On the 22nd May 2021 as part of the Clowning Out of Chaos Conference, The Online Clown Academy held a panel discussion, exploring the themes of the conference; how can clowning help us to meet inner and outer chaos?

The panel discussion was hosted by Holly Stoppit, with technical support from Robyn Hambrook and admin support from Bee Golding. We organised the Clowning Out of Chaos Conference without any funding because we believe these conversations are important and neccessary. If you found this discussion valuable to you, please consider donating to support the organiseers via Paypal.

THE PANELISTS

AMRITA DHALIWAL (LA)

Devising Artist, Comedian, Educator

Amrita is an award-winning comedian, devising artist, educator and hospital clown based in Los Angeles, CA. Amrita creates work that explores our humanity, the profound and the mundane.

Amrita's Website

Operation Project

Can A Clown Be An Activist? - article in Howlaround

IG @amrithatha

JAY JORDAN (France)

Artist Activist 

Labelled a "Domestic Extremist" by the UK police, and “a magician of rebellion” by the French press, JJ likes spaces in-between of all sorts, especially between art and activism, culture and nature, the masculine and feminine. They have intervened in museums, squats, International Theatre Festivals, climate camps, choreographed carnivalesque riots and written a BBC radio Play for Today. They are co-founder of creative direct action collectives Reclaim the Streets and the Clown Army and The Laboratory of Insurrectionary Imagination.

The Laboratory of Insurrectionary Imagination facebook group

Notes Against Extractivist Art and For The Art Of Life article in Klaxon (co-authored by Jay Jordan and Isabelle Fremeaux)

JEFF GORDON (Israel)

Performance Activist and Therapeutic Clown and Dramatherapist

Jeff says: "There is so much anxiety engendered around the need to control the chaos we feel around us that we lose our sense of flow, spontaneity and joy… it is through invoking our Clown role that we are able to play with that chaos and in doing so restore inner and outer harmony."

The Global Play Brigade

Clown Therapy: A Drama Therapy Approach To Addiction And Beyond - article co-authored by Jeff Gordon, Yoram Shenar and Susana Pandzik.

SUZY HARVEY (UK)

Specialist in Joy and Connection

Suzy Harvey is a specialist in Joy and Connection who uses silliness and mayhem to help us take back a bit of control over the chaos in our world. Over the last year, Suzy has been taking a clown’s approach to the news and finding ways to laugh through it.

Suzy's website

Everybody Laugh Together Website

Everybody Laugh Together facebook page / Twitter / IG

More about The Online Clown Academy

Find out what happened in The Clowning Out of Chaos CabaretFind Out what happened at The Clowning Out Of Chaos Open SpaceThe Online Clown Academy FB pageThe Online Clown Academy FB groupTwitter / IGHolly Stoppit's youtube channel