The Archetypal Role of the Clown as a Catalyst for Individual and Societal Transformation

ABSTRACT The Archetypal Role of the Clown as a Catalyst for Individual and Societal Transformation Susan Proctor Many clowning programs are emerging around the world today (Adams 1998, Peacock 2009, Van Blerkom 2012, Vinit 2010, Simonds and Warren 2004). Programs like Clowns Without Borders; the humanitarian missions in Russia, Asia, and India led by Patch Adams; and Therapeutic clown programs in healthcare settings such as Jovia in Montreal are all deeply rooted in the traditions and archetype of the clown. What common elements of the role of the clown serve as catalysts for individual and societal transformation and how are they actualized in various contexts and cultures ranging from the Indigenous Tricksters to the contemporary clowns of Bataclown in France? Through ethnographic and autoethnographic research, this thesis will explore the traditional comedic role and the Indigenous sacred role of the clown to find connections to how the role of the clown manifests in communities today. This process will include reviewing scholarly works, interviewing and collecting experiential stories from clowns, as well as self-referencing my work in clowning and my script, written about my experiences, titled Under the Nose: Memoirs of a Clown, which I performed at the Winnipeg Fringe Theatre Festival in July, 2011