Clown Conservatory

The Clown Conservatory, a program within the San Francisco Circus Center, was for years the only professional clown training facility of its kind in the United States. Founded in the year 2000 by performer Jeff Raz, the program sought to move beyond simple circus tropes to explore clowning as a serious, multifaceted craft. Students here studied everything from classic slapstick and commedia dell'arte to modern physical theater and the art of human connection. The program gained recognition for its rigorous approach, often producing graduates who went on to perform with world-renowned companies like Cirque du Soleil. By teaching artists to embrace vulnerability and "golden mistakes" on stage, the Conservatory aimed to prove that laughter is a profound tool for understanding human nature.