A Clown's Guide To Conflict
If you are working within an organization, as a staff member or a leader, and looking to navigate tension with more grace, courage, and skill, this workshop could be just right for you!
Though we sorely want it to be different, folks brought up in American culture are generally unskillful when it comes to navigating conflict. We lie, manipulate, shrink, over and underreact, and often struggle to create bridges back to one another. In the meantime, our lack of conflict skills has created a reality where we’re often afraid to disagree with anyone, even those with whom we have committed to collaborate with to accomplish our organizations visions and goals.
Meanwhile, as clowns, we know that creativity, play, and an ability to laugh at ourselves are key tools for moving through struggle. We want to add these tools to your personal toolbelt to assist in navigating tension and conflict. We’re here to bring in the clown.
From the minds of renowned clown teacher and performing artist, Donna Oblongata, and facilitator, conflict expert, and multi- disciplinary artist Duns, we invite you into an experimental intensive workshop that marries the principles of clowning with the wisdom of transformational conflict techniques that have been tested here in the US and beyond.
This workshop is centered on creativity, play and skill-building; as we believe that getting good at conflict not only requires technique, but also an imagination rich enough to create the conditions for transformation to take place.
Workshop prioritizes accessibility. All bodies and abilities can participate. Zero experience needed in performance, clown, facilitation or mediation.
Activities include a range of exercises incorporating play, journaling, storytelling, embodied movement and silent performance.
Workshop values include fun, authenticity and risk-taking.
Light snacks and lunch will be included both days.
Date: May 29-30, 2025 *Note: this is a two day event
Time: 9-5PM ET
Location: Conscious Revolution, 10 Cottage Road, South Portland, Maine
Cost: $475 for non members, $300 for members
Facilitators
Donna Oblongata is a critically-acclaimed performer, social practice artist, and award-winning writer. Her work has been described as, "big, bold, and endlessly impressive" - Baltimore City Paper and, “balancing on the thrilling precipice of pleasure and danger” – New Orleans Box Office. She has performed at the Eugene O’Neill Theater Center, Ars Nova (NY), and shared the stage with Mikhail Baryshnikov in Slava’s Snow Show. As a writer, she has received a MacDowell Fellowship and won awards for her short fiction. Her protest art in support of Gaza was recently acquired by the Jewish Museum in Washington DC. Her social practice project Vote By Pal can be seen at VoteByPal.com. As a performer, she has toured her own work extensively throughout the world for almost two decades.
Dwight Dunston is a West Philly-based facilitator, hip- hop artist, educator, and activist who has brought his creativity, care, and compassion to schools, community centers, retirement homes, festivals, and stadiums all over the country and internationally. Dwight is a Level II certified Kingian Nonviolence trainer, completing over 40 hours of training and practice. He is also a trained mediator through SEEDS and has trained extensively with psychologist Dr Howard Stevenson at the University of Pennsylvania to support folks to heal through storytelling. You can hear Dwight in conversation with spirit-led artist and activist on Pendle Hill's new podcast, The Seed: Conversations For Radical Hope