What can clowning teach us about developing a playful relationship in therapy with Drew Bird

Play is key in clowning and therapy. It is only in play can the adult or child be creative and use their whole personality to discover the self (Winnicott, 2005). This event explores the world of the clown and the importance of play in developing relationship. Nine core principles developed from clowning, are used to inform creative arts therapies facilitation practice. The unsocialized self, openness, vulnerability, emotion, play, speed of fun, honesty, spontaneity and failure are key to the clown's ability to build a relationship with the audience. In this event the speaker explores how these same attributes can also be harnessed in therapy to develop the therapeutic relationship and bring the client into a playful encounter to discover their own creative and playful potential. This event will be a presentation with some experiential activities.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

• Appraise clowning as a facilitator of play
• Reflect on your personal responses to the clowning
• Identify and analyse how you can develop your skills as a facilitator of play in therapy.

PRESENTER BIO

Drew Bird is an Associate Professor and head of Creative Arts Therapies at the University of Melbourne. He has been a social worker and drama therapist for over 20 years working with trauma in children, young people and adults and palliative care and community work settings. He was editor of the Dramatherapy Journal from 2021 to 2023. His doctorate explored the therapeutic relationship and how this has the potential to mirror the dynamic between audience and actor. He is widely published and presents internationally. Current research interest explores how clowning can inform the playful relationship in therapy.

When: Sunday 8 February 2026
Time: 11 am to 1pm AEDT
(1 pm NZDT, 8 am AWST/HKT/SGT)
Duration/CPD: 2hrs
Where: Zoom
Cost: $50 (+GST for Aust. members)
Open to: Practising and On Leave members
Min/Max: 15/30 participants
Recorded session: Yes

Cancellation Policy:
When you register and pay to attend one of our events, you are holding a space on our calendar that is no longer available to other members. In order to be respectful of your fellow members and the presenter, please email us as soon as you know you will not be able to attend the event. We keep our events as affordable as possible and need to pay presenters the fee they request. While we understand sometimes urgent matters come up, if registrants cancel at the last minute, we struggle to pay presenters. A full refund will be given if the cancellation occurs more than 24 hours before the event. If the cancellation occurs less than 24 hours before the event, 50% of your registration fee will be refunded only to defray our costs.