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Clowning Wali Bai

Awards, Recognition & Collaborations

Recipient of the ‘Julie Goell Eccentric Woman Scholarship’ Portland USA, in 2019 and 2022, making her the first and only Indian to receive this prestigious award.

Fellow of Maharashtra Cultural Center’s ‘Rangsetu’ Fellowship for the period 2021-22

Collaborated with Clowns Without Borders (Germany) from 2016 to 2018

Engaged in an online performance in 2020 with the Gob Squad Collective in Germany

Participated in a Clowns Without Borders (Sweden) funded project called ‘Laughter per Kilometer,’ focused on improving mental health through laughter for marginalized communities
Co-created and opened her Devised Physical Theatre solo, ‘Rapid-I-Movement,’ in Mumbai in October 2018 with John Britton from the UK
Presented a concept art durational performance in 2015 at various locations in Bristol, UK, including the Arnolfini gallery, Bristol Harbour, and Nikolas Market

Mumbai Clown Girl!
Her Story…

Born in Ratnagiri, a quaint little town in Maharashtra, India, where the mangoes are as dramatic as the local theater scene. Amruta embarked on her theatrical journey due to her father who was actively involved in folk and regional theater. 

She soared from those humble beginnings to the bustling city of Mumbai. For fifteen years, she plunged into theater and performance art. But clowning truly captured her heart and imagination.

Multi Disciplined Storyteller

This interdisciplinary artist is a clown, a theater maker, creative coach, and photography enthusiast. She earned a Masters in Dramatic Arts, graduated in Physical Theater from Greece, certified in Neuro Linguistic Programming, and trained in Dance Movement Therapy.

Amruta also has engaged in in-depth and rigorous studies in:

  • Intercultural Approach to Psychophysical Acting with Phillip Zarrilli (UK)

  • Eccentric Performing with Avner “the Eccentric” Eisenberg (USA)

  • History and Diverse Cultural Context of Clowning with Barnaby King (USA)

  • History, Theory and Analysis of Clown with Jon Davison (UK)

  • Bouffon with Aitor Basauri (UK/Spain)

  • Clowning for relief in crisis zones and Hospitals with Susie Wimmer (Germany)

These areas influence everything she does. Amruta is basically a Renaissance Woman.

Her Quest with Clowning

Her quest isn’t just to spread laughter, it’s about finding poetry in clowning and the power of humor. She touches on topics that are dark in nature, to challenge and reimagine clowning. It’s about sparking a conversation, questioning norms, and pushing boundaries, all while wearing ridiculous clothes and a red nose.

Facilitating Freedom

As a teacher and a facilitator, she's not just passing on skills; she's nurturing a new generation of thought-provoking, boundary-pushing, stereotype-smashing clowns. And she does it all by holding space for her participants to explore, experiment, and, most importantly, to laugh—both at themselves and with each other, free from judgment and full of potential.

Here's to more laughter, more questioning, and, of course, more clowning around!

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