What participants have to say about the clown workshop

I haven't been in such a surprising workshop for a long while! I didn't expect I would love it so much! Micaela is a sincere and trustworthy teacher. She has a strong but gentle power to make the space around her become safe and playful, yet still be very specific in teaching. I have learnt a lot not only in clowning, but also general comedy rules. I thanked myself for taking this journey. It's such a fortune!

The Clowning workshop with Micaela was hands down one of the best weeks I've spent in a theatre with other actors. The workshop has helped me to rediscover play, the fun of getting it wrong, the beauty of trying and the pay off of relentless optimism. At the start of the week I was so nervous and scared of the challenge, but by the end of it I'd done things I didn't think I would be able to achieve, and more! Working as a group, becoming a group, investing in the learning, practice, fun and play with each other, guided by wonderful facilitation and teaching from Micaela has been the best week I've had in ages. This course has been vital to my practice and developing my skillset, confidence and range as an actor. I can't wait for the next one.

For me, it has opened up a whole new practice. It was utterly fascinating and unbelievably joyful. I wanted to do it all day everyday. I could have done twice the time! I would really recommend it. It improved my sense of freedom within my body. It improved the relationship I have with my body and sense of confidence performing. I learnt so much about what it is to clown and how to seek honesty in my work. 10/10.

Inspired. Joyous. Exhausted. One week clowning with Micaela is like 10 years in break through therapy, leadership training or years of drama, movement or improv school and you get a free red nose. Efficient, direct and nurturing teaching, I felt held in every step into the void. The experience had an immediate and positive impact on my work with groups.

I found this workshop immensely helpful and engaging. I think Micaela is a wonderful teacher. As a newcomer to clowning, I think she introduced us to the subject in a very effective way, clear , uncomplicated and engaging. Each day we built up a little more knowledge until by the end it seemed out of nowhere we had a whole wealth of technique. I loved that it was all driven through the body and the emotion is not pushed and it felt accessible to all.

Micaela has such a delicate and inclusive way to create a very safe space where every individual feels encouraged to bring its own uniqueness and take risks ending up with a thirst to do more and beyond! I learned to trust myself when engaging with the audience and embrace the wholeheartedness of the clown (and bring more of this magic into my personal life).

Micaela curated an incredibly open space that allowed us to jump right in, play, and push our boundaries. The week was challenging, fun, and incredibly useful for practicing listening to audience and instinct. At every turn, we were encouraged to step outside of our comfort zone and see what might happen. Best of all, I've left with a new community of diverse and wonderful artists; friendships founded on the basis of play.

I think I learnt a lot about building a relationship with the audience. Having to constantly inform them of the decisions you’re making in real time, falling back into them when you are stuck, letting them rile you up into giving more and vice versa. That will be my biggest take away. I definitely became a lot less scared about flopping on stage and a lot more trusting with myself and my ability to pick myself up if needed on stage. That failing was the fun part, and that the uncertainty and randomness of what may come next through desperation is the THRILL of it all. I’m learning to enjoy myself ON STAGE more. The teaching is amongst the best I’ve received, I was able to learn through doing and in real-time. My body was adapting through the practical work and my instincts were being worked. I wasn’t dragged through the course, but there was a level of collaboration. That my mistakes were my own, that my failures were celebrated not chastised and that gave me the confidence to fall, get up and try again without fear. I could breathe, knowing that I was supported.

This workshop was invaluable for me. I'll take the skills I learnt not only into future clowning but into all of my performances because they're totally transferable and I know they'll make me a better actor too. Also, Micaela's empowering style of teaching allowed us to fully commit to every task fearlessly any mistakes were embraced as part of the learning journey.

This workshop was a wonderful opportunity for me to be more playful, release inhibitions, and discover spontaneous physical storytelling. I’ve learnt to embrace the connection with the audience more and what it means to really listen and always be curious. I’ve gained more trust in my abilitiy to hold a space as well as my vulnerability as an actor/ a human. ‘The one who jumps into the void, owes no explanation to those who stand and watch.’ Thank you so much Micaela, you’re a powerhouse!

Within a couple of weeks of working with Micaela, I went from being afraid to even try to loving every minute of it. I was so heady about my process and generally such an anxious performer, and I became someone who was excited to share my work and who loved performing again. I learnt so much about how to be open and how to listen with my whole body, how to commit fully to being in the moment and you showed me how to engage deeply with transformation. To this day I still use clowning as a bridge between myself and my characters. It’s a real game changer for me and I urge anyone who might be interested in Micaela’s clown workshop to absolutely go for it! You are in really safe hands❤️