Story – Young Clown – Youth exchange in United Kingdom

Young Clown is for young people who would like to to determine ways in order to overcome the obstacle of linguistic expression (expression through eye-contact, gestures, expressions, music, etc). Non-verbal communication is predominant. Having the game as a vehicle, we would like to discover the use of clown’s play connected with arts such as music, dance, painting, as a primary inclusive means of expressing and exploring allocentrically. Co-creation and improvisation will be the key components for the development of the activities.

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Ground day: Welcome, Logistics, Intro

26 participants and 7 leaders from UK, Greece, Italy, Lithuania, Spain, Czech Republic gathered in the first part of Young Clown youth exchange in Kennington, United Kingdom.

https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=2340876262747829

During the youth exchange “Young clown” the participants were involved in making a series of short films. The films are about social inclusion, emotional recognition, and expression, and remembering our childhood through the art of clowns.

“Life of a Clown,” Part 1 https://www.facebook.com/abroadship/posts/2729725273837292
“Life of a Clown,” Part 2 https://www.facebook.com/abroadship/posts/2729750577168095
A short documentary film about our experience throughout the project. The participants and facilitators share their feelings, thoughts and emotions about the process https://www.facebook.com/abroadship/posts/2733151140161372

First day of Taking Risks

After playing some name games instead of the typical introduction, we did some icebreakers to feel more comfortable with each other mainly by focusing on non-verbal communication. At the same time, we got introduced to the world of clowns by watching mimics and representing the concept of a clown ourselves. Last but not least, we focused on the interaction of a performer and the audience by using eye contact. We finished the day by forming our reflection groups.

Express Your Emotions

Today, we had a fun day since the activities were more related to acting skills. More specifically, we worked on showing different degrees of intensity when it comes to expressing emotions as well as identifying them. We had the chance to practice how to be connected with ourselves and others. Last but not least, we practiced the connection with our partner and the audience when performing by preparing a small act. We finished the day by evaluating the day in our reflection groups.

Community Building and Improvisation

Today, we kept working in the mood of bonding between us and finding the connections. After we took time to express our needs, fears and contributions in the community, we collaborated in small groups in order to create a performance which connects our skills. After we performed what we prepared, we finished the in the most amusing way: by dancing balfolk!

Collaborating and Performing

Today, we worked to enhance our collaboration skills and our creativity. We were invited to create a drawing in groups without talking inspired by a quote of the great Charlie Chaplin. After completing this task, we were invited to represent the drawings with our bodies. Last but not least, we continued the games about connecting with our partner and ourselves and we performed an improvisation in pairs.

Creating Our Personas

Today after a meditation session, that helped us finding our personas we started creating them with the help of face painting. Later we participated in a drag workshop and activated our thinking about social stereotypes concerning femininity and masculinity.

Getting inspired by environment

Today, we had free time the whole day, we had the chance to go on an excursion to Dover and Canterbury. In Dover we went to the beach, after we went hiking to the white cliffs to admire the breathtaking view from the top of the mountain. After hours of walking around the city, we went back home. In the end, we had a relaxing evening by having a movie night.

Being Vulnerable

Today we continued on using non-verbal communication and concentration as tools to collaborate all together as a group and to complete a task. We also played trust-building games and we took care of each other by meditating and having a massage session. Last but not least, we experienced a fun cultural night offered by our Italian colleagues.

Brainstorming and getting Creative

Today, after an energizing session of stretching, we splitted in groups and we faced the challenge to work as a team to co-create a complete performance, portraits or parody. The goals of our collaboration are to develop our collaboration skills, our creative skills and our problem-solving skills. The day will end in an amusing way, with an intercultural night offered by the Greek and Chech team.

Art of Young Clown

Today we exchanged ideas and we are delighted to present you all the learning tools we gathered through the «Αrt of Clown». During the project, we learned how to stay connected to ourselves and others. We realized that it is important to take risks, to express our vulnerability honestly, to explore alternatives solutions through collaboration and co-creation.

How can we find common ground in order to overcome difficulties collaboratively? What can I gain through overcoming my difficulties? How can I contribute, connect and incorporate my personal touch in a group? We further realized that we often experience two diametrically opposed experiences -that of my inner reality and one of the one I am expressing.

Is what I express really always connected to what I experience internally? Or do I end up role-playing because of external constraints? Am I always able to express my needs or are there factors that prevent me from connecting with and communicating them? We have discovered that recognizing, processing, expressing and accepting our emotions is an impactful process and an essential tool for communication, growth and self-efficacy.

Finally, we discovered that out of nothing we can create something. Maintaining simplicity brings authenticity as well as connection with myself and others.

Presenting our results

Today, we presented the results of our mini projects between us and we received and gave feedback on them. In addition, we disseminated these results to the group of the other ptroject and it was certainly rewarding.They shared their work with us as well. Last but not least, we attended the Greek night of the other project and we had a lot of fun.

You can find the booklet we created here : https://bit.ly/booklet_youngclown

Video Who Nose

https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=2340876262747829

Thank you, Love, See you Next time

“I think that by finding again my inner child, I grew, I needed him to discover a more rational part of myself.”

“We had a space to communicate ourselves and create new art”

“All the workshops, activities, events in this project were really helpful to develop our nonverbal communication skills, increase our selfie confidence and heal our inner peace ”

“The improvising activities allowed me to practice empathy with myself, my partner and the audience.”

“Working together with others in a multicultural environment, exploring our creativity, brainstorming for ideas and finding a solution as a team, reflection in smaller groups, meditation and alone time at some sessions, the facilitators being open, inclusive and promoting self-expression, trying new things, performing in front of an audience”

“I feel that the young clown project was an inspiring experience for me as I had the chance to participate in activities I had never been involved with. This was my first experience with theater and the art of clown and I feel that it was a nice introduction to the topic, I am more familiar with this and willing to get more involved in relative activities in the future. ”

“Young clown helped me to continue to learn how is living in a community, the importance of connection with others, keeping the visual contact, resolving problems and joining my skills with skills of others but no was a good help to get more skills to be a clown properly.”

“the creative process gave me the opportunity to interact with different people and express art through different perspectives and in this way understand my own identity and self in a better way (mirroring of my self to the others). ”

“The connection to myself and others was accomplished through meditation and completing group tasks which required communication.
I understood what an inclusive attitude means by assigning everyone of the group a task to achieve co-creation.
I raised the sense of empathy towards other people by using active listening.
I explored different ways of non- verbal communication (visual contact, gestures, facial expressions, etc.) improving my social skills.
I strengthened competences of collaboration, solidarity, co-formation and co-creation.
I developed problem solving competences by handling disputes within the group and by finding the way to teach the venue.
I am more aware about emotional recognition, processing, expression and transparency by practicing expressing different emotions.
I improved my intercultural awareness and attitude and I am able to recognize cultural pluralism as a source of interest and development.
I am more familiar with audience exposure.”

“During the programme we went through a wide range of activities individually, in pairs, small groups or all together. The activities focused on interaction, familiarization with exposure, recognition and expression of emotional fluctuations, communication through non-verbal communication and eye contact. Many times we were invited to collaborate and co-create, and each day we ended the day in small groups doing reflection. Many theatrical tools that we used were important assets in order to be able to work together, to solve emerging problems and to find common ground. Our interaction and constant exposure helped me to develop these as well as skills of self-esteem and self-efficacy.”

“Thanks for a variety of practices that we have done during the project, I have expanded my toolkit as a youth worker. Additionally, meditation and silent practices helped a lot to build a strong and intimate bond with an inner-self and other groupmates. Thanks to small-scale performances, I have expanded my view on art and, specifically, overcomed the prejudices against the concept of clowning as something silly. Now, I am aware how complex and engaging this concept is. ”

“Throughout the duration of the program, every day we had new exercises and activities during which we developed our competencies. Already in the course of the first day, I began to feel an inner transformation. And each of us felt that transformation and growth, the atmosphere of creativity, lightness, openness thanks to the activities of our project YOUNG CLOWN.”

“For example we builted a “safe place” (in about 2 days) through communication and “name games” or “eye contact games” or “physical touch games”. After that it was easy for me to express myself in front of everyone and participate actively in all performances in front of the audience. ”

“It gave us the space to explore these competences and Iro and Dinos helped to guide us. It also brought us together with new and wonderful people from whom we could learn SO MUCH”

“Young clown gave me the space to grow as a person, facilitator and performer. I gained so much self-confidence and positive energy from this course that I’m now hosting my first sold out clown workshop!!!”

“it just gave me everything i wanted need and wish❤️ i don’t know how is it possible but i feel like a new person🤗”

“Very creative days with many different activities that help us to improve mane different aspects of us”

“Young Clown is like a big and beautiful window, a tool for see the world with another eyes and also to show you without being scare of anything! An open window to perform your daily life ! ”