Chance Meeting with a Clown - Part I

A journey into the life and works of Viveka Olofsson


Friends, do you know what “Chance meeting” is? It can be some sort of a fun activity. We can pretend to be someone or something and then we meet another person by chance. It is for that other person to appreciate, enjoy, laugh, and play along with us.

My interview with Viveka, a celebrated clown artist was some sort of a chance meeting for me. This I say because I knew little about the craft, art and process that go behind the making of a successful clown. I was just acting my way to get to understand all of that. All of that indeed – Viveka has been documenting every single gig in her diaries. From 1978 up until now!


Why clown?

I liked drama – the act of it. I wanted to learn drama as a discipline. The long journey started there. Then through different tracks I ended up being a clown artist.



Any role-models? Any early influences?

From the beginning I had a defined clown role. It was a well-directed role and I ran a roller-skate and a mini motorbike (smiles) on stage. But after I had left theater, the thought came to my mind – who shall I be and how shall I be? I had a rehearsal place where I could go and do my rehearsals. Then, whom I am communicating with? There is no audience in a practice session!

I made up my mind to use some of my feelings I had from my childhood. I was influenced by Chaplin who said something like – if you want to laugh and make others laugh you must go to the bottom of your own fear structure. I was shy and little frightened in my childhood and I could relate to this. The first clown act, even amateurish, was for children and I had used some of those hidden emotions to prepare myself. It was 1976.

 

Start of something?

My three-syllable name, my own name, my own clown figure that hit the right chord at the first performance. I became a brand of myself – “Clownen Viveka”.



How were you preparing mentally?

Planning a performance is the main mental preparation. Then it depends on the kinds of performance one wants to do. I could also get suggestions from partners and collaborators. In conferences, drama teams, churches etc. Those inputs were extremely helpful for me to plan and prepare mentally. My suggestion to newcomers and new performing artists is – try to join hands with other artists, groups, and like-minded persons; you can learn a lot.




Family and creative life – was the balance difficult?

For me, having my child was good for my creative life. I have loved and adored my profession as much as my daughter. I was travelling around the world and Malin, my daughter, was taken care of by her father. My daughter and husband were supportive. My take on this is – when you have a family life, you are grounded, and you must take some responsibilities.



Was success difficult to handle?

Right in the beginning, around 1980, I started getting media attention. I was in the newspapers after I had received a grant from the city council as an artist. It was a big thing to get funded as a clown. Newspapers splashed the news all around! That was around 1980!

Things started and things were rolling along nicely. Travels and appointments continued. Then there came a time when I was doing administrative work as leader for a clown group. But that was for a short while. I think I have managed well to balance the workload. Except for once, I never had to say “no” to any assignment request.




[To be continued]



 



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