CIRCA UK Tour and G8

Gleneagles

2005

For 2 months in the lead up to the anti-capitalist protests against the G8 summit in Scotland in July 2005, the Lab toured the UK. In 9 cities, we presented  interventions and an information centre in a bespoke caravan which transformed into a stage for our evening performance. The free show took place in town squares and parks and included a spoof academic lecture on the history of civil disobedience, the Clown Army’s Ridiculous Recruitment Show, free chips and films of creative activist actions. In each city we ran a two day intensive training in rebel clowning, which culminating in a Prayers to Products action in local temples of consumption. By the end of the tour a Clown Army platoon of more than 200 rebel clowns made it up to Gleneagles for the protests, and the mainstream media had a hay day with headlines such as the Daily Mail’s G8 anarchists planning to send in the clowns.

SELECTED MEDIA COVERAGE

Article by Kolonel Klepto (AKA John Jordan) and Major Up Evil (AKA Isabelle Fremeaux) The Clandestine Insurgent Rebel Clown Army Goes to Scotland via a few other places.

Interesting article by Matt Salusbury in The Independent, Send in the (embedded) clowns, 11 July 2005.

A BBC documentary that followed three activist groups going to protest against the G8, including CIRCA. G8 can you hear us ?

An analysis of the clown charater in protests by Benjamin H Shepard

A short video of clown action at Gleneagles, Scotland, 06.07.05