Dear Wild Humans of Expression
You are invited to join a community of clowns, fools, movers, shakers and magic makers for this Clownlife Retreat hosted in the golden vast prairies of Milo, Alberta.
If you are yearning to develop artistically, conjure new inspiration for performance, experience the Clownlife pedagogy(influenced by universal and ancient traditions of clown), expand your performance repertoire, live in community, immerse yourself in nature, laugh and play and be wild, this performance Camp is here for you.
There will be performances, campfires and group social events in the evenings after fully immersing ourselves throughout the day. This will be an intensive process with a full schedule so please apply if you’re yearning for an artistically full, in depth enquiry, holistic community based performance development camp that is connected to and informed by the land, ritual and of course bringing the comedy of you out into the world to shine bright where it’s most needed.
The land is glorious, luscious and green with the nearby Lake McGregor to dunk your body in. Although the town is not entirely off grid, there will be limited access to electricity and regular cell service, so we will be taking advantage of going mostly unplugged.
ITINERAY
August 17th : Arrival Date. All participants must arrive on August 17th to set up their camp or check into their arranged accommodation.
Aug 18th – 27th : Clown Life Retreat | Sessions are 10AM – 5PM each day
August 28th : Departure Day.
Daily Itinerary will look like:
Morning: Movement, dance warm ups and games
Afternoon: Introduction to Clownlife pedagogy and performance practice
Late Afternoon: Performance Generating exercises
Evening: Most evenings will be filled with sharing what we have created throughout our day
● We will have daily check in’s to make sure that we are working at the pace of the group’s needs, with an opening and closing ceremony to hold the container.
● There will be some leisure time to swim, walk, dream, write, explore and create.
WHERE
The retreat and camping will take place at the Pickle Parish Church, home of LieLow Music Festival in Milo Alberta. Milo is an approximate 1.5 hr drive south of Calgary.
https://goo.gl/maps/R6Y4PscykfUXAhNP9
CAMPING & ACCOMMODATION
There is lots of room and opportunity to camp around the Pickle Parish for free. For camping, you will have access to the Pickle Parish for bathrooms (toilets and 1 shower), a community kitchen and outdoor BBQ. There is also a nearby firepit for evening glow hangouts.
* All participants are expected to bring the camping gear that they require.
Although camping is highly encouraged for the immersion of the experience, we recognize that this could be a barrier for certain individuals with accessibility needs. If you want to discuss accommodations and accessibility needs, please email Elaine, elaine@maskandpuppet.com, with your questions and we can chat about what options are possible.
MEALS & FOOD
As part of the immersive experience, meal options (Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner) will be provided for all participants. Meals will be based on a vegetarian cuisine. Participants will sign up for a few lunch or dinner shifts to collectively be part of helping prep and cook these meals for the group. Meals will be shared together under the prairie sun. Please know, this does not limit you to bring your own food, dietary special needs or meat options to be enjoyed along with these retreat meals. Note : In the town of Milo there is 1 grocery store for anyone who needs to purchase additional food, snacks or treats!
INVESTMENT
*LIMITED SPACES: 12 participants (please note: the Clownlife retreats have a history of filling up, it is recommended to apply sooner than later to avoid disappointment).
Early Bird Price : $1100
After March 31st : $1200
After May 31st : $1300
Photographer : We will be looking for one person to take on the role of photographer for the duration of the retreat. Whomever steps into this role would be someone who is familiar with photography and would be at ease through the retreat to be participating and at times taking photos of the activities and events as they happen. This person will receive a half price registration fee ($500) to honour their participation in this role.
CANCELLATION POLICY
There are no refunds on tickets, but, tickets can be transferable to another participant if organised by the buyer.
COVID-19
We will be keeping up to date on Covid-19 guidelines and will work with our collective comfort levels when creating a collective plan. Rapid tests will be made available for each participant to take a test at the beginning and then again at the end of the retreat.
::IMPORTANT :: All participants must show proof of vaccination prior to the start of the workshop. Due to the nature of Clown practice being a full body and fill face expression form, we will be aiming to hold the workshop without wearing masks.
Canadian Academy of Mask and Puppetry
© 2017 Canadian Academy of Mask and Puppetry
QUICK LINKS
In the spirit of reconciliation, Canadian Academy of Mask and Puppetry acknowledges that we live, work and play on the traditional territories of the Blackfoot Confederacy (which includes the Siksika, Kainai, Piikani). We would also like to acknowledge the Tsuut'ina, the Îyâxe Nakoda Nations(Bearspaw, Chiniki, and Wesley), the Métis Nation (Region 3), and all of us who make their homes in the Treaty 7 region of Southern Alberta.