Joanna Bassi

Born in 1955, she is a clown, director, and circus performer. She grew up in a circus family and began her artistic career at the age of 16. Later, she began to focus more intensively on humor and clowning, as well as developing works for public spaces.

Like her brother Léo Bassi, she traveled to the first European street and circus festivals in the 1970s and 80s. Her solo clown performances took her to Italy, France, Germany, England, and Denmark. Joanna Bassi is thus also a pioneer at a time when there were very few female clowns. Alongside her artistic career, she founded a school for physical theatre and developed her own method for teaching clowning. As a director, she has staged and created numerous pieces for theatre, street theatre, and contemporary circus groups over the years. For several years now, she has lived in Berlin, where she performs again in various clown acts. Joanna Bassi is also touring with her lecture performance L’Innocence de l’Humour (The Innocence of Humor), which explores the history of the clown.