First of May Clown Internship

This is “Crystal”, my First of May Clown intern.  Because I first discovered my clown at Evergreen, it has long seemed a natural move to become a clowning mentor for other greeners.  So I decided to offer to sponsor either an internship or (as in my experience) an individual learning contract.

http://www.evergreen.edu/individualstudy/internshipinformation.htm < Find or List an Internship Here

I posted a position on Wednesday, August 9th.  On Friday, August 12 I got a response:

This is your future employette, MBC.

I have a deep respect for clowning and particularly the history of clowning, as archival research and humorous entertainment are my most developed passions. I live in Olympia Washington and I am ready and willing to work to help you ensure the success of your clowning empire. I am attending a second year at Evergreen starting in late September. 

I will gladly send you a resume once I am on a computer that contain’s that coveted file. Please let me know if this position is already filled so that I may devise a plan to usurp the throne. I have studied clowning for three years at Wavy Gravy’s summertime circus Camp Winnarainbow in Laytonville California.

We met on the 16th and she worked her first gig on the 21st.  We did a five hour face painting gig for the Love Our Local Fest: Northeast Neighborhood Block Party, and I soon found that she possesses mad skillz with paint and brushes.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

By the 29th of August I had a 2nd potential intern contacting me.  However, we soon discovered that unless the position was a full-time paid position she couldn’t pursue it.

I look forward to the day when I have more than enough work to cover all my expenses and can afford that kind of intern!

I immediately rewrote the internship description to clarify:

Assist the clown at parties and other events. Support the clown archives: written/ photo/ video documentation.
Position is on-call. No guaranteed monthly wages. Each meal is a banquet, every paycheck a fortune.
This is a hands-on, work-related learning experience. It is not a job-job. Opportunities for compensation will be handled with a fair mix of Show & Business.