School voor Clown & Leven

What School voor Clown & Leven does

School voor Clown & Leven is a privately operated, in-person clown training institution founded in 2015 and based at the Tuinzaal studio in the Concordia Creative Industries Building, Utrecht, Netherlands. The company delivers a two-year foundational clown program that combines theatrical clown technique with personal and life development ('leven' = life), supplemented by an extensive catalogue of three-to-five-day themed open workshops (mask, puppetry, music, voice, dementia care, refugee contexts, children's theater, self-reflection, act-making) and individual craniosacral therapy and voice coaching. Programs are billed annually, with tiered tuition (EUR 1,950 minimum, EUR 2,400 standard, EUR 4,800 employer/above-modal rate, all VAT-inclusive) and installment payment. Approximate cohort economics are 8-12 students per group, six concurrent cohorts across Sunday, Monday, and Wednesday tracks (year 1 and year 2 each), and roughly 20 teaching days annually.

The underlying 'product' is non-technological in nature: a curated, embodied pedagogy built on theatrical clown technique, somatic movement education (Patricia Bardi), Nonviolent Communication, and craniosacral therapy principles, supported by a specialist teaching bench of approximately eleven instructors coordinated through the two co-founders, Els Jansen (body-oriented methodology) and Siebe Fockens (example-based methodology; 1996-2019 CliniClown veteran and originator of Stand-up Clowning). Distribution is entirely direct-to-consumer via the school's website and free in-person trial afternoons; alumni referrals and the teachers' personal sites (toolsforfools.nl, siebefockens.nl, theknetterparadijs.nl, hildelaatjezien.nl) provide organic top-of-funnel traffic. A secondary managed-services stream — subleasing the Tuinzaal to external regular users — partially offsets fixed facility cost. The school is independently owned with no disclosed external funding, no parent entity, and operates exclusively in the Netherlands.

Name

School voor Clown & Leven

Legal name

School voor Clown & Leven

Website

https://schoolvoorclown.nl

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

School voor Clown & Leven is an independent Utrecht-based training institution running a two-year clown education program for adult learners, with tiered tuition, themed specialist workshops for healthcare and education contexts, individual coaching, and studio sub-lease as revenue lines.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Utrecht

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. 2-Year Clown & Life Training Program: Annual tuition for the 2-year program, billed in two or more installments. Three price tiers accommodate different income levels: EUR 2,400/year (standard/private), EUR 1,950/year (minimum/income-based), and EUR 4,800/year (business/above-modal). All prices include 21% VAT. This is the primary revenue stream.
2. Open Workshops: Standalone workshops ranging from 3 to 4 days on specific themes (Clown & Maskerspel, Clown & Poppenspel, Clown & Vluchteling, Clown & Dementie, Clown & Muziek, Clown & Stem, etc.). Priced at EUR 340-460 per workshop (inclusive of VAT). Also open to clowns outside the school. Generates additional revenue while serving as an acquisition channel for the main program.
3. Individual Coaching Sessions: Individual craniosacral therapy sessions (EUR 80 per session) and voice coaching sessions (EUR 60 individual / EUR 100 per person for duo sessions) offered on a continuing basis.
4. Studio Rental (Tuinzaal): The school rents out its Tuinzaal studio space to subtenants who use it regularly, providing supplementary rental income.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

School voor Clown & Leven delivers a 2-year clown training program (2-jarige clownsopleiding) in Utrecht that combines theatrical clown technique ("clown") with personal life development ("leven"). Students attend approximately 20 lesson days per year in cohorts of 8-12 participants meeting on Sundays, Mondays, or Wednesdays. The core program is supplemented by standalone themed workshops (mask, puppetry, dementia, refugee outreach, music, voice, self-reflection, children's theater), individual craniosacral therapy and voice coaching sessions, and studio rental of the Tuinzaal space.

Product overview

School voor Clown & Leven offers a comprehensive clown education program centered around a two-year foundational training, supplemented by an extensive portfolio of specialized open workshops and therapeutic services. The core offering is the 2-jarige Clownsopleiding (two-year clown training), which provides theatrical technique and personal development. This is complemented by themed workshops including Clown & Maskerspel, Clown & Poppenspel, Clown & Vluchteling, Clownsact maken, Zelfreflectie, Clown & Voorstelling, Clown & Dementie, Clown & Muziek, and Clown & Stem. Additional services include Cranio voor Clowns (craniosacral therapy), Stemcoaching voor Clowns (vocal coaching), and Tuinzaal Studio Verhuur (studio rental). An optional third-year Keuzejaar (choice year) allows graduates to customize their continued development by selecting three workshops from the open workshop catalog.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• 2-jarige Clownsopleiding (Two-Year Clown Training Program) A two-year clown training program in Utrecht combining theatrical clowning techniques with personal development. Year 1 covers foundational clown skills (feeling, saying yes to inner experience, basic play). Year 2 develops a clown character, ensemble play, and practical experience playing in real-world settings (streets, schools, care homes). Three parallel year groups meet on Sundays, Mondays, or Wednesdays with ~20 teaching days per year and cohorts of 8-12 students. Priced EUR 1,950-4,800/year.
• Spelen met Verwondering Workshop A one-day workshop on playing with wonder, learning to delay judgment and explore situations with openness and curiosity. Taught by Els Jansen and Siebe Fockens at the Tuinzaal studio in Utrecht. Doubles as an acquisition channel for the 2-year program. EUR 120 including VAT.
• Clown & Maskerspel Workshop A four-day workshop exploring mask work to deepen physical awareness and enhance clown performance skills using various mask types. Open to both SCL students and external clowns. EUR 460 including VAT.
• Clown & Poppenspel Workshop A four-day workshop combining puppetry with clowning techniques, exploring different puppet forms and their application for various audiences. Taught by Lisette van Gemert. EUR 460 including VAT.
• Clown & Vluchteling Workshop A four-day workshop teaching how to play with refugee children across language and cultural barriers, including practical sessions at a refugee reception location. EUR 460 including VAT.
• Clownsact Maken Workshop A five-day intensive workshop for developing and refining a clown act, culminating in a premiere performance at the Open Podium Clown & Leven.
• Zelfreflectie Workshop A four-day workshop using Nonviolent Communication techniques to develop self-awareness, empathy, and connection skills. EUR 340-440 including VAT.
• Clown & Voorstelling Workshop

Quantifiable outcome

• Students report increased authenticity, personal freedom, and reduced performance anxiety after completing the program

Named customers6 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• MediclownsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGraduates Anita Winkel and Ellen Princen play as contact clowns through Mediclowns, visiting people with dementia or disabilities once per month. Mediclowns provides the framework and occasionally offers free training or workshops to its clowns.
• Stichting OpkikkerminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGraduate clowns Anita Winkel and Ellen Princen perform at Opkikkerdays — events organized by this foundation for families with sick or disabled children. The clowns developed a dedicated production 'Sneeuwwitje 2.0' for these events.
• Stichting ShamajominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGraduate clowns perform at events organized by Stichting Shamajo, which provides activities for families with a child that is ill or has a disability.
• Villa Concordia (Utrecht)minorOthersThe school uses Villa Concordia as a venue for the Open Podium Clown & Leven public performances, where workshop participants premiere their clown acts for an audience of approximately 80+ spectators.
• Concordia Creative Industries BuildingminorOthersThe school leases its studio space (Tuinzaal) in the Concordia Creative Industries Building and subleases it to other regular users.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• East 15 Acting School (University of Essex): UK university drama school with a dedicated clown pathway led by teachers trained in the Lecoq/Gaulier tradition. Comparable as an established performing-arts training provider offering specialist clown modules alongside broader actor training.
• Amsterdam University of the Arts (AHK): Large Dutch performing arts and theater education institution offering accredited theater programs. Overlaps with School voor Clown & Leven in serving the same Dutch adult performer/training market, but as a multi-disciplinary university with a much broader portfolio and formal accreditation.
• Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts: Long-established UK performing-arts school offering part-time and full-time theater training for adults. Comparable in targeting adult students seeking structured creative and performance training, but operating at a much larger scale with formal credentials.
• Toneelacademie Maastricht: Dutch higher-education theater academy (part of Zuyd University) offering accredited professional theater training. Comparable in that it operates in the Dutch performing-arts education market and develops similar artistic skills, but functions as a formal degree institution rather than a specialist clown school.
• Royal Central School of Speech and Drama: UK university drama school offering accredited theater training with a strong physical and devised performance tradition. Comparable in the segment of adult professional performing-arts education, but as a formal university institution with a much broader curriculum.

Direct peers

• The Clown School (Tampa, FL): Florida-based small clown school offering workshops and courses in clown technique. Comparable as a small, privately-operated clown training school focused on adult learners, with a similar workshop-plus-program structure.
• École internationale de théâtre Jacques Lecoq: Paris-based physical theater school with a strong clown pedagogy track. Directly comparable to School voor Clown & Leven in combining physical/somatic movement education with theatrical performance training, and in serving adult professional and personal-development students via tactile, in-person pedagogy.
• San Francisco Clown Conservatory: US-based dedicated clown school offering multi-year professional clown training in a small, cohort-based format. Direct peer in mission and model (specialist clown training program for adults), differing primarily in geography and educational accreditation status.
• École Philippe Gaulier: Paris-based clown school founded by Philippe Gaulier (a former teacher of Sacha Baron Cohen). The most internationally recognized dedicated clown school and the closest direct comparable in terms of offering, pedagogy, and audience: adults seeking professional clown training through short, intensive, experiential courses.

Others

• Stichting Cliniclowns Nederland: Dutch healthcare-clown organization that sends professional clowns into hospitals and care settings. Not a direct competitor but a key ecosystem partner — multiple School voor Clown & Leven graduates (e.g., Anita Winkel, Ellen Princen) play via Mediclowns, making it the dominant placement channel for the school's dementia/disability-care graduates.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/knetterparadijs
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/school-voor-clown-&-leven

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about School voor Clown & Leven