach someone to be a clown, to be funny? “You don’t,” says Pochinko. “You guide them. When I say ‘Eileen: Clown,’ what comes into your mind?”  I sat for a moment frozen into a self-conscious attitude, hands folded under my chin thinking frantically.  “There!” He exclaimed, mimicking my gesture. “What went through your head?” I answered that at first I was panic stricken, then I saw all the different possibilities. “Yes and between the panic and possibilities lies your clown. The panic and the possibilities are universal. If you can learn to laugh at your panic and together we can find a way to express it, then people will identify with it and go through their panic with you and release it.” — En Route interview with Richard Pochinko in 1981

Pochinko believed that “every one of us has a clown inside, it’s just a matter of finding the way to it.”  His teachings have greatly inspired and guided us as facilitators of sacred clowning. They have given us a stronger sense of belief in the power of dancing at the intersection of sacred clowning, the play space and culture change.

Clowning and the Play Space for Culture Change

In my practice of accompanying organizations to become wiser and healthier, I (Rehana) draw on many principles and practices of play. When I get called into an organization, there’s a pain point of some kind, a need that is unfulfilled, and the people have exhausted the strategies and tools they know without succeeding at changing whatever dynamic they are facing.  They come to us knowing that they don’t know, and this is a perfect space to play within. I call upon my inner clown to create a play space for culture change, a space of creativity and exploration. I do this through:

• Being deeply present and attuning to the impact of my experiments in an ongoing way – much like the way a clown is serving the audience and frequently checking in with the audience to see how their performance is landing, whether to continue or try something else 
• Bringing curiosity and openness to failure – seeing the journey of change with wonder and a learner’s mind, embracing mistakes as natural, and wonderful feedforward, similar to the way a clown is in awe with the world and entertains its audiences with their hilarious mistakes
• Being light and open to experimentation – Being willing to say “let’s try and see what happens and learn from it for the next time”.  The clown learns by improvisation-doing, and this embodied pedagogy is how children also learn. In organizations which are uncomfortable with change, being light and open to experiment is an essential ingredient for creative prototyping, and supports organizations to to take risks and try something new.  What makes this possible however, is that we hold enough order alongside the chaos of change, which makes it safe enough to try. This is much like the clown who becomes overcome by emotions and taken for a wild ride of exploration, while maintaining eye contact with the audience and at least one drop of joy for a barrel of tears, assuring the audience that they are actually ok (which makes it safe to laugh at them!)

A story of practice: A global network I worked with was in conflict and trust had been deeply fractured across partners. They invited me to accompany them on a journey of repair.  We began by meeting with everyone with curiosity, listening to stories, and beginning to draw out some patterns. We had two days together in person, and we began with play.  We drew from InterPlay – a methodology of play that surfaces body wisdom by weaving storytelling, movement, sound and stillness.  Using practices of word play, we invited people in pairs to tell spontaneous, improvised stories, and to talk about seemingly useless topics (insomuch as they had nothing to do with the conflict at hand) such as “coffee, “water”, “sister,” “brother,” “describe your favourite view from a window in your home”, and “define this made up word.”  We incrementally moved from “useless” topics to “talk about what’s alive and present in your work here at this time.” By the end of an hour of word play, one participant said “I now have hope that we can have the conversations we need to have.”  The play helped to till and fertilize the soil, open the heart to connection and honesty and get people out of their usual scripts. 

We held the group with strong conflict resolution tools, which created the container for people to communicate about their hurt with one another in ways that they could hear and integrate into action. 

Throughout the process – we used play to release the stress in the body – taking dance breaks and shaking out the body and voice. This helped us to keep rolling up our sleeves and going deeper into the work without falling into overwhelm and collapse. We called on the art of ritual and ceremony to consciously release and let go of old ways of doing, and to support us in making new agreements with one another on how to be together moving forward.  

Having play in the space of culture change allows people to:  

• Take off masks and open their hearts and minds – sharing more of their emotional realities and their ideas without as much self-conscious awareness of needing to be right or wrong
• Build trust and relationship as we allow more parts of ourselves to be seen
• Be imperfect, make mistakes and be vulnerable because there is more psychological safety
• Have fun (and less anxiety) being in the unknown together
• Get into their bodies, release stress and tune into body wisdom
• Tap into the imagination of “what could be” and restore some faith in possibility of change.

I invite you to explore: 

• How might I move toward there being no separation between work and play? 
• What could it look like to weave play into my work?
• How might I allow myself to enjoy change processes with wonder and curiosity?  

Clowning in a monastery  

I (Dan) was on my way to study Clown at an Ecoversity in Brazil, Circo de Luo. I was excited to immerse myself and do a deep dive into the world of the clown. Then, due to COVID-19, this was no longer possible. I was without a clear direction. In this time of not knowing what was going to come next, the opportunity to do an apprenticeship in a monastery presented itself. 2 months quickly turned into 2.5 years. 

In these 2.5 years I maintained my passion for clowning, and continued to work with different teachers and continue my studies. And, as I continued my meditation training at the monastery it became increasingly clear that the practice of clowning was synergistic with my meditation practice and study. Both practices supported presence and insight in different ways. Now, I am not the first person to realize this. In many texts, great Zen masters are referred to as clowns and fools. Master Ryōkan and the Tibetan saint Drukla Kunley are two examples. And more recently, Bernie Glassman, Zen teacher and social activist, left his role as a Zen teacher, to study with the famous clown, Wavy Gravy. Glassman saw that his students were getting stuck and too serious and that the practices of the clown could be supportive to break through. 

As I was studying both clown and Buddhist Monastic practices, I began experimenting and offering workshops to the other guests and practitioners in the monastery. I offered over 40 clown workshops there. My clown, Mr. Buckets, was born. While at the monastery I did my first 4 clown performances.

From these experiments, I found that both practices are supportive to the awakening process, and together they can be especially supportive for people moving through stuckness. This was continuously affirmed by feedback that other monastics shared during and after clown workshops that I hosted. Below are a few examples of reflections that were shared: 

“I think clowning is a very useful teaching pedagogy. When I am actually doing it feels so natural and I am surprised it is not a more common practice. There is something about it. … It felt like I could really let myself go and yell, scream and be weird. For me personally, I have a tendency to overthink, where in these workshops I feel like I can really let go. It helps to move the places that are stuck. It felt very connected to my practice and the Dharma (the Buddha’s teachings). It was like I could find a way to try what is in the [Buddha’s] teachings. It felt great to actually try it and not just talk about it.” – Sasha 

“That big shadow for me is feeling into my emotions. And although I have always thought of myself as a fairly embodied person, when it comes to the clown and clowning and these practices inviting me to really fully feeling the sadness and the grief or anger. This was actually really challenging for me. And it’s one thing that I really want to bring into the world … I  really realize how important it is for me to do that.” – Sierra 

“I felt somewhat self-conscious on stage onstage, especially like it felt pretty frightening when people aren’t laughing or I can’t tell what’s going on. … So it is all kind of confusing. Where’s this coming from? Is it coming from ego or coming from non- ego? Yeah, after exiting, I did tend to have a lot of thoughts about how well that went or you know or that didn’t go that well or whatever. Like, yeah, ego thoughts.” – Kyōshin

These experiments led me to develop a methodology – Unified Playfulness – that supports people to cultivate the skills of the Clown and the Monk to support people to continue unlearning and getting in deeper connection with unhindered reality. 

The Clown Spirit Village + Clowning and Unlearning 

The Clown Spirit Village is a living example of an Ecoversity dedicated to preserving and revitalizing the ancient pedagogy of clowning. Founded by Barnaby King, this online learning community has a mission to unleash as many clowns into the world as possible, embracing clowning not just as a form of entertainment but as a transformative practice with deep social, political and spiritual significance. Through workshops, courses, and conversations, the Clown Spirit Village seeks to reconnect people with the clown’s sacred role as a truth-teller, healer, and disruptor.

Recently, Barnaby hosted Manish Jain on the Clown Spirit Podcast to explore the intersections between clowning and unlearning. Their conversation touched on how the practice of clowning challenges mainstream education and societal norms, offering an alternative path that encourages curiosity, spontaneity, and critical thinking. Manish emphasized this by stating, “The education system often teaches us to follow rules and conform. Clowning does the opposite—it disrupts, it questions, it blurs, it invites us to see beyond the script we’ve been given. It’s about reclaiming the right to feel-think differently.” He continued, “We’re so used to thinking in a straight line—what’s next, what’s the goal? But clowning teaches us to be okay with circling around, with moving in zigzags, with being non-linear. It’s not about where we are going but how we are exploring the world along the way.”

In an era marked by global polycrisis, where conventional approaches are failing to address complex challenges, the wisdom of the clown is more relevant than ever. Clowning can help illuminate what isn’t working as well as inspire us to find the courage to break away from norms. As disruptors, clowns offer a different kind of leadership—one that invites us to see the world through a playful yet critical lens, encouraging us to embrace new ways of being and learning. The Clown Spirit Village is at the forefront of this movement, cultivating a global community that is unafraid to question, disrupt, express and create with a spirit of joy and authenticity.

Conclusion 

We urgently need to re-imagine the way we learn, especially in our current landscape marked by change, complexity, and uncertainty. As we navigate these challenges, integrating the spirit of sacred clowning into our educational practices can inspire deeper connection, creativity, collaboration, joy, possibility and impact.

Ecoversities embody this vision by prioritizing holistic, community-centered learning experiences that foster genuine engagement and self-expression. By embracing the principles of sacred clowning, we can create educational environments that encourage us to view life through the eyes of a child—filled with curiosity and active creativity. This perspective allows us to invite more levity and authenticity into our lives, which can be especially important amid the busy schedules and duties.

While the pursuit of belonging and connection can weigh heavily on our hearts, the practice of play and clowning offer a pathway to forge authentic, honest, and vulnerable relationships that remind us of our interconnectedness. In the context of re-imagining education, applying the pedagogy of the clown can break down barriers, allowing learners to connect deeply with one another and the projects they are working on.

We see this as a spiritual practice woven into the fabric of everyday life. By exploring our inner clowns, we can tap into the transformative power of play to illuminate our experiences and foster deeper connections and new possibilities in our communities.

Practically Explore More Clowning & Playing! 

There are so many resources etc. available, these are just a few!

Practices 

• Play from Home  – Unified Playfulness
• Playing at Work & 1:1 Play Coaching – Bloom Consulting 
• Clown Workouts – 36 Simple Clown Exercises 
• Interplay – Online Playshops
• Celebration Barn – A place to Train in Maine, US

Practitioners

• Avner the Eccentric 
• Jon Davison 
• Barnaby King – Clown Spirit
• Michelle Nicole Matlock – Circle Up Productions
• Holly Stoppit – Clown-O-Therapy 
• Moshe Cohen – Clowns without Borders 
• Pedro Fabio –  Clown training and working with organizations 
• Jonathon Kay – The Nomadic Academy of Fooling 
• Mery Miguez – Clown Love 
• Anthony Trahair – PlayfulLife

Resources 

• Clown-versations – Interview series with contemporary clowns
• Clown Training: A Practical Guide – Jon Davison 
• How Clowning Can Lead us Into Connection – TEDx Talk – Holly Stoppit 
• A Clown’s Philosophy – 7-minute video 
• Imagination and Empathy: The Call of the Clown – TEDx Talk – Kato Buss
• What Life was really like as a Medieval Jester – 11-minute video 
• Introduction to InterPlay
• Applied Improv Network – Friday Open Play Space
• Theatre of the Oppressed
• 100 Essential Theatre of the Oppressed Resources
• Games for Actors and Non-Actors, Augusto Boal (Book)
• Theatre for Living, David Diamond (Book)

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About the Authors