Clown theatre creation workshop 2026-2027 in Rivolet – Hugues Fellot

From 24 september 2026 to 30 march 2027

The 2026-2027 theatre clown creation workshop in Rivolet, in the Rhône, offers adults the opportunity to discover or deepen their knowledge of the art of theatre clowning under the direction of Hugues Fellot, clown at Cirque Plume from 2006 to 2012, actor, educator and director.

Organized by the Collectif d'Êtr'Acteur, this workshop is becoming weekly this season: participants meet every Thursday from 7 pm to 10 pm, from October 2026 to the end of March 2027, excluding school holidays. In total, the program comprises 18 sessions as well as a public presentation of the show created during the year.

More than just a clowning class, the workshop is designed as a true adventure in collective creation. It allows participants to experiment with clowning while gradually contributing to the creation of a sensitive, ephemeral, and co-created work. The goal is to culminate in a collective performance directed by Hugues Fellot and presented to an audience at the end of the workshop.

The workshop focuses heavily on the body, presence, and relationships. Participants explore dynamic physical and vocal exercises, rhythm, eye contact, listening, and the dynamics between partners. Particular attention is paid to the relationship with the audience, a fundamental element of theatrical clowning.

The workshop also invites each participant to work with their emotions, imagination, sensitivity, and poetic sensibilities, as well as to develop their ability to laugh at themselves and fully experience the present moment. Participants gradually learn the conventions of stage performance and work on building their clown character.

The creative process also involves improvisation games, with or without objects, as well as learning how to create acts to be performed in front of an audience. Hugues Fellot places great importance on collective clowning, particularly on how the role of leader – the “lead” – can circulate from one performer to another.

Costumes, props, and set design are also considered elements of clowning. The costume is not designed to conceal the performer, but rather as an extension of the body, allowing the character to be revealed and expressed more fully.

Hugues Fellot's approach seeks above all authenticity, the sensitivity of presence, the joy of play, and freedom. His work explores how the clown relates to his environment, objects, partners, and the audience, and how these interactions give rise to emotions and theatrical situations.

The workshop, however, demands a real physical commitment. The exercises involve frequent movement around the space, rapid changes of posture, floor work, and a sustained pace. The aim is to engage both body and mind to transcend intellectual control and allow more room for spontaneous play and creativity.

This experience is therefore aimed at adults wishing to participate in a collective project where everyone contributes to the creation in a spirit of listening and respect. It can be an opportunity to discover clowning or to deepen an existing practice. The Collective welcomes a wide range of profiles to its activities, from those just discovering the art to amateurs, semi-professionals, and professionals.

A trial class is offered on Thursday, September 24, 2026, before the start of the regular cycle in October.

🎯 Educational content
The 18 sessions cover, in particular:

dynamic and group physical and vocal exercises;

learning the positions of leader and follower;

rhythm, gaze and relationship with partners;

direct relationship with the public;

emotions, imagination, sensitivity and poetry;

ability to laugh at oneself;

game in the present time;

codes of stage performance;

construction of a clown character;

artistic, aesthetic and scenographic direction;

improvisations with or without objects;

creation of one or more numbers;

preparation for a public performance;

group work based on listening and respect.

• Page officielle de l’atelier / inscription
• Site officiel du Collectif d’Êtr’Acteur
• Contacts du Collectif

Clown creation workshop