Clowns Level UP! - Advanced Training with Peter Sweet | 28 February - 2 March

Clowns Level Up!

Three days of clown training, improvisation, and creation, exclusively for returning clown students of Peter Sweet or Giovanni Fusetti.

When:

28 February -2 March, 2025

Friday 17:00-21:00

Saturday and Sunday 10:00-18:00

Where:

Sportanlage Maybachufer

Pflügerstraße, 12045 Berlin

https://goo.gl/maps/DSPvAzMHYYYzrtqJA

Apply here: https://forms.gle/EyasCcYentK6SjYt9

I am offering this workshop to the growing community of performers who have completed a long format clown training (2-4 weeks) and would like to play their clown and work on material in a group of other dedicated clowns. I will offer coaching and feedback, and you will benefit from playing and creating with other clowns who have been trained either by myself (Peter Sweet) or by Giovanni Fusetti.

Curious about Peter Sweet's approach to clowning? Watch this short video, featuring clowns from the most recent intensive workshop in Berlin 2024.

The Program:

Day One: Wake up the clowns

We will begin by warming up our poetic bodies and reviewing the path back into the clown state. The main focus will be to remember your clown form and the fundamentals that bring you into play - Breath, Level of Energy and Contact. In addition to full group and small group exercises, each student will have one passage, assisted by Peter Sweet (A.K.A Monsieur Loyal) to bring your clown’s full power back to the space.

Day Two: Play!

Once the clowns have fully “entered the building”, we will dive into play together, including clown meetings, “Yes games” and skill performances. Clowns who have never before met will have a chance to do so, and long lost clown loves and rivalries will be renewed.

Day Three: Creation

The last day will be dedicated to preparing material for the stage. You will have the choice of presenting a clown number that you have been working on outside of the workshop, reworking an improv from day two of this workshop, or presenting a new proposal for a number with your clown. This is a chance to try things out in front of the workshop audience, and to receive feedback from Peter Sweet, serving as your teacher and outside eye.

Clowns flourish together as each one shares their unique folly and wisdom with the rest. This workshop is a space of playful exchange for you to foster ongoing connections, create new collaborations and have a lot of rigorous fun together. I will be there as your teacher and guide, to support and challenge you to take your clown to the heights and depths of their potential.

Requirements for participation:

You have completed at least one clown workshop with Peter Sweet or Giovanni Fusetti of one to four weeks long.

You have a clown that you developed in the work with Peter or Giovanni whom you would like to play with in this workshop.

You remember* the movement, voice and name of your clown and either have or can reconstruct a basic costume for them to use in the workshop.

*If you feel a bit rusty or insecure about your clown… that’s fine! Welcome to being human. There will be time to review and remember the full glory of your clown.

However…

This is not a place to develop a new clown. These three days are for playing and creating with the clown that you already developed in the previous workshop. So come prepared to call them to the stage.

This is also not a place to work with a character/clown that you developed in a workshop with another teacher or on your own (even if they are awesome).

Why clowns from Peter Sweet and Giovanni Fusetti?

I have trained, mentored and collaborated with Giovanni for nearly 20 years. I was initiated into somatic clowning, first as a clown myself and then as a clown pedagog by Giovanni. While our ways of teaching clown are unique and reflect our different values and experience, we share a core approach to the work that allows clowns who have grown up in either of our workshops to have a grand time playing together.

For students coming from Giovanni’s workshops, you will have a chance to experience this rich field of work as embodied and facilitated by myself, Peter Sweet. You will also have the chance to play with clowns who are grounded (at least in part) in my approach.

For students coming from my workshops you will have a chance to play with clowns from other groups and perhaps also some who have trained with Giovanni and have been enriched by his glorious presence and pedagogy.

About the teacher:

Peter Sweet’s approach to clown combines the madness of play with the rigor of technique. He teaches the most effective tools that he has used in his 20+ years of performing and directing clown, physical theatre, and circus. Peter first discovered clown in a workshop with Avner "The Eccentric" Eisenberg in 2003 and has developed his practice of clowning and clown pedagogy through his long mentorship with Giovanni Fusetti, founding director of the Helikos International School of Theater Creation. His unique approach has been further enriched by his experience as a teacher of the Alexander Technique, Wutao breath-work, and a wide range of somatic and martial arts.

Professionally, Peter's solo and duo shows: Meet Pete Sweet (Clown developed with Avner "The Eccentric" Eisenberg), Swinging High (directed by Giovanni Fusetti), BOOM! (directed by Matteo Destro) and Foolish Doom (directed by Matteo Destro) have toured in over 20 countries.

Peter served as the director of performance in the circus department at Die Etage Berlin for 4 years. He is a thesis advisor and coach at Fonty’s Netherlands masters program in choreography and has been a guest teacher at the Stockholm University of Dance and Circus, Zurich University of the Arts and the Bayerische Theaterakademie August Everding in Munich.

Peter  studied physical theatre at the Helikos International School  of Theatre  Creation in Florence, contemporary and classical dance at  the Salzburg  Experimental Academy of Dance in Salzburg and circus at  Ecole du Cirque  Zofy in Sion (CH). He is a certified teacher of both  the Alexander  Technique and Wutao, a French movement art based on  breath and  undulation.

Peter is currently based in Berlin (DE), where he directs professional companies, teaches workshops and creates new works of inspired madness. In his free time he reads, drums, flies kites, and watches Muppet show re-runs.

Workshop Logistics:

Language: English

The workshop will be taught in English. A basic understanding of this language is required for participation. Peter also speaks German, French and Indonesian and can offer translation in moments when it is needed.

Class Size: Max 10

I am limiting this workshop to just 10 students, to allow for plenty of stage time for each of you. Once 10 students have been confirmed, the workshop is full and additional applicants will be added to the waiting list.

Attendance: Full Time

Because the pedagogy is progressive and because you will be relying on each other in the group, attending the full class time every day is required for participation in this workshop.

Cost: Sliding scale 165€- 265€ 

In order to make this workshop accessible to people with a range of economic means, this workshop uses a donation sliding scale system between 165€- 265€. It is also possible to pay in several instalments.

Once accepted into the workshop, your workshop fees are due within 5 days, to confirm your participation and save your spot. Please note that your fee includes a 75 Euro non-refundable deposit (except in the case of cancellation of the workshop due to force majeure).

Apply here: https://forms.gle/EyasCcYentK6SjYt9

Once Peter has reviewed your application, he will contact you to let you know if there is an open spot for you in the workshop.

Questions about the course?

Please contact Peter Sweet : info@petersweet.com

This event is organised in cooperation with Coraggio - Die kulturanstifter e.V.

For more info about workshops, visit https://www.coraggio.de/projekt/coraggio-lab/