Tavi Voina - on questioning public space through the joyful lens of clowning!

The beginning of July moves Reactor's fabulous energy from the theatre hall straight onto the streets! On July 2nd and 3rd, we are warmly waiting for you in the Mărăști neighborhood to encounter the delightful street interventions of our colleague and actor Tavi Voina, in a playful clown persona. For several weeks, Tavi has been enjoying an artistic residency exploring this wonderfully interactive area, and he was absolutely thrilled to share the details with us! Read on below to discover the magical journey of this residency. 

In the "Clown in the City" residency based in the Mărăști neighborhood, I am joyfully heading in two directions: interactive street interventions in the public space and sharing lively reels on our instagram page @clown_in_the_city in collaboration with the Reactor page. For both, I start with a playful discovery phase, walking all around Mărăști to explore its unique rhythm. I ask myself: What does the neighborhood's public space look like? What are the unwritten rules? Who feels welcome here, and how can we tell? How can I playfully break the rules of this space? Then, I hop into the rehearsal room, pop on my red nose, and happily improvise based on these exciting questions! I use everyday objects found right there in the neighborhood. Our big street intervention will take place on the lively sidewalks and pedestrian crossings of Piața Mărăști! 

After several wonderful walks through the neighborhood, I chose to host my street intervention right on the sidewalks and crosswalks of Piața Mărăști. I noticed that the pedestrian crossing is a magical public space where people of all social backgrounds, orientations, and beliefs pass by one another in complete silence. I wondered: how wonderful would it be to bring them together for just a few seconds or minutes through playful little games? I know I won't change the world overnight, but in a world that can feel divided, bringing different people together for a shared smile—even for just a moment—is absolutely beautiful! I have crafted 3 games, which I affectionately call "clown pills." They last about 30 seconds, which is exactly the duration of the green light for pedestrians in Piața Mărăști! I won't spoil the surprise of what these clown pills are; I warmly invite you to come out on July 2nd and 3rd to experience them live! More details on the exact times will be happily shared on Facebook and Instagram. 

For our Instagram reels, I set up my tripod in the heart of the neighborhood and record my performances. I find so much inspiration in the beautiful buildings and the diverse, wonderful people walking by! My artistic sparks fly from many places—ranging from Ludor Citrik, a delightfully grotesque French clown, to these inspiring photos below found on Facebook (and if anyone knows who captured them, we'd love to credit them!). 

One minute sculptures by Erwin Wurm (photo 1 and photo 2)

Through my clown's presence on the street, I want to gently shake up the rules and invite everyone into a playful, joyful moment. To give you a fun example: I'm thinking of hosting a tiny picnic right on the crosswalk! Or playfully striking an arrest pose whenever I spot a police officer, just for fun. That's the joyful spirit of these actions! 

My passion for clowning blossomed in my 3rd year of university when my class partnered with a school in France. I spent 10 magical days in Caen, where I had my very first taste of clowning in a workshop based on the legendary Jacques Lecoq method. I discovered the pure joy of being silly, communicating through movement rather than words, and connecting directly with the audience—no fourth wall needed! I began studying this beautiful art form in earnest in 2020, creating a clowning moment in "M for Murphy" (choreographed by the amazing Andrea Gavriliu). A year later, during a theater project in a cozy village, two colleagues and I decided to create a clown show. We met online every week to share and laugh over clown acts. That beautiful journey opened up so many exciting international techniques and companies to us! In addition to the Lecoq method, I also attended an activist clown workshop with Robyn Hambrook and Hilary Ramsdeen in Brussels. Their method prepares you to bring joy to protests, playfully challenge authority, and diffuse tense situations with laughter. A wonderful part of their work is also about stepping into public spaces to playfully highlight important issues.

I draw a lot of inspiration from political events, aiming to create a clown who is truly present in today's world. Some people think clowning shouldn't mix with politics, but I disagree—even the great Charlie Chaplin was deeply political! I absolutely love this definition I heard at a workshop last summer: a clown is someone with no friends, no money, and no job, who tries and tries and tries to get them. We laugh because we see our own human struggles in their endless attempts to belong. Clowning is also wonderfully personal. It gives you the space to play with your own body, your naivety, your innocence, and your unique way of having fun. For me, it is a joyful return to play! I know it sounds like a cliché, but I constantly ask myself: how do I play as an adult? In my clowning, I love to keep things simple—no theatrical illusions, just a few raw materials used in the most surprising and delightful ways!

The connection with the audience is direct and exciting! From what I've experienced so far, I expect some people will happily jump right into the games, while others might choose to ignore me or feel a bit startled. But that's the beauty of it! This residency is also a wonderful educational journey, showing passersby that art can come directly to them—no need to buy a ticket or sit in a dark room to enjoy a creative spark! 

This cultural project is proudly co-funded by the National Cultural Fund Administration. The project does not necessarily represent the position of the National Cultural Fund Administration. AFCN is not responsible for the content of the project or how the project results may be used. These are entirely the responsibility of the funding beneficiary.