Coney Island Clown Skool Gains Nonprofit Status, Launches 2025 Training Cohort

The Coney Island Clown Skool has achieved federal 501(c)(3) nonprofit recognition as it welcomes its 2025 cohort for an intensive week of training and performances at the Brooklyn landmark from September 14–21. This designation fundamentally strengthens the organization's capacity to preserve, celebrate, and advance clowning as both a performance art and a cultural legacy. The status follows a successful inaugural year that demonstrated significant public interest in the joyful, time-honored craft, indicating a broader cultural appreciation for its unique contributions.

Clowning, deeply rooted in vulnerability, physical storytelling, and improvisation, teaches artists to forge profound connections with audiences through humor and surprise. As one of the oldest and most versatile performance forms, its core skills influence diverse fields including theater, street performance, cabaret, and corporate public speaking, shaping essential techniques in timing, character development, and audience engagement. The Skool's mission is to honor this rich tradition while equipping a new generation to bring clowning into contemporary contexts. It blends world-class instruction with public performance opportunities to showcase the art form's evolving vitality and relevance.

Founded by veteran clown Glen Heroy, the program has rapidly evolved from an experimental vision into a sustainable institution for clown arts in America. Heroy emphasizes the creation of an inclusive space for laughter and professional training, a mission now significantly enhanced by the nonprofit status which ensures broader accessibility and long-term sustainability. The Skool's location in Coney Island is historically intentional, as the area has long served as a proving ground for performers who shaped American comedy and vaudeville, with historic ties to legendary acts like the Three Stooges and Marx Brothers.

Operating with guidance from Coney Island USA, the nonprofit behind iconic attractions like the Coney Island Circus Sideshow and Mermaid Parade, the Clown Skool actively advances the neighborhood's legacy of showmanship and spectacle. Adam Rinn, Artistic Director of Coney Island USA, observes that the program injects creativity and energy into the area, keeping the art form alive in its natural and historical home. Participants in the 2025 session will engage in hands-on training led by renowned experts, including workshops on clown fundamentals, puppetry, mime arts, and comedic techniques. Instructors hail from prestigious backgrounds such as the Jim Henson Company, Sesame Workshop, and Cirque Du Soleil.

Additional program components include a field trip to UniverSoul Circus to study circus arts in a professional setting, performances on the Coney Island Sideshow Stage, and one-on-one mentoring. The public can engage with the Skool's work through events like Flavors of Magic on September 18, with tickets available via FlavorsOfMagic.com, and a student showcase on September 20 where suggested donations support Coney Island USA. This institutional expansion and community integration underscore clowning's enduring role in bridging entertainment with emotional truth, ensuring its techniques and cultural significance remain vital and accessible for future generations of artists and audiences alike.