I’m always on the lookout for insight into the world of clowning, especially social clowning. So I was delighted to discover a little while back a series of essays in the Quebeqois Zine Les Cahiers de l’Idiotie . For those interested in the subject, there is a deep wealth of information and insight into the role that clown plays in the world. I have posted the links to the articles below, or you can sign up to access the magazine (free) and then navigate to the archives link. The home page photograph is well worth an initial click. UPDATE 5/23: Unfortunately it seems that the Cahiers de l’Idiotie blog is no more. IF you are truly curious, perhaps you can call up some of these pages through your search magic.
The only drawback may be that, with the exception of Bernie Warren’s excellent essay comparing hospital clowns to the medieval jester, the articles are all in French. However given the modern internet translation capacities available, that should only be a slight hindrance…wishing you good reading.
Dr Amandine (Florence Vinit) © Photographie de Remi Coignard Friedman
I fell in love with this photograph and found Florence Vinit’s article on her work in elder’s homes quite inspiring. Her understandings of what clowning can bring to elders living in institutions is extremely relevant and heart warming.
La figure féminine du clown : enjeux et représentations sociales
Delphine Cezard
Chocolat, une figure de l’altérité sur la piste
Nathalie Coutelet
Révélations d’un incestueux « trickster » dans l’homme invisible de Ralph Ellison
Marie-Caroline Meur
Clown et bouffon, acteurs du social
Créer la diagonale du clown… sur le damier ordonné du social, L’expérience des “clownanalystes”
Jean-Bernard Bonange
Qui est ce clown au chevet du monde ? Profil dun visiteur
Bertil Sylvander
Foolish Medicine – some connections between medieval fools and modern clown- doctors
Bernie Warren
Des clowns en centre d’hébergement, folle audace ou scandale?”
Florence Vinit
Nouvelles du front altermondialiste : L’Armée de clowns révolutionnaire tient bon
Francis Dupuis-Déri
L’utopie interstitielle du pitre Rémi Gaillard
Jérôme Dubois