Caroline Dream, Clown Coach, Director and Author

Caroline Dream’s passion is to help others enjoy being in the spotlight. As a professional clown, she has traveled the world learning how to best express and enjoy herself on stage in order to provoke laughter, engagement and dramatic impact. For the past 20 years, she has coached thousands of people to use their sense of humour to overcome those pesky inner obstacles that prevent us from being brave, bold and brilliant. Since 2013 she has been blazing the trail in Applied Clowning for the corporate sector with innovative clients at Bancolombia, Hp, Seat, Ecopetrol, Joyco, amongst others. Her keynote speeches open the lid on the art and wisdom of clowning, and it’s intrinsic connection to self-empowerment.

I have very fond memories of my childhood. There was an abundance of positive energy all around me that I sucked up with joy. My parents, when they were still happily married, showered me and my sisters with love. They also initiated us in pleasures of nature, literature, cycling, music, dressing up, parties, travelling, playing games, and making things. Our neighbourhood was overrun with kids and we’d regularly hang out together in one ginormous gang. We’d climb trees, go on adventures, find mischievous things to do and generally do things the adults wouldn’t have wanted us to do had they been around to watch us.

My parents were theatre enthusiasts and took me to see just about all the shows that passed through our city. 100 odd shows a year gave me an extensive education in how I could express myself with greater creativity.  My parents also frequently invited travelling theatre companies to stay over at our house. To me, they all had a kind of shine around them; they were exotic, cool, crazy, uninhibited, forthright and intruiging. For about 10 years these artists passed through my life and left me with a lasting impression that theatre was an intrinsic part of life; that it was a way of telling the stories that would otherwise be surpressed, lost or forgotten.

I discovered my clown when I was 22 years old. After studying drama at Exeter University I found myself at a loose end. That summer my father invited me to a festival in Poland. Once there, I was asked to do a street performance. As I hadn’t anything prepared I paired up with another actor and together we threw together a clown sketch involving  flour, eggs and tons of bravado! I was hooked the minute I put my first red nose on!

Making people laugh is much more complex and fascinating than it may seem at first glance. The red nose does not make people laugh, but the clown inside you. To discover your clown, it is important to be prepared to share who you are, with humility and humanity, knowing that this unique learning process has no foreseeable end, that is, there will always be something to learn, develop or perfect, as in all the arts.

Inhabiting the clown state brings out the best in us – we become authentic, honest, creative, humble, inventive, curious, joyful and free – and merely recognizing all these qualities we inherently possess is revitalizing. With the help of our clown we become connected – to ourselves, to others and to life, with appreciation and compassion.

The vast majority of my students do not intend to be professional clowns. They come for very different reasons, in order to experience, first-hand, the extraordinary clown inside them. And they are thrilled to meet them. Because, through their clown, they feel as free as they did in childhood; able to be expressive, playful and funny in the presence of others. That is what your clown can do for you; free you from your shame, your defences and your fears, so that you can be yourself: authentic, expressive, ridiculous, explosive, spontaneous, creative, enthusiastic and… idiotic!

Joining Toastmasters was one of the best decisions of my life. I wanted to share my clown knowledge with a wider audience and thought giving speeches would help me do that. And it has, but it has also brought me into contact with some amazing individuals, helped me grow as a leader and given me a new source of income.

I am extremely proud that I sat down day after day during 6 years and wrote two clowning manuals (which were greatly needed by students, teachers and professionals). My first clown book has become a reference in the world of clown. It has been published in Spanish, Portuguese, and in English under the title, The Clown In You (2014) and has sold over 16,000 copies worldwide. In October 2020 I published my second book, Clown Yourself, which has been dubbed “helpful to anyone who wants to meet their own ridiculousness in a deeply relaxing way” by the world-renowned Swiss clown Gardi Hutter.

Since moving to Maresme, over 30 years ago now, I have felt that all my horizons have opened up. I love the nearness of the coastline, the ability to stroll on the beach and sit quitely listening to the waves. It’s great being so close to the city, but lost in the mountains at the same time. I also love how many ex-pats live here! I have indeed found my international tribe.

Quick fire questions:

Fave restaurant in Maresme?

I rarely go to restaurants, but when I do I’m overwhelmed by the choice of yummy places in Maresme.

Best weekend activity in Maresme?

I often go on hikes to discover new pathways through the forests. All year round it’s such a pleasure, but of course, very hilly!

Friendliest shop in Maresme?

That award has to go to No20 in Vilassar de Mar!

What would surprise most people when they first come to Maresme?

How much is actually going on in every village. My village, Argentona, has an amazing theatre and film program, plus a street festival, ceramics fair and Fiesta Mayor that totally rocks.

Contact details:

https://about.carolinedream.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/carolinedream/
https://www.instagram.com/dream_caroline/
https://onlineclownworkshop.com/

Spanish workshops:
https://www.cursosdeclown.com/