CLOWN WORKSHOP
Venue: Double Teaching Space, Drama Classroom, Studio, Theatre, Hall

OVERVIEW

Welcome to a workshop filled with giggles, wobbly walks, silly surprises, and big discoveries! The Primary Clowning Workshop introduces young learners to the joy of clowning as a performance art — helping them explore emotions, celebrate mistakes, and connect with others through laughter and play.

Students will use movement, facial expression, improvisation, and comedy games to find their unique inner clown. Through guided play and joyful performance, they’ll develop skills in expression, creativity, empathy, and confidence.

 WHO IT’S FOR

• Prep – Year 6 students
• Suitable for mainstream, neurodiverse, and inclusive settings
• Can be delivered as single-class workshops, year-level rotations, or whole-school wellbeing days
• Ideal for Drama programs, creative arts weeks, or SEL days

WORKSHOP FOCUS

• Clowning through Play – Use games to spark creative movement and imagination
• Big Feelings, Big Faces – Learn how facial expression can show emotions
• Silly Walks & Comic Timing – Understand rhythm, surprise, and comic exaggeration
• Laughing at Mistakes – Turn slip-ups into laughter and resilience
• Clown Characters – Create silly, sweet, mischievous or shy clown personas
• Working Together – Perform in pairs or small groups with empathy and teamwork

CLOWNING TECHNIQUES EXPLORED (Primary Version)

• Simple Clowning – The smallest action gets the biggest laugh
• Character Clowns – Each student builds a unique clown with a name, voice, and walk
• Improvisation Games – Say yes, follow the fun, and play the moment
• The Rule of 3 – Learn comic timing through repetition
• Finding the Game – Spot the funny thing and play it fully
• Audience Connection – Learning how to “check in” and share joy with others

 CURRICULUM LINKS (P–6)

The Arts – Drama (Years F–6)

Making and Responding

• Foundation – Year 2
  • ACADRM027: Explore role and dramatic play using movement and facial expression
  • ACADRM028: Use voice, gesture, and body to express emotion
  • ACADRR029: Respond to drama with simple reflection on character and story
• Years 3–4
  • ACADRM032: Use expressive skills to explore story and character
  • ACADRM033: Perform improvisation and simple comic scenes
  • ACADRR034: Reflect on the fun and feeling created in performance
• Years 5–6
  • ACADRM036: Rehearse and refine comic characters and performance pieces
  • ACADRM037: Use movement, space, and timing to express meaning
  • ACADRR038: Analyse how comedy and character entertain and connect

Health & Physical Education (HPE)

• Foundation – Year 2
  • ACPPS003: Recognise emotions and how they feel in our bodies
  • ACPPS005: Practise personal and social skills to include others
  • ACPMP008: Participate in movement games and explore space
• Years 3–4
  • ACPPS037: Practise communication and teamwork during shared games
  • ACPPS038: Understand emotional responses in performance and play
• Years 5–6
  • ACPPS056: Explore how emotional regulation supports collaboration and confidence
  • ACPPS051: Understand how individuality and identity can shine in performance

General Capabilities

Personal and Social Capability

• Develop confidence and joy in expressing feelings through clowning
• Build resilience by turning mistakes into comedy
• Collaborate and support others in shared laughter

Critical and Creative Thinking

• Solve problems playfully
• Respond to changes and improvise on the spot
• Think laterally and explore the unexpected in storytelling

Ethical Understanding

• Understand the power of humour and kindness
• Reflect on how we include others in fun and laughter
• Explore emotions safely through fictional play

Intercultural Understanding

• Learn about clown traditions from around the world (e.g. Commedia dell’Arte, European clowns, slapstick comedy)
• Celebrate comedy as a universal way to connect

WHAT STUDENTS GAIN

• Confidence to perform and express themselves
• Emotional literacy through physical storytelling
• Improvisation and spontaneity skills
• Connection with peers through shared humour
• A sense of play that stays long after the workshop ends

 TEACHER TAKEAWAYS

Teachers leave with:

• 5+ ready-to-use clowning games for classroom drama
• Language for talking about emotions, resilience, and mistakes as learning
• Tools to encourage risk-taking, collaboration, and joyful expression

Devised by: Clint Bolster
Directed by: Clint Bolster