inb4 the inevitable jokes, this is a genuine question.
I’m learning to juggle, I’ve got a lot of experience doing different kinds of presentations for children, I thrifted a guide to making balloon animals and will buy supplies to practice if I end up winning an Amazon gift card at work.
The other things I imagine I would need are getting the make up down. I’d love to go to Mooseburger, but financially not in the cards.
How does one start doing festivals? Making money would be nice, but I’d be happy to do things like kids hospitals for free.
Honestly… go to renaissance festivals and ask the performers if they need help. You’ll get a (poorly) paying gig doing clowning-adjacent work that is seasonal.
Repetitive clowning around.
Seriously, all successful entertainment stories are based on keeping at it until success is found. Doesn’t work for everyone, but there isn’t a guaranteed path and it sounds like you are doing the steps you can already. You could volunteer for hospitals, although you might get rejected without some kind of way to verify you are legit.
I had a good friend who was a clown. I drove a car small enough to call a clown car so I drove for a lot of gigs after we met. He would “clown up” and go to public events(concerts, festivals, karaoke, any excuse really) and be silly and most importantly have fun. He networked and had a few yearly gigs. Some paid but he was in it for the clowning and the cash was just a bonus. Don’t quit your day job and all.
As a person he was great company. Friends with everyone and woke up every day looking to have a good time. One yearly gig we did was a three hours away neighborhood wide garage sale. It was one of the few that paid. After a day of making balloon animals he stood in a chalk circle and I handed kids water balloons and kept the tip jar mostly empty. We made well over $100 each those days.
His backstory is a little more fucked up than the average clown I would guess. His primary networking was AA meetings and back in the 80s he was an alcoholic crackhead living in Detroit sleeping in dumpsters. The dude knew how to hustle. He told me the story of how his daughter had to come up with some cash and the chalk circle and water balloons show(?) outside bars solved her money issues overnight.
He had no formal training so don’t get hung up on some expensive day camp. If you have it in you you can be a clown. Getting a degree from a clown college is just a vanity project. A real clown, at least to me, hung out with Joe C watching wrestling and smoking weed while Kid Rock and the rest of the gang partied after shows. Be larger than life and you can be whatever you want to be.
I think the majority of people who spend most of their days bringing joy (comedians) tend to have dark background. Doesn’t surprise me that clowns would equally have some awful shit that pushed them to see the bright side of life more clearly.
It kind of depends on what kind of clown you want to be.
There are clown colleges that you can go to which will help you make connections that can lead to circus jobs. They also teach you about the different types of classic clown tropes, and will help you narrow down to the specific skill set that works for you. Here is a website that will help you find clown colleges:
https://clownswithoutborders.org/top-clown-schools-u-s/
Rodeo clowns are a different breed altogether. To become a rodeo clown, you need to be somewhat insane, have no fear of death by trampling, and then you need to hang out at rodeos to make the right connections. Finding some basic job at a rodeo would be a good start, and then you can work your way into the clown role once they recognize that you are completely bonkers and willing to stand in front of a charging bull.
Party clowns are essentially entrepreneurs. You need to develop the skills on your own, and then find someone to give you a shot at their kids birthday party. Relationships are essential—don’t be afraid to ask your clients for referrals, and make sure you are professional, personable, and entertaining at all times around them. It is a hard road, but like any freelance business, once you get the ball rolling in your area, you have the potential to carve out a decent career. It is especially important that you use your connections for a broader reputation among schools and churches because eventually the first wave of kids will grow up, and you will need to transition into the next generation.
My goal I think is to be a science clown. Balloon animals with a touch of biology, comedically “failing” at chemistry experiments, the physics of juggling. The goal has been percolating in my head for a few years, but now I’ve lost all sense of shame and feel like I could confidently fall on my ass and look like an idiot to entertain and educate.
That is going to be outside the scope of normal clown schooling. You may want to get an act together and approach an alternative freak show—I feel like that might fit well. Otherwise, it sounds like you’d probably be going the self employed route.
“Baskets” is an excellent documentary series about becoming a clown (jk)
Let me get this straight. You ask a question about how to become a clown, but want to avoid jokes and being laughed at?
…you SURE you want to be a clown?
Just not looking for the low effort, Reddit-tier jokes. Wanting actual advice or at least funny jokes.
Treat it like a business even if its just for the kids. Make a plan where you outline your services, availability and perhaps an applicable work/education history. Then just start asking around, maybe start by asking other clowns in your area about where you can find a gig or where you can find a place for you to get better
You just first need to become a !world@lemmy.world moderator, the rest is easy.
