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PLAYFUL
PRESENCE
Sacred Clown One Year Training Course
New Course Dates for 2008 - 2009:
28
Nov - 1Dec 2008 venue: Seekers Trust
20 - 23 Feb 09 venue: Seekers Trust
25 April - 2 May 09 Ibiza week
3 - 5 July 09 venue: Hill End Field Studies Centre, Oxford
"Peace
lives in hearts united by love"
The Sacred Clown's path is
an ancient magical path of spirituality.
This
programme is for trainee Sacred Clowns who would like to deepen their
practice in "Playful Presence" - a way of being lighter,
happier and consistently joyful in the face of pain, darkness and
suffering. Walking between the worlds and dancing as he goes, the
holy fool is a trickster who always sees the funny side, with a heart
full of compassion. From that place he or she can offer great healing
to others.
This
course is designed to help you learn how to work as a Healing clown
in hospitals, homes for the elderly or with learning disabilities
or within our communities at local events. There will be encouragement
to practise, to witness and experience first hand some of the magic
and beauty of working as a Sacred Clown in service. It will also be
a time for your own healing - a chance to have sacred clown retreat
within the safety of a loving group. A place for support .
One
of my gifts is my ability to help you find your OWN clown and we will
be working to discover an individual act for everyone on the course
- this is not always an easy process but is an adventure in being
open to see what emerges from the place of surrender and trust.
The
course is suitable for healers, therapists, doctors, nurses, carers,
performers of any discipline who want to BE more and DO less on stage,
and anyone who genuinely feels called to this sacred path. It is also
highly suitable if you just want more fun and authenticity in your
own life ! I am interested to work with people who want to make a
greater impact with joy and humour and serve their community. The
course is limited to 16 participants.
What
are the Benefits of this Course ?
* Personal Growth & Healing *
* Artistic Development in Sacred Clowning *
* Community Clown Experience *
Personal
Growth & Healing :
Gain greater spontaneity, become more mischievous and playful !
Become more at home in your body in the present moment.
Laugh more easily and see the funny side, becoming more light-hearted.
Learn how to transform suffering to joy for yourself.
Become more creative - stretching to all areas of your life.
Be more connected to your inner truth.
Become more compassionate and loving.
Gain greater clarity of vision.
Experience the genuine magic of the Sacred Clown's path and connect
more to the unseen world.
Become more grounded and stronger in spiritual warriorship, with an
ability to live more fearlessly within the unknown.
Artistic
Development in Sacred Clowning:
Increase your experience and confidence in expression through the
body and voice, using dance, song, and making music.
Acquire skills of mime and movement.
Learn about timing and appropriateness of action and silence on "stage".
Learn how to co-create within a team in an organic flowing way.
Create clown acts for performance - in pairs and groups.
You can expect to have your own Sacred Clown act by the end of the
course.
Develop greater strength to hold the ground and magic space of the
clown, no matter what we meet from the audience - i.e. learning not
to be swayed.
Learn more about vulnerability and openness.
Increase your sensitivity to yourself and others.
Learn how to create audience interaction through authentic connection.
Community Clown Experience:
We will be taking a performance into a residential home for the elderly
or into the Hospital for long term residents (elderly patients), as
a part of the course week in Ibiza. Through this, we will inspire
the creation of additional community clown projects at home, with
ongoing encouragement and support from Rachel for the duration of
the course. This application will bring us closer to the work of using
clowning as healing and we will learn about this in the workshop context
as well.
At
the end of the year, everyone will have the chance to present their
own Sacred Clown act. You can also expect to have laughed, cried and
had more fun than in years !
What
is it like working with me ?
I
work with wild energy and also with great gentleness so we stretch
our
comfort zones in playing with these extremes. I work to hold a safe
sacred space where it is Ok to be who you are in the moment. I work
best with freedom and spontaneity and am guided by my own sacred clown.
I hold boundaries to keep us grounded and safe and then I encourage
everyone to fly within those. I understand how important it can be
to have an act at the end of a training and it is enormously satisfying
when that comes, yet I know it is the quality of presence which counts
and the willingness to surrender completely to the unknown in the
moment. From this place comes magic. I encourage great relationship
with the audience so that there is no sense of separation between
the stage and the audience - we practise the interconnection on a
spiritual level and also on a very practical level with our audience,
especially where we are working with the elderly and infirm.
I work with integrity and clarity, and am straight, so we don't get
caught in emotional baggage and can play more with the light and the
dark - to create a harmony between them, seeing everything as a part
of the sacred circle. We use a lot of movement within my training,
only going as far as is comfortable. I work with respect for our limitations,
whilst encouraging risks.
To hear feedback , please read what people have said about working
with clownwithin.
COURSE
STRUCTURE:
The
course runs over nine months, and is divided into four sessions:
Session
1: 28 November - 1 December 2008
Session
2: 20 - 23 February 2009
Session 3: 25 April - 2 May 2009
Session 4: 3 - 5 July 2009
25
April - 2 May 09 Ibiza week
3 - 5 July 09 venue: Hill End Field Studies Centre, Oxford
Session
1. 28
November - 1 December 2008
Areas to be covered:
Getting to know each other !
Body awareness and breath work, trust and vulnerability, connecting
to our truth individually and with each other.
Mime, Dance and Song, Movement and Play.
Reconnection to the red nose.
Clowns as Healers - preparation for using clowning as healing through
pair and group work.
Artistic expression via open empty stage work.
Group clown performance pieces.
Healing and sharing circles with meditation and practices for opening
the heart of compassion.
Session
2. 20 - 23
February 2009
In between sessions, we will encourage development of on-going practices
to centre ourselves more strongly for being in the present moment
- whether that be Yoga, Meditation, writing or whatever works individually.
Development of sensitivity - exploring the clown's silence in nature.
Essential ground - connecting to our essence and listening deeply
to ourselves and others through play, movement and meditation.
Development of group clown acts.
Sharing our clown development and exploring what is required for healing
work in the community ( whether these be special needs, the elderly
or in hospital).
Opportunity to try out individual acts.
Beginning to experiment with costume creation for our unique clown.
Session
3. 25
April - 2 May 2009
In between sessions, we will be exploring and developing costume as
well as the development of acts.
Discovery of clown's face and make-up.
Creating clown's costume for performance.
Learning about courage and practices to help with stage fright or
nerves.
Creation of group acts for performance at end of week in the Residential
Home for the Elderly.
5 days intensive clowning with a day to arrive and a day to rest at
the end.
Opportunity each day to spend quiet reflective / rejuvenating time
in nature - walks in the forest, swimming in the sea. A wonderful
place to discover more of your sacred clown.
There will be more information about the Ibiza week nearer the time.
Session
4. 3
- 5 July 2009
In between this last session and the previous one in Ibiza, there
will have been 3 months in which to start developing local community
contacts for clown projects if this is appropriate for your wishes
and the development of your clown. This is not mandatory.
We will bring these to our sharing circles.
Sharing our clown's journey so far.
Spiritual Warriorship - facing and embracing the unknown through empty
stage and working playfully in the present moment with whatever arises.
Clowns as Medicine Healers - more training in how to transform sadness
to joy.
Completion of individual acts and sharing in final celebration, which
will be organised by us as a group in a way that feels appropriate
for the journey we will have taken together.
TOOLS
WE SHALL USE:
Music, instruments, costume pieces - colourful unusual pieces (too
big, too small, too crazy - the sillier the better !) face paints
and brushes, (information will be given as to what to bring prior
to the Ibiza week), comfortable clothes for moving in, open minds,
loving hearts, your own red nose ! …….
A
letter will be sent at the start of the course confirming exactly
what to bring and all the practical details.
Dates
& Venue:
28
November - 1December 2008 venue: Seekers Trust
20 - 23 February 2009 venue: Seekers Trust
25 April - 2 May 09 Ibiza week
3 - 5 July 09 venue: Hill End Field Studies Centre, Oxford
The
Seekers Trust is a Centre for Prayer and Healing, set in 39 acres
of parkland amid the beautiful Kentish countryside. Our group there
is non-residential, - we are using the Conference room for our work,
however there are self-catering flats (single and double) on site
available for rent separately at very reasonable rates, and if you
book early you should be guaranteed a place there. It is a wonderful
setting to receive peace and inspiration. To book accommodation, contact
the Seekers Trust directly, telephone : 01732 843589, or email : info@theseekerstrust.org.uk
Early
booking is recommended as it will be a very healing experience to
stay there and is convenient to be on site. The Centre accommodates
up to 12, so it is first come first served in terms of reservations.
There are also local B&B options if the Seekers Trust is full
- details upon request. For this you would need private transport.
Hill
End Farm is an organic field studies centre with wonderful fine energy
suitable for our work. It is a place where we can also create ceremony
on the land. Accommodation is available on site and further information
will be given at the start of the course.
Whilst
not officially "residential" there may be the opportunity
to share lunches and evening meals if organised and paid for between
us at each session.
In
Ibiza, we will be staying on the West Coast of the island, near the
beautiful turquoise sea, stunning coastline and beaches of Cala Conta
and Cala Bassa, and our work is likely to be in the International
Clown School at San Jose. Ibiza is a magical island, with strong magnetic
healing energy. The week includes full board.
PRICE
STRUCTURE:
Course
price £1495
Deposit £495
£95 early bird discount if paid in full by 15th October 2008.
Total then would be £1400.
Book
by 15th October 2008.
To
Book Now, click here for
an application form and email clownwithin@hotmail.com
to reserve a place.
Please
note that it is essential you have worked with Rachel before. If you
have not taken an Introduction course, there is an opportunity before
the one year training begins. There will be an Introduction weekend
11th & 12th October 2008, also at the Seekers Trust. Price £130.
To book a place, email: clownwithin@hotmail.com
I look forward to working with you !
Rachel Caine
