Clowns WIthout Borders — Master's Degree in Physical Comedy (Sweden)

[post 074]

I don't know much about this, but it might be right up your clown alley. The Manege Center for Circus, Music Hall and Street Performance, in collaboration with the Swedish branch of Clowns Without Borders and the Stockholm Academy of Dramatic Arts, is offering a one-year master's degree program in Physical Comedy. Classes are in English and start January 2011. "Upon completion of the programme students will be qualified to work with Clowns without Borders internationally." You might want to ask if "qualified" means "offered a job," but certainly worth looking into.

Here's the info from their web site:

A Year of Physical Comedy

This one-year Master’s programme is intended for performing artists with professional experience in physical comedy and entertainment - clowning, magic, juggling, acrobatics, mime, etc – and with a desire to make the world a better place.

A Year of Physical Comedy, for 60 ETCS credits, is an undertaking in collaboration with Clowns without Borders, Sweden. Upon completion of the programme students will be qualified to work with Clowns without Borders internationally. During the programme each student will create a solo performance and is also required to produce a master’s paper - written or otherwise presented. The year will also include two tours to international crisis areas (i.e. refugee camps). International students are accepted. The language of instruction is English. Good English language competence is therefore a requirement.

The programme begins in January 2011. Applications will be accepted during Spring 2010 with the last date of submission May 31st. Auditions will take place in Stockholm no later than June 2010 or in another European city no later than July 2010.

More information and the application form can be found at http://www.teaterhogskolan.se Do feel free to e-mail any questions you may have to magister@teaterhogskolan.se

Update (Feb. 22, 2010): Malin Karlsson, the program's international coordinator, has written me with this additional information: This year we have a master's programme called Skratt utan gränser (Laughter without borders), which is also a physical comedy-based programme. The class is on tour right now (also a cooperation with Clowns without Borders Sweden). The difference between the ongoing course and the upcoming is that the upcoming programme's tuition language is English. But I will happily report to you about this year's tour (three students are in Kenya, three students are in Burma and three students are on the West Bank) when they get back in the middle of March. There will be both photos, videoclips and reports on our website.

International coordinator