The Coney Island Clown Skool will welcome students from across the country for an intensive week of creativity, comedy, and connection at the Brooklyn landmark from September 14–21, 2025. Building on last year's success, the Skool reached a major milestone by becoming a federally recognized 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, cementing its mission to preserve, celebrate, and advance clowning as both a performance art and cultural legacy.
Clowning teaches artists to connect deeply with audiences through humor, honesty, and surprise, with skills extending far beyond the circus ring to theater, street performance, cabaret, and corporate public speaking. The art form continues to shape how performers approach timing, character, and audience engagement. Glen Heroy, Clown Skool's founder and creative director, stated, "We started with a vision of creating an inclusive space where people could connect through laughter and training, and now we're building a lasting home for clown arts in America."
The program's location in Coney Island is significant, as the area has long been a proving ground for performers who shaped American comedy and vaudeville, serving as training grounds for acts like the Three Stooges and providing a stage where one of the Marx Brothers joined the famed troupe. With guidance from Coney Island USA, the nonprofit arts organization behind attractions like the Coney Island Circus Sideshow and Mermaid Parade, the Clown Skool takes this tradition forward by providing space for today's performers to draw inspiration from this legendary setting.
Under the slogan "Enter Curious, Leave Inspired," participants will receive hands-on training from renowned artists including Glen Heroy (Academy of Clown Arts), Tyler Bunch (Jim Henson Company), Becky Baumwoll (Broken Box Mime Theater), Michael Trautman (Maine Circus Academy), Hilary Chaplain (Big Apple Circus), Joel Jeske (Ringling Bros/Barnum & Bailey and Cirque Du Soleil), Matt Mitler (Dzieci Theatre), Christina Gelsone (Big Apple Circus), Jeff Gordon (Clown Gordoon), Sara Crasson (Flavors of Magic), and Kat Alexander (Circo Ciencias). The curriculum includes clown fundamentals, puppetry, mime arts, performance development, dynamic duos, classic comedic techniques, ensemble exploration, mask work, comedic devices, clown magic, and social circus, plus a field trip to UniverSoul Circus and performance opportunities on the Coney Island Sideshow Stage.
The Skool will host two public events: Flavors of Magic on September 18 at 7:00 PM (tickets available here) and a Student Showcase on September 20 at 7:00 PM with suggested donation admission supporting Coney Island USA. More information is available at ConeyIslandClownSkool.com.
