"A Clown cannot pretend or be artificial. In the circus, laughter cannot be faked any more than a somersault."
- Jerome Medrano of Cirque Medrano, Paris 

The Clown Conservatory offers a First Year program (September - June) with instruction in classic clowning, circus skills, acrobatics, mime, dance, character development, business, the creation of original clown material and more. Students also explore the history and current practice of clowning and its relationship and responsibility to society.

Our Advanced Program gives continuing students the opportunity to create an act of professional quality while training, performing and working with community groups.

The Clown Conservatory offers workshops and classes to the general public from time to time.

Ten Reasons to study at the Clown Conservatory:

1) Graduates are performing around the world with Cirque du Soliel, Cirque Eloize, Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus, Stomp, The New Pickle Circus and many others.

2) The Clown Conservatory is the only comprehensive clown training program in North America.

3) Actors, dancers, circus performers, improvizors, musicians and clowns come to the Clown Conservatory from all over the world.

4) Students receive a lot of personal attention from our staff of top professionals.

5) We offer cutting edge training grounded in the rich global traditions of clowning.

6) Good, creative careers in clowning are multiplying as the New Circus movement flourishes.

7) Our students learn all aspects of clowning: classic routines, acrobatics, juggling, hospital-based clowning, dance, mime, stilt walking, make-up design & application, important aspects of business from marketing to negotiating a contract and much more.

8) The staff and students are constantly questioning, experimenting and searching for new ways to make audiences laugh (and cry).

9) We are a program of Circus Center, S.F., home of the New Pickle Circus, the S.F. Youth Circus and the S.F. School of Circus Arts.

10) The Clown Conservatory is a fun, warm and exciting place to be.

A majority of our 80 graduates now work in circuses, theaters and other performing venues around the world, including:

• The New Pickle Circus
• Cirque du Soleil
• Cirque Eloize
• Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus
• Aga-Boom
• Winners of the Jose Soledad Aycardo Award (Top honors at the All-Mexico clown festival)
• The Broadway touring company of "My One and Only"
• Circus Monti (Switzerland)
• Circus Kaput
• Stomp
• Lunatique Fantastique
• Splash Circus
• Marin Shakespeare Festival
• Covent Garden Buskers, London
• Cirque Bijou (Brighton)
• Circus Minimus
• Prescott Clowns
• Berkshire Community College Circus Camp
• Fool Time Circus
• Children's Fairyland
• Earth Circus
• Velocity Circus
• Kaotica's Circus
• New Conservatory Theatre
• Encore Theatre
• Theatre Rhino
• Unconditional Theatre
• Lazer Vaudeville and others