Red Pearl Clown Festival
Open call for Red Pearl Clown Festival 2026
Dance Theatre Hurjaruuth will host its next Red Pearl Clown Festival 20.–28.3.2026 in Helsinki, Finland. The feminist clown festival aims to representing female clowns and other diverse minorities of clownery with a focus on performances that can also be norm-critical and political.
Read moreFeminist Clown Festival since 2012
Most clowns have traditionally been male, but this festival serves as a reminder that first-class clowns of other genders can be found in the Nordic countries and all over the world. First time in February 2012 organized “Red Pearl Woman Clown Festival” brought world-renowned clowns to Finland and Sweden. Dance Theatre Hurjaruuth, Helsinki, Espoo City Theatre and Regina Theatre from Uppsala jointly produced the festival, which presented acts from Brazil, England, Austria, Sweden and Finland. Over the years many top-class clowns have been performing in Red Pearl, among them e.g. Pepa Plana, Nola Rae, Deanna Fleysher, Tanja Simma, Stacey Sacks, Marta Carbayo, Angela de Castro, Gardi Hutter, Colette Gomette…
Women clown festivals are organized worldwide, e.g. in Brazil, Spain and Austria.
In 2021 Dance Theatre Hurjaruuth changes the name of the festival to Red Pearl Clown Festival. Not because gender equality would have been reached globally, but in order to better take the diversity of genders into account. The festival will continue focusing on women and clowns from diverse genders.
The next Red Pearl Clown Festival will take place on March 20–28, 2026.
Past Festivals
