Sara teaches Pochinko Clown through Mask, as well as movement and voice for actors, including one-on-one vocal and movement coaching. She gives workshops on Neutral Mask, Kinetics (Ball work), and Animal Work. She also works with children and youth, teaching clown, physical theatre and play creation.
In 2008, Sara travelled to Vancouver, BC, working one-on-one with mentor Ian Wallace to learn to teach Pochinko Clown Through Mask technique, as well as Neutral Mask and Kinetics (Ball Work). This six month, intensive mentorship program was funded through the Canada Council for the Arts Professional Development Grants for Theatre Artists, as well as the Newfoundland and Labrador Arts Council.
March – July 2008: Sara and Ian Wallace co-teach an 18-week session on Pochinko Clown through Mask, Neutral Mask and Kinetics, Vancouver BC.
June 2008: Sara and Ian Wallace co-teach a 9-session clown and mask workshop with Theatre Terrific, Vancouver, BC
January 2009: a one-day workshop on Neutral Mask at the Reid Theatre, MUN, St. John’s. $40/$20 for students and the underemployed.
April-June 2009: Clown Through Mask 10-week course, Reid Theatre, MUN, St. John’s.
December 10, 2009: Neutral Mask for High School Theatre Teachers, St. John’s.
January 17, 2010: Neutral Mask Level I, Reid Theatre, St. John’s. See the News page for details.
January 24, 2010: Neutral Mask Level II, Reid Theatre, St. John’s. See the News page for details.
Clown Through Mask 2010
Reid Theatre, Arts and Administration Building, MUN
Mondays and Wednesdays 6-10 pm, Saturdays 1-5 pm (except May 30 – Sunday 1-5 pm)
May 17, 19, 22, 24, 26, 30, 31, June 2, 19, 21, 23, 26, 28, 30, July 3
“Clowning isn’t something we need to learn so much as something we become aware of in
ourselves. Any time that we are curious, playful, or creative, we are in clown mode. When we
are in a state of wonder or awe, surprise or amazement, we are in clown. Whenever we have
hunches, act on impulse, or digress – we are in clown. Whenever we have strong emotions, we
are in clown. The clown lives in the place of laughing and crying at the same time.” –Jan Hendersen
Pochinko technique, or Clown through Mask technique, is an intense, personal process which takes each participant through a series of exercises designed to open up hidden creative possibilities, and bring us back to an experience of play, impulse, wonder, and limitless potential for expression.
We face ourselves in six directions, in innocence and experience. By making and wearing a full-face mask, we explore the body first. By transferring this mask work into a red nose (the world’s smallest mask), we arrive at a powerful, unique character – the clown.
This training is not intended to prepare you for the circus. There are no tricks, no juggling and no stilts involved. Rather, we seek to expose human vulnerability, innocence, and wonder through the exploration of clown.
This work is a powerful tool for any artist working in any discipline. It opens up new avenues of exploration which can be pursued in any medium. Participants do not need to be performers – all that is required is the willingness to experiment, to face yourself honestly, to explore, and to move beyond your comfort zone.
This intensive training process is available free to participants. A maximum of 10 people will be accepted. Attendance is required at all sessions. If you are interested in this work please email Sara at sara@shesaidyestheatre.ca as soon as possible to secure a spot.
Sara Tilley trained with Ian Wallace (nion) and Sue Morrison in Pochinko Clown Through Mask technique, and has created many different clown performances in the past ten years, ranging from full theatre productions to burlesque numbers to improvised characters who are occasionally seen in public places. In 2008, she trained with Ian Wallace to teach Clown through Mask and Neutral Mask. She is the artistic director of She Said Yes!, and uses the Pochinko work as inspiration not just for clown, but for acting, directing, writing and design.
If you are interested in hiring Sara as a teacher or coach, contact her at sara@saratilley.ca