The International Clown Festival says there's more to clowning than buffoonery. Clown, actor, playwright, teacher and circus arts performer Mike Hirschbach arrives on his unicycle this November

The International Clown Festival says there's more to clowning than buffoonery. Clown, actor, playwright, teacher and circus arts performer Mike Hirschbach arrives on his unicycle this November

"Someone once described them as orangutans who are also poets," laughs Mike Hirschbach, when we ask him for the definition of 'clown'. Prod him a little more, and he says, "I'd say clowning is skillful clumsiness. The truth, though, is that clowning is something that's difficult to define, but easy to recognise when you see it."

That's true of Hirschbach himself, who, besides being a man of many talents, is a father to four children, and mentor to underprivileged kids who he trains as part of a social clowning initiative back home in Nova Scotia. It's easy to tell it's close to his heart the moment we inquire about it over a crackly telephone call to Canada. "Thanks for asking me about it." Our pleasure.

"We teach street children circus skillsu00a0-- how to walk on a tightrope, aerial work, how to work the rings. It teaches them discipline, co-operation, teamwork and how to set goals and achieve them. Over time, some of these children are able to actually use these internal skills to change their lives," he says about Circus Circle.

After taking Circus Circle to the US and Africa, Hirschbach is now bringing it to India, while figuring out a way of implementing the plan in Mumbai once the clown fest is done and dusted. It's a commitment he is serious about. He will stay back in the city for two weeks to set up the programme. "You are dealing with kids who have already gone through a lot of disappointment. So you have to make sure you develop a reliable and consistent programme."

What else can Mumbai expect? "There are clowns who don't wear make-up, and approach the art like theatre. Others wear warpaint and and will focus on amusing the public. Others will show off their physical skills. There's a famous clown in Switzerland who is known for shows built entirely around music." Excited?

Fast fact
Martin D'Souza, Director of Light House Entertainment (I) Pvt. Ltd. is the first professionally trained clown in India

The International Clown Fest organised by Martin D'Souza is on from November 5 to 14.
For tickets, log on to www. clownfestindia. com, www.book myshow.com.
Call Vidhi Sharma on 9820644016 for details.

Debuts in: November 2010