About Iona May-zing

After enjoying clowning for years and years, I began facilitating Clowning Around Workshops in 2023. This started out as 'In and out of (self) love' workshops in partnership with the incredible S.H.I.N.E. yoga and creative wellbeing, and has developed into a variety of different Clowning Around Workshops that I sometimes facilitate on my own and sometimes in collaboration with others.  

 

Clowning has always been a big part of my life and I am in the process of completing Clowning Facilitator Training with Nose to Nose. I have mainly 'done' clowning in a workshop setting and these experiences have informed my poetry and my performances. My poetry collection, 'Breaking Down Loudly' (Verve Poetry Press), uses clowning to talk about grief, family, and friendship. The collection forms the bases of my one-woman show about my mother's death, which I've performed at The Garage’s ‘Scratch Night’ (in Norwich) and at the Alma Theatre (in Bristol). I've also presented on how clowning can inform Life Writing, at the Creative Bridges conference. In another part of my life, I've been a Religious Studies teacher in Primary and Secondary Schools and my love of play and storytelling definitely informed my teaching style!

 

Clowning has brought me so much joy over the years and has helped me to get to know myself better. I’m eager to share this feeling with others.