Clown & Voice Retreat
Facilitated By: Katie Down & Justine Williams
August 14th to 17th, 2025
Performing artists and teachers, Justine Williams and Katie Down, have been working and playing at the speed of fun for over a decade, bringing their work in clown and voice together to bring forward the unsocialized, playful self and to invite meaningful, joyful engagement and connection.
In this unique workshop, clown and voice training are presented in tandem – each approach informing and inspiring the other, and allowing participants to find greater access to and integration of voice, body, spirit and imagination.
As we sing, sound and play together – participants find opportunities for mirroring, for being witnessed and heard, for softening and opening, for making mistakes, for building camaraderie with collaborators, for getting stuck and finding a way through, and on the other side of all this, for discovering & relating to the audience, and to all that may surface for us.
The clown is our brave guide into this unknown realm – asking us to lead with our curiosity, enthusiasm, mischief, hope and to face all that is scary, potentially disastrous, but hopefully hilarious, in the present moment.
Sample Workshop Outline
DAY 1: Introductions; Exploring Principles of Play; Listening through the Body; Connecting to Breath & Sound; Group Singing & Improvising
DAY 2: The Speed of Fun; Exploring Rhythm, Timing, Tempo & Scale through Clown and Voice; Exploring Tension States; Circle Singing; Exploring a Theme through the Clown and through Voice
DAY 3 : Physical and Vocal Soundtracks; Finding Your Seed Song; Introducing the Red Nose; Collaborative Devising
DAY 4: Working with Red-Noses & Costumes; Collaborative Devising and Sharing; Exploring the Relationship to the Audience; Celebration
Sample Schedule:
(Arrivals on Day 1 between 2-4pm,
Departures on final day between 2-4pm after lunch clean)
Day 1
2:00 – 3:00 Introductions
3:00 – 5:00 Exploring Principles of Play
30 min BREAK
5:30 – 6:30 Listening through the Body; Connecting to Breath & Sound
6:30 – 7:30 Group Agreements & Closing Song
Day 2
10:00 – 11:00 Physical and Vocal Warm-Ups / Reflections
11:00 – 12:30 The Speed of Fun; Exploring Rhythm, Timing, Tempo & Scale
through Clown; Exploring Tension States
12:30 – 2:00 Lunch
2:00 – 3:30 Vocal Explorations into Rhythm, Timing, Dynamics, Tempo & Scale;
Circle Singing
3:30 – 4:30 The Song Exercise: Exploring a Theme Through Clown & Voice
4:30 – 5:30 Sharings
5:30 – 6:00 Closing Songs
Day 3
10:00 – 10:30 Physical and Vocal Warm-Up
11:00 – 12:30 Soundtracks: A solo clown exercise
12:30 – 2:00 Lunch
2:00 – 3:00 Finding Your Seed Song
3:00 – 4:00 Exercise in Forgetting & Introduction to the Red Nose
4 – 5:30pm The Song Exercise with Red Noses
5:30 – 6:00 Closing Songs
Day 4
10:00 – 11:00 Warm-up & Voice Work
11:00 – 12:00 Working in Red-Noses & Costumes
12:00 – 1:00 Triumphs & Disasters – a clown and voice composition exercise
1:00 – 2:30 Lunch (continued devising)
2:30 – 3:30 Continued Devising
3:30 – 5:00 Sharings
5:00 – 6:00 Closing Song and Celebration
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to have clowning, theatre, or musical experience?
Experience is helpful but not necessary.
Do I need to read music?
Nope!
Is there an opportunity to for me to bring an instrument?
Absolutely!
Will there be food considerations for different diets?
Yes!
Will there be time just to hang out?
Yes!
What else should I bring?
Costume clothing options are extremely helpful, as well as instruments and songs, if you have them.
“I felt so held and also very encouraged to expand and stretch with both voice and clown as katie and Justine weaved a flow between theset two perful portals”
“This work helped me connect with my vulnerability and my humanity and allowed me to feel the simple joy of singing and playing together.”
“Katie and Justine are so knowledgeable and in command of their work. you can feel their years of working and teaching together – seamlessly moving us between play, clown, voice, music and into creation.”
“I liked how stupid we got”
“The playful presence of the clown and the deep embodiment through the voice worked so well together and brought out parts of myself that have been dormant for so long”
“a warm and welcoming space for deep vulnerablility and play”
About Justine & Katie
Justine (she, they) is a Brooklyn-based performance and filmmaker, and celebrated teacher of play, clown, devised creation, and collaboration. On faculty at the David Geffen School of Drama (Yale School of Drama) since 2013, she has led workshops and created original performances with/for arts institutions, community-based and cultural organizations in NYC and around the globe. Justine holds an MFA from CUNY’s Brooklyn College in Performance and Interactive Media Arts, and trained extensively with Augusto Boal’s Center for Theatre of the Oppressed in Rio de Janeiro, at École Philippe Gaulier in Paris, and is a long-time collaborator with master clown teacher/director, Christopher Bayes.
Katie has been teaching embodied improvisation, Deep Listening, creative voice work and sound for over 20 years in the realms of theatre, movement, and creative expression. Her work entails the idea of deep play as a means of self-actualizing and opening of the senses through play. Katie runs regular workshops and gatherings focused on healing and community building through music and sound in the Hudson Valley, New York City, and Europe.
www.soundwellcenter.com
www.katiedown.com
Retreat Location
WildHeart is located on 46+ beautiful acres in the Hudson Valley. Retreatants will have the option to stay in a single room, double room, dorm, or camping in either our main retreat center or in private two-bedroom cabins. All options have access to shared kitchens and bathrooms. Daily events will take place in the studio, shared common spaces, and outdoors. Retreatants are welcome to enjoy the lawns, walk in the forest, and swim and boat in the lake during their stay! More info about directions and transportation options HERE.
A note on food
We pour a lot of love into every aspect of our food system, and pride ourselves on being able to accommodate a wide range of dietary needs. We serve meat and dairy daily, and always have vegan and gluten-free options available. If you send us your dietary preferences in advance, we will do our best to make sure there is good food for you at each meal! All living accommodations have access to a full kitchen (separate from the main/commercial kitchen). We will provide breakfast groceries for you to prepare and eat on your own. Lunches and dinners are communal shared meals with participants helping 1 hour per day either with meal prep or clean. Drinks include: coffee and tea, dairy and non-dairy milk, lemon and lime juice for water, red and white wine.
Registration
By offering a variety of housing options, we hope to make this retreat financially accessible to all! Beyond that, please don’t hesitate to get in touch if you need financial assistance to attend: contact@wildheartcenter.art
These prices are all inclusive! You receive all retreat content and facilitation, housing, food and drinks, and access to the land, lake, and studio spaces.
$945 Single-occupancy (private room in a shared house)
$825 Double-occupancy bedroom (per person)
$780 Dorm (for a bed in our spacious 5 person dorm)
$735 Camping (bring your own tent and equipment)
$675 Commuter (meals included)
$585 Commuter (without meals)
Refund policy
In advance of 2 weeks – full refund (less processing fee)
Within 2 weeks – no refund
(This policy stands even in case of sickness so we encourage participants to plan accordingly)
Covid policy
To protect the group, please don’t come if you have any symptoms of illness or had contact in the last 3 days with anyone who has COVID
